An ominous news rent air about the possibility of a coup in Nigeria over the ill health of President. The danger of a coup was brought to public notice by the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, that some politicians were approaching soldiers, with the aim of usurping power.
This revelation and the quest of a certain section of the country to hold onto power willy nilly is causing apprehension and tension in the corridors of power. The attraction of the presidential seat is already pitching sections of the country against one another.
It is been rumoured that some political forces are pushing for the resignation of the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo who constitutionally is the acting president in the absence of the president. And is automatic in line to become the president in case anything ‘unexpected’ happened to the president.
Why are we so fixated with the office of the president? What good has Buhari’s presidency done to the North? Is the North suddenly better than the rest of the country because it produced the person that occupies the office at the Villa? Former President Goodluck Jonathan ruled for 5 years, does that make the Niger Delta or the South-South the best part of Nigeria? Has Jonathan’s presidency made the Ijaws the preferred ethnic group in Nigeria or Obasanjo’s presidency elevated the Yoruba race far and beyond the remaining ethnic groups in Nigeria?
No. Those clamouring and orchestrating are doing so for their selfish interest not for the good of all Nigerians. Not even for the good of the members of their ethnic group. It’s just an avenue to keep dipping their fingers in the till. The talk of coup is already generating international concern with the British expressing total and unalloyed commitment to the democratic government in Nigeria.
According to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, the United Kingdom would continue to support democracy as the only system of government in Nigeria. “The British Government believes that democracy is absolutely critical in Nigeria. There is a democratic process here; there are elections. If you are not happy with your leaders, then you should change your leadership process through your leaders and through elections.
“That is exactly what happened in 2015 and it is what the British Government will expect to happen in Nigeria. So, our position is very clear; we stand for democracy, we stand for the democratic process and we stand for change, if that is what the people of Nigeria want,’ Arkwright said.
It is not enough for the Chief of Army Staff to just discuss the clandestine move of some politicians with military officers on the coup plan, Nigerians want those involved to be exposed and prosecuted if possible. It is believed that the recent shake up in the Army hierarchy is part of an effort to nip the plan in the bud, the Army must go further as shake up might be enough as a deterrent.
The insatiable affliction of sections of the country to hold onto power willy nilly is total against the tenets of democracy, causing needless tension and apprehension at the corridors of power. The lure of the presidency wouldn’t be this attractive if other arms of government had been functional and effective. The legislature has not been a true representative of the people in deeds and conducts. Rather than promulgate laws that will be beneficial to the people, it was busy legislating only about itself. The welfare of the people was never on their agenda. The judiciary does not fare better, it wasn’t independent and always prone to influence of the political class and elite most especially that of the presidency.
Unlike in the United States which operates presidential system like Nigeria, the legislature and judiciary have truly acted as checks and balances on the abuse of presidential powers. The courts and the legislature have rebuffed a number of President Donald Trump’s pronouncements. In Nigeria, the president is a like a demi-god with uninhibited powers hence the do or die desire to retain or reclaim the presidency.
Of what good has Obasanjo being the president done to the Yoruba or Ogun State? Are the Yorubas much better than the Igbos, Ijaws, Hausas, Fulani just because it produced the president from 1999-2007? Are we saying because former President Goodluck Jonathan was president for 5 years and all problems of the Niger Delta, Ijaws and the South-South in general are now a thing of the past? Of what major impact is Buhari being president to the North? Is the North and especially Katsina state, the home state of the president an El Dorado in Nigeria?
The answer is no-big NO. No matter how biased and favourable a president is to his state and region, he or she cannot singularly allocate all the resources of the country to his region. For how long are we going to continue to wallow in the politics of tribalism, nepotism? When will competence and rule of law supersedes religious consideration and ethnicity in Nigeria? If we continue on this road, we will either head to perdition or remain backward eons.
