Nigeria: An Imperial Presidency, Its Promises, Disappointments and Descent Into Serfdom

Goats Feeding On The Nigerian Flag

Many Nigerians were optimistic at the advent of the present government. According to popular lore, Buhari was a man known for his honesty, incorruptibility and asceticism. The presumption was that during his first tour as military leader there was some sanity in the country and corrupt politicians became fugitives or prisoners overnight. But whether the former government Buhari led was capable of transforming the nation was not possible to ascertain as Babangida and his cohorts cut its tenure short. However, there those who believe that PMB's deputy; Idiagbon, was doing most of the heavy lifting of the erstwhile administration and Buhari was, and continues to be, a northern irredentist till today. For all his so-called body language, Buhari's mission has only served to restore northern hegemony over the political landscape of Nigeria. In fact, the capital sin of Jonathan (former President) was daring to hold onto power when the north wanted it. 

The sheer elation of Nigerians when Buhari became President was so pervasive and rather macabre that men tried to outdo each other in contrived enthusiasm. Some claimed to have traveled on foot from various places in Nigeria to see the new Messiah. And others promised to visit Mecca on foot to celebrate the second coming of Buhari. However, the saddest part was the role of public intellectuals and so-called political pundits whose utterances and analyses fueled the cacophony of praise singing and preening that are now silent. Many of these intellectuals had methodically analyzed the Jonathan administration and concluded that he was one of the worst things to have happened to Nigeria. But the singular oversight some analysts make is their failure to consider the vile system that produces our so-called leaders. The pundits seem to expect straight branches from a crooked tree. 

Nigeria as presently structured cannot work. It does not matter whether angels or demons rule the country. Our leaders understand that the country is just a vague concept. They shout themselves hoarse about the indivisibility and non-negotiability of the country's unity because that is works best for them - a sheep pen. They make Nigeria work for themselves and those closest to the corridors of power while driving the rest of us to desperation and soul-blight. But Nigerians; in a general sense, fail to realize the power they have to resist the system because of stupefying poverty, illiteracy and petty sentiments.

Today, many of PMB's supporters are asking themselves what went wrong considering the fiasco governance has become in Nigeria. Perplexed "experts" are now asking; was this not the party that promised a reduction of the presidential fleet of jets, freeing the Chibok girls, rebuilding our infrastructure, revamp education, healthcare, and generally making government of the people, by the people and for the people a reality?  Yes, fellow Nigerians, it is the same PMB who promised heaven on earth that has built heaven around himself and left Nigerians in hell.

But it is not PMB's fault. We can only pretend to the world and fool ourselves that we live in a democracy and that the political process is working. In fact, the political process in Nigeria is disastrously anachronistic and antithetical to democratic norms. Elections have become mini civil wars with as much vitriol and blood. Every election cycle: whether local, state, or federal has become a theatre of absurdity with whole scale deployment of police, soldiers and secret service surveillance to maintain peace. The very fact that we need armed soldiers and policemen to maintain so-called "law and order" is a testament to the fact none of our elections have been free and fair. Yes, some might have been fair but certainly not free. 

After such "elections" there are challenges in court as to the validity of results that may take any number of months, or years to resolve! In some cases, the courts annul elections after several years of governance by the supposed winner resulting in understandable acrimony. And depending on the whims of who is in power, elections can be cancelled, postponed or results disputed. These actions could result in absolute chaos and killings. Nigeria does not have democracy yet; but we have selections that are based on our entrenched local and national prejudices, backed by money and power mongers.

Nigeria's political culture is long on rhetoric, theatrical promises and outright inducement through bribery. Our political and personal lives consist of belief and hope instead of knowledge and action. We are encumbered by a system that encourages hero worship; that is couched in sectional and religious obfuscation.  No journalist, pundit or so-called expert sat PMB down to ask for specifics about how he was going to achieve the dreams he set before Nigerians. The only euphoric thing was that Baba has won the election and is capable of delivering the goods. We tend to love change because it is different but not necessarily better. We are a fashionable people and it seems as if our desire for something new beclouds our mind and precludes thorough analysis. The colonial and neo-colonial trauma we still suffer, has bequeathed on us, a lack of depth in analysing our problems, and what to do about them. There is simply no potential for a critical mass in the country that is necessary to create an atmosphere of change - so we hope for a messiah. Our politicians know this, so they present themselves as bearers of light and tell us what we want to hear before sticking daggers of broken promises into our collective backs.

Buhari has always put the north (especially Fulani) first in most of his political calculations and estimation. He confronted a sitting governor of the South West some years back for allowing the local people deal with harassment from Fulani herdsmen. The same man as head of state has virtually normalised Fulani herdsmen harassment of other Nigerians in recent years. In previous political campaigns, his electioneering was limited to the north because he imagined it would be enough to secure a win. Only during his last presidential run did he wise up to the fact that joining the west was the only way out. Also, PDP decampees needed a viable front to present as a candidate of change. They needed a candidate that could easily fool everyone. The north considered the Jonathan years as time in the wilderness and needed to regain their prime position in Nigeria's political life. The meeting of needs between PMB (and the North) on one hand and ambitious factions from the eastern and western political zones delivered the presidency to Buhari. 

Unfortunately, governance in Nigeria is not taken seriously. Our leaders simply hold court with little or only token attempts made at solving our plethora of problems. Reducing the size of government, power devolution, accountability and appointments based on merit are still no-go areas in Nigeria. Most of our politicians became extremely rich mainly through government patronage and sycophancy but once appointed, selected, or elected they begin to jostle for where to live, the number of aides, and the kind of cars needed to carry out their duties. After the fight for allowances and emoluments is settled, they usually have no energy or will to fight for the electorate.

Buhari is clearly boxed in, but he willingly sought the box for twelve years and must bear the brunt of criticisms of his government. Nigeria's fundamental problem goes beyond not selling off presidential jets which costs tens of billions of Naira to maintain or the president checking an ear infection in Britain at the cost of millions of Pounds. In a nation where the minimum wage is laughable and where the so-called minimum wage are not paid to workers for years; there is a clear disconnect between an imperial presidency and the serfdom; bordering on slavery, of the Nigerian people. The profligacy, corruption and total indifference of government to the plight of Nigerians strikes at the root of what our citizenship is worth and whether the country called Nigeria is legally sustainable or just a Mafia-based contraption.