I Fear for Buhari's regime

I was one of the late converts of Buhari's Presidency especially in the build up to the 2015 General Election despite my affiliation and sympathy to the All Progressives Congress. My hesitant was borne out of understanding of the past role played by President Buhari in the past.

As a sophomore student of Public Administration at the great Olabisi Onabanjo University, one of my mandatory courses was a Leadership Course and of which Regime by Regime Analysis of past Nigeria political leaders was one of the course outlines. Under this topic, the achievements and fall outs of the various Head of States from civilians to military governments were critically analyse by the Lecturer in person of Dr Agbaje who taught the course. Along this was my personal research.

There and then, it was obvious to me that the campaign against Buhari presidential ambition was not a mere propaganda as virtually all the allegations leveled against him was real and factual then. It is therefore not surprising that a very good friend of mine: Bunmi Jembola, though not a party man would have to try hard to won me over to believe in Buhari's Presidency. In that course, and all the literatures I read, he was reputed to be selective in his anticorruption war, ethnocentric, and dictatorial.

As the election draw nearer, I listened to speeches by some of Nigeria foremost men like the  political sagacious leader of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the cerebral former Governor of Lagos State: Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN among others, and I conclude they cannot be wrong.

Indeed, they were not wrong especially considering the time we were living in then. Jonathan presidency was a disaster, and his continuation can only damage the country further. Indeed, it was time to send him and PDP out of Aso Rock. This was what Nigerians like me did, campaigning in the open and private. Recalled with nostalgia then, the usual arguments in our International Law classes in UNILAG. It was usually informing and entertaining, all thanks to erudite lecturers, most especially Prof Akin Oyebode.

The question then was Buhari the best person Nigeria can offer as President? The answer is NO, but he was the best among the two foremost candidates. Nigerians were faced with the option of choosing between a honest man and a dishonest man. Nigerians were faced with the option of choosing between a weak leader and a fearless leader. Nigerians were faced with choosing between a man who have been struggling to get power and a man who have power thrusted upon him with little clue as to what to do with it. Nigerians were faced with choosing between a man with propensity to sectionalism and nationalism. It was apparent then, that our major problem as a nation was corruption which the ruling government was indifference to.

On this basis, Nigerians choosed. Were we wrong? No! We were only wrong to assume that Buhari tendency for sectionalism and selective justice would have been drastically reduced or completely eliminated. How wrong were we? With the application of insecticides against perceived political opponents, and deodorant for the regime allies, it is cleared that what I know back then through reading is now virtual reality of the regime today.

To me, I have no issue with the selective justice for now, for one day, somebody else will come and prosecute those who are left off the hook today. Be that as it may, it will be a dent on the Buhari's regime anticorruption crusade, and may also result in its apparent downfall.

This is because Nigerians like me are watching and counting, and one day, we will open the book of records of the government. No student does examination without report card.

At present, we may feel slighted by jesters of the administration for the support we have given in the open and in private from campaign time to now, nonetheless, we take solace following our conscience and pursuing patriotic course. Tomorrow, if a better alternative to Buhari emerges, we will do our best to support such candidates. Nigeria should not be about individual or party affiliation, but national interest.

Sincerely, we are noting- from the Grass gate to the NIA gate, not less the NNPC gate and the recent Pension Gate. Added to this is slow pace of decision making and initial demonstration of lack of incompetence in managing the nation economy especially as regarding FOREX, among others. The days of reckoning are close by.

While the time appears to be moving at a fast speed, the government still have a little time to redeem itself by doing away with selective justice, indifference to popular views and opinions, seemly apparent pursuit of Northern agenda, among others. The fair dispensations of justice concerning the Gates mentioned above can still salvage the regime as it is better late than never!

God bless Nigeria!