Buhari’s silence silently killing his administration.– Tobi Idowu
Great leadership is the ability to poke nose in the activities of your stalwarts as and when necessary. The moment you become lax in providing the guide that your leadership confers, the ship of leadership domain will begin to flounder, and may eventually founder. President Buhari seems not to understand his role as the party leader of the ruling party, APC. Forget Tinubu, forget Atiku, forget Odigie or any other, Mr. President holds the ace of leadership in APC. Therefore his ability to lead the party is key to the success of his administration. However, he has failed in his first test of leadership. His silence on and indifferent to the leadership crisis at NASS is a testament to his inability to understand the workings of politics and, inadvertently he is silently killing his own administration.
More like who has the mastery of the shenanigan of a game, politics demands perfect grasp of the inner workings of your opponent, within or without. Having being sworn in, it was expected of Buhari to ensure, through proper gaming, that his interests and vision dictated the composition of the leaders of the National Assembly. Simple! His party controls the majority of both houses, and that should have been a springboard for making sure his vision matches theirs.
Yes, there is separation of powers among the three tiers of government. But, legislative independence does not mean parallel structure of government from the executive. What makes a dynamic legislative arm of government is the ability of the opposition to provide vibrant and constructive watchdog in the overall interest of the country. But, then Buhari will have to battle with two oppositions in the NASS: the PDD, and the other faction of his party (ironically, this faction is being led by the Senate President). His, I-don’t-want-to-interfere-in-the-affairs-of-the-legislators cost him party adherents leading both houses.
To justify the fears of some who believe that Buhari’s indifference has mischievous underpinning, he has not called the brutally ambitious Senate President to order while the latter runs their party to its doom land. While one can live with the fact that Saraki’s emergence has become fait accompli, his trickster tactics in defying his party’s chairman directive on the choice of their party concerning the composition of other leadership slots in the Senate beat ones imagination. What confounds more is Buhari continued silence on this fracas. His spokesmen inconsistent rhetoric still does not add up. Silence in this case could be rightly inferred as acquiescence, acquiescence to Saraki’s shenanigans.
Finally, the President can rest assured that his policy without politics will be sterile in actualization; that his aloofness in the affairs of the legislator, especially in the affairs of his party men at the legislative houses, will stall his executive bills; that the time is already ticking away for him to deliver his electoral promises.
Buhari’s silence is gold– Ibrahim Oseni
No creature is more ungrateful than mankind. They seek and gain favour from God and fellow man, only to reciprocate with ingratitude. They make a saint of a devil and the devil of a saint. It is called double dealing – the creed of mankind. This attitude is evident in the grouses that have followed Buhari’s indifference to the ongoing drama at the national assembly. Many have failed to see the gold in Buhari’s silence.
Enroute to the 2015 general elections, there emerged two figures soliciting the votes of Nigerians to gain the mantle of authority. One was the incumbent Otuoke son. And the other was a retired General from Daura who was running for the umpteenth time. Both candidates came with the usual promise – laden bags. Each tried to outspeak the other to power. Nigerians felt neither of the candidates deserved their votes. In the long run, they settled for the arch-angel little damaged. It was General Mohammodu Buhari. Nigerians voted the Daura born General in whom they saw a modicum of intergrity. Buhari cruized his way to Aso rock with the vehicle of change.
To some, Buhari’s victory came by divine providence. To others, it was a success perfected by resillience and chance. Whichever way it was, the scepter fell in to the hand of the septugenerian at his fourth attempt. And majority gloated over his victory.
Having clinched the people’s mandates, Buhari thought it grateful to recompense Nigerians for their loyalty. He made a number of pledges among which was the the vivification of our depleted democracy. He promised to make all organs of government effective but independent. President Buhari said he would uphold the tenets of democracy by not encroaching into the activities of the lawmakers. Many applauded the declaration as they had no premonition of whose horse would be gored. Nigerians were glad their legislation would be liberated from the control of the executive, atleast for the first time in many years. But humans only appreciate virtues but are not virtuous. Therefore, they want Buhari to bend the rule to suit their whims. They are those Shakespeare refers to as “the lawless that make wills their laws”
Buhari has started as promised- showing no interest in the leadership of the legislature. Unfortunately, he has been making more enemies than friends for failing to meddle into the affairs of the lawmakers. They say the President should play politics to hurt democracy; they believe the destiny of the nation must lie in the hand of a man – the king maker. Having made the President and the vice- president, Tinubu is also expected to install the leaders of the lawmakers in order to become the father of the nation and have in Nigeria, a business empire . This will make him assume the position of Louis XI of France with the infamous maxim: d’etat cest moi – “I am the state”. This must be forestalled.
In fact, so many people are culpable of the erroneous impression: that Buhari is not doing enough to help his party. I have read articles, columns and editorials, calling on Buhari to carry out the wish of his party by imposing leaders on the lawmakers. This is spurious , it is not the wish of the party but of selected gluttonic individuals who want to make Nigeria a business venture. Even if it were for the benefit of the party, we all should know that the interest of the party may not necessary be the interest of the state. Let Buhari take no side, atleast to give democracy a chance to play its part in our polity.
Like I said few weeks ago, I am not an exponent of treachery. But I am not ill-disposed to the action of those deviants who are making things hard for APC to settle for consensus candidates in both legislative chambers. Having laboured to liberate the nation from the thralldom of PDP reign of impunity, we cannot afford to pitch tent with another set of cabals. This is what the silence of Buhari stands for, and it must be appreciated.
Also, there have been arguments that the immediate past president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan had good intentions for the nation. The intentions failed to manifest and materialized for he was easily manipulated by his party and entourage. He put the party first to the detriment of the nation and he spent six years with little or no blueprints. Should Buhari thread the same path and suffer equal fate? No! Buhari must leave the legislators to paddle their canoe.
Finally, we must all realize that our democracy is fast rising from its comatose under the stewardship of Buhari. He pledged to operate on an effective democratic and so he is. We should therefore appreciate him for not dancing capers to the flute of his party. Any attitude less will account for ingratitude. Therefore, I conclude by saying silence is gold, for Buhari and the nation.
