Wanted: New Breed Leaders

It has been asserted that human wants are insatiable.
This may be reason for man’s greed,  and crave for  wealth,  not minding  the consequences that follow. It is this mad crave  for wealth that makes many Nigerians to go into politics. Many are not in politics  to lead out to make money. No wonder the Bible warns  against the love of money.
But for death, many of our leaders  would  have remained  in power forever. Many of them don’t  bother about the fact they have to quit power for the younger ones to take over. These old political breeds  keep recycling themselves in power. This has retarded the development of our dear country, Nigeria for the past fifty-four (54) years after  independence.
The leadership of General Yakubu Gowon with a notable  slogan: Go-On-With-One Nigeria’ from 1964 to July 1975 (11) years, was halted by a coup which ushered in the leadership of General Murtala Mohammed, who led for only six (6) months i.e. between July 1975  and February 13,1976 when he was assassinated.
The assaination of Murtala Mohammed ushered in General Olusegun Obasanjo from  February 1976 to October 1,1979 when he handed over leadership to the Second Republican government under Alhaji Shehu Aliu Shagari, who piloted the nation’s affairs until mid-December, 1983 when General Mohammadu Buhari with Lt. Gen. Tunde Idiagbon took over the mantle of leadership up to August 27th, 1985.
The Maradonic military junta, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida took power from Buhari August 1985 till August 1993 (80 years. IBB intended to perpetuate himself in power which led to the annulment of the most preferred  presidential  election conducted on June 12, 1993, which resulted to the establishment of Interim National Government (ING) briefly headed by Chief (Barr.) Ernest Shonekan between September to November 17. 1993 when  General Sani  Abacha  from the  Northern  extraction took power from Shonekan and ruled up  to June 8, 1998, when he was snatched by the cold  hands of death.
Meanwhile, a Messiah  emerged in the person of General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who stirred the ship from 1998 to 29th  May, 1999 when the former head of State Chief  (General) Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo (second coming ) took over the baton of leadership and became President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, thus ending military rule. In fact OBJ remained President from May 29, 1999 till May 29, 2007 (i.e. 8 years).
However, OBJ’s third tenure agendum  was unsuccessful and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007 was elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FGN), but he died on June 5, 2010 which  ushered in Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was his Vice-President from
Acting  President, Jonathan  became President and was elected in 2011.
Jonathan’s ascendancy to the throne upon Yar’Adua’s death generated so much controversy before he was eventually allowed in 2011. Among those who challenged Jonathan was Ibrahim Babangida who had refused  to apologise to Nigerians over the June 12 saga until he eventually did 17 years after because of his 2011 presidential ambition.
Former Vice-President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku during, OBJ’s regime also contested  with the incumbent President 2011 election and failed flat even in his country home-Adamaw State, where Goodluck Ebele Jonathan  garned all the votes. In the forthcoming 2015 general election another former Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari is preparing to fly the Presidential flag of All Progressive Congress (APC).
It  is said that “a tree can never make a forest”. From  the aforestated analysis of ex-leaders, frankly speaking, one may wish to congratulate and salute  the integrity of General Yabuku Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Aliu Shagari, Chief Ernest Shonekan and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who recognised and acknowledged their noble role and credible contributions for the upliftment and development of Nigeria.
In the light of this I would state that ex-Head of State, General Mohammadu Buhari,  ought  to forget  about his ambition to  become Nigeria’s President again after he declared  that he would not context again. A man like Buhari should rather  play advisory role and leave leadership for the younger generation of Nigerians. At 70 Buhari should concentrate on grooming leaders instead of being  groomed.
However, if Buhari decides to contest  on the platform of APC at  72, he has to be prepared to accept defeat. He should  also  encourage his supporters who  are prone to violence to learn to accept  defeat and not thrown the nation into turmoil.
What I am saying in all is that our older politicians  particularly those of them who have  tasted  power before should give  way to  younger politicians. Buhari  and cohurts should emulate  Gowon, Shagari Abubakar etc who have decided to help the nation by playing advisory role.

Ominiyanwa is a public affairs  analyst.

Goddey Ominyanwa