Politics
Buhari And Nigerians’ Great Expectations
In less than one week, precisely May 29, Nigerians will witness the inauguration of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as the new president of Federal Republic of Nigeria after the expiration of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure.
Observers are quick to note that the incoming administration will be formed by the APC, an amalgamation of three opposition parties, that defeated the ruling PDP, which has been in power for 16 years, in a keenly contested general election.
As the new administration prepares to assume office, the hopes and expectations of Nigerians are obviously very high, with most people expressing the belief that Buhari, the president-elect, will correct all perceptible anomalies in the political and socio-economic life of the country.
Such expectations are rife, considering the “change’’ mantra of the APC and its presidential candidate in the lead-up to the elections.
Observers, therefore, maintain that the incoming administration will, no doubt, face some challenges immediately after its inauguration, judging from the high expectations of the citizenry.
They note that Nigeria’s problems are numerous, complex and multi-faceted, ranging from corruption to insecurity, poor economy and inadequate electricity supply, among others.
Dr Ibrahim Shuwa, a sociologist, insists that the Buhari-government is expected to provide urgent solutions to some of the myriad challenges facing the nation and its citizens.
“The people’s expectation for a pragmatic change in every aspect of national life is quite high and if they fail to see changes soon, they will be somewhat disillusioned,’’ he says.
Shuwa, however, notes that while some Nigerians appreciate the enormity of the challenges facing the country, others want nothing short of quick solutions to the problems.
Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Kunle Onas, a civil servant, says that in line with the APC manifesto, the Buhari-government needs to initiate novel ways of cushioning the effects of the “harsh economic conditions’’ on the citizens.
He recalls that Buhari pledged, during his election campaign, to stimulate Nigeria’s economic turn-around and create the basis for its improved prosperity, stressing that there should be no excuses for failure in that regard.
“During the campaigns, the term ‘change’ was the in-thing; we believe that Gen. Buhari already has a lot of plans in place to provoke this change before embarking on such a campaign.
“Now that he has been elected, we hope he is not going to start giving excuses for his inability to effect the desired change after some time because Nigerians are tired of excuses,’’ he says.
Going from the general to the specifics, Onas advises the incoming government to fix the country’s refineries as a matter of urgency so as to resolve the perennial challenge of fuel scarcity facing the country.
“I believe that finding solutions to the perennial scarcity of petroleum products should be a priority for the incoming government and the matter should be handled with all the urgency it deserves.
“It is an embarrassment for an oil-rich country like Nigeria to depend on imported fuel for local supply and consumption; Nigerians expect the incoming administration to tackle this embarrassing fuel supply situation.
“Gen. Buhari should immediately commence the construction of new refineries, while refurbishing the existing ones, so as to tackle the issue once and for all,’’ he says.
Onas believes that the focus of the administration’s revenue generation activities should also be on the export of refined petroleum products to other countries.
“Rather than importing refined fuel, we expect the new government to devise a means that will enable Nigeria to export petrol and refined petroleum products to other countries, particularly African countries,’’ he says.
However, Mr Steve Ade, a contractor, advises the incoming government to place considerable emphasis on how to boost the country’s security.
“Gen. Buhari should use his experience in the military to enhance the security of the citizens’ lives and property, especially by crushing the Boko Haram insurgents.
“We want a safe country where citizens will be able to live and work in any part of the country without fear.
“A situation whereby some states in the North are no longer safe to visit is not acceptable and this should be addressed immediately.
“I understand that the present government has done a lot lately in terms of battling the insurgents, but so much still needs to be done; the new administration should be ready to live up to our expectations,’’ he says.
Besides, Mr Tunde Adeoti, a technician, urges the incoming government to give priority attention to the agriculture sector.
“There have been some landmark achievements by President Goodluck Jonathan in the area of agriculture and I advise the incoming government to consolidate on these achievements.
“The remarkable improvement in fertiliser supply to farmers and the boost in rice production should be sustained and in fact, improved upon so that Nigeria can finally stop the importation of food items.
“Most governments are fond of discarding the policies of their predecessors even if they are potentially viable. I advise the Buhari-administration not to toe that line,’’ Adeoti says.
Mrs Vicky Dada, a business woman, urges the incoming administration to urgently focus its attention on job creation so as to curb the rising menace of crime and insecurity
“The president-elect, during his campaigns, expressed concern about the high level of unemployment in the country. “He promised to boost employment and create jobs; this is why many Nigerians voted for him,’’ she recalled.
According to Dada, “Now that Buhari is about to be sworn in, he must tackle the issue of unemployment as a matter of priority so as to enhance the country’s growth.
“Tangible efforts should be made to resuscitate all the moribund industries across the country, as part of efforts to boost job creation.”
All the same, Mr Frank Eke, a lawyer, urges Nigerians to be patient with the incoming government.
“It is obvious that most Nigerians are expecting some kind of miracle from the incoming administration but I will advise them to be patient.
“Although there is a compelling need for Nigerians to live comfortably, considering the resources at our disposal, but we have to appreciate the degree of the decay of our infrastructure and the enormity of the work required to achieve results,’’ he says.
Buhari himself appears to have anticipated the high expectations of the citizens, judging by his acceptance speech after he was declared winner of the elections.
While pledging to meet aspirations of Nigerians, he advised them to be realistic in their expectations from his government.
“We shall correct that which does not work and improve that which does. We shall not stop, stand or idle. We shall, if necessary, crawl, walk and run to do the job you have elected us to do.
“I realise that the expectations of our people today are quite high; their commitment to change has been strong and their belief in us is unshaken.
“While we pledge to begin doing our best without delay, we would like to appeal to them to appreciate the gravity of our situation, so that we become more realistic in our expectations,’’ he said.
Nevertheless, analysts insist that as all the stakeholders in the “ Nigeria project’’ are looking up to the incoming government to meet the great expectations of Nigerians, they should also strive to partake more meaningfully in all the nation-building processes.
In a matter of days, the new government will be in power but most Nigerians are anxiously waiting to see whether or not the new administration will be able to guide the nation to the Promised Land.
Abdulrahman is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.
Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.
He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.
Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.
“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.
“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.
“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.
“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.
“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.
Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.
“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.
-
Niger Delta2 days agoWarri Airport Manager Disputes Air Peace Bird Strike Claim
-
News2 days agoNigeria Won’t Surrender Any Territory To Criminals -Tinubu
-
News2 days agoFG Begins Trial Of Over 600 Terrorism Suspects
-
Rivers2 days ago79th IAUE Inaugural Lecture: Prof Anero Advoctes Tuition-Free Education For Children
-
Politics2 days agoParties’ Deregistration: How Justice Lifu Overruled Appeal Court Justices
-
Politics2 days agoADC: Okonkwo Rejects Amaechi As Presidential Running Mate, Withdraws Support
-
Politics2 days ago2027: Tinubu’s Projects Give APC Edge In South East – Yilwatda
-
News2 days agoRivers Judges Commence Annual Vacation, July 20