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).
Senate has again approved a three-month extension implementation period for capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act from June 30 to Sept 30.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno (APC- Borno) at plenary yesterday.
Monguno, moving the motion, said the extension became necessary given the unutilsed substantial funds released to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for implementation of projects under the 2025 budget.
According to him, delays caused by procurement processes, project implementation challenges and administrative procedures had slowed the execution of several critical government projects.
Monguno said many strategic projects across key sectors of the economy were already at advanced stages of completion and required additional time for execution, certification and payment.
“Failure to extend the implementation period of the 2025 Appropriation Act may result in the abandonment of critical projects, the wastage of already committed public resources and the disruption of ongoing government interventions,” he said.
He argued that some allocations contained in the budget might not be accommodated in subsequent appropriation cycles if the implementation window expired.
This, he said would create funding gaps and ultimately undermine development objectives.
He said that extending the validity period of the budget would improve budget performance, facilitate the efficient utilisation of released funds and support economic growth.
“Granting a further extension of the implementation period is in the national interest and will ensure value for money in public expenditure,” he said.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen. Solomon Adeola (APC-Ogun), supporting the motion, explained that the extension was specifically targeted at the capital component of the budget.
According to him, when President Bola Tinubu presented the 2025 budget to the National Assembly, there is an understanding that 30 per cent of the budget implementation will be completed by March 31, while the remaining 70 per cent will be rolled into the 2026 budget.
Adeola said that the implementation timeline was not fully achieved, prompting the National Assembly to earlier extend the budget’s lifespan to June 30.
“While we were passing the 2026 budget, due to the non-implementation of that promise, we were forced to extend the budget to June 30,” he said.
He said although payments had commenced, significant obligations remained outstanding.
“There is a need to extend this budget beyond June 30 to September 30, by then, we are hopeful that the outstanding 30 per cent will have been paid in full, while implementation of the components transferred to the 2026 budget can commence.”
Adeola urged senators to support the extension to ensure proper implementation of projects and prevent disruptions to government programmes.
Sen.Victor Umeh (NDC-Anambra), who seconded the motion cited the need to sustain the execution of projects captured under the 2025 Appropriation Act.
“In view of the need to sustain the continued execution of the projects covered in the 2025 Appropriation Act, as amended, I hereby second the motion,” Umeh said.
Following deliberations, Senate President Akpabio put the proposal to a voice vote and it was overwhelmingly adopted by the lawmakers..
Akpabio in his remarks said the decision was necessary to prevent interruptions in payments and project execution.
“The payment would have stopped halfway if this was not done,” he said.
The Senate President commended the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and other lawmakers involved in handling the matter.
He directed that the Senate’s resolution be transmitted to the executive for implementation.
“Accordingly, the resolution of the Senate is being communicated to the Executive that the 2025 Appropriation Act has been extended to Sept 30.
The National Assembly had earlier extended the implementation period of the 2025 budget to June 30, following delays in the release and utilisation of capital funds.
Senate, thereafter, adjourned plenary to July 7.
The member representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency of Bayelsa State, Frederick Agbedi, yesterday emerged as the new Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
Agbedi’s emergence follows the resignation of former Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda of Rivers State, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress, creating a vacuum in the leadership structure of the opposition caucus in the Green Chamber.
His nomination was contained in a letter transmitted to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, by the minority caucus during plenary, yesterday.
In the letter, the caucus announced that its members had reached a consensus on the replacement of vacant principal offices allocated to opposition parties in the House.
Abbas, while reading the letter said, “The election of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria, the minority members of the 10th Assembly hereby unanimously nominate the following members by consensus to fill the vacant positions of the minority in the parliament.
“Number one is the Minority Leader, Hon Frederick Agbedi.
“Number two is the position of minority whip, and the person they have endorsed is Hon Mansur Soro (APM, Bauchi).
“The last but not the least is my brother from the North-West, Hon Abdussamad Dasuki (ADC, Sokoko) for the position of Deputy Minority Leader.
“Honourable colleagues, today the body of principal officers is complete, and I want to seize this opportunity on behalf of the whole entire House to congratulate the three people and to wish them all the best in their new positions.”
With the development, Agbedi assumes the responsibility of coordinating opposition lawmakers in the House and articulating the position of minority parties on legislative matters before the chamber.
A ranking lawmaker and one of the longest-serving members of the House, Agbedi has represented Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency since 2011.
His appointment is expected to strengthen the voice of the opposition caucus at a time when defections and realignments continue to reshape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Also announced was the emergence of Hon Mansur Soro of the Allied Peoples Movement as Minority Whip and Hon Abdussamad Dasuki of the African Democratic Congress as Deputy Minority Leader, completing the minority leadership structure in the 10th House.
Speaking after the announcement, Abbas congratulated the newly appointed principal officers and pledged the cooperation of the House leadership.
“The leadership of the House will work with them assiduously in ensuring that we achieve our legislative agenda objectives of this very important 10th Assembly,” he added.
The emergence of the new minority leadership comes amid recent changes to the House Rules governing the selection of principal officers. The amendments, which introduced fresh eligibility requirements, have generated debate within opposition ranks and influenced the contest for key leadership positions.
Shortly after the announcement, a lawmaker from Imo State who had been nominated for the position of Minority Leader last week, Ikenga Ugochinyere, formally withdrew from the race.
He cited the amended House Rules and the new eligibility criteria for principal officers as the basis for his decision.
The latest appointments are expected to restore stability within the opposition bloc following weeks of uncertainty triggered by Chinda’s defection and the subsequent scramble for leadership positions.
Political observers believe the new leadership team will face the immediate challenge of forging unity among lawmakers drawn from different opposition parties while providing effective legislative scrutiny of the executive and the ruling APC-dominated parliament.
For the PDP, which remains the largest opposition party in the House despite recent defections, Agbedi’s emergence is seen as a strategic move aimed at maintaining cohesion within the minority caucus and strengthening its influence in parliamentary proceedings.
In a letter titled, “An Open Letter to Former President Goodluck Jonathan,” the observer said Dr Jonathan should be careful not to allow himself to be drawn into partisan calculations driven by ambition rather than national interest.
He cautioned the former president against allowing himself to be used by what he described as desperate political interests.
“I believe this is the time to protect the good name and legacy you have built over the years. You should not allow yourself to be used by desperate political elements who may be more interested in their own ambitions than in the future of Nigeria,” the letter read.
The Social Commentator further warned Dr Jonathan to be wary of those advocating for his comeback, claiming many of them were previously opposed to his administration.
“Many of those calling for your return today were your antagonists, those who frustrated your government back then. You should be careful not to become a pawn in a game designed by others or else they will stain your white with their ‘roforofo’,” he said.
He maintained that Dr Jonathan’s legacy remains defined by his decision to concede defeat in 2015, which he described as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Your legacy was built through years of public service and your decision to put the country’s peace above personal ambition at a critical moment in Nigeria’s history. That legacy should not be put at risk because of the desperation of a few politicians,” he added.
Mr Adenuga also alleged that some of the promoters of Dr Jonathan’s return have lost credibility in the public space.
“The truth is that some of the people pushing you to contest have already damaged their own reputations. They should not be allowed to stain your legacy with their soiled hands. What they could not achieve on their own should not be pursued through your name and goodwill,” he stressed.
He concluded by urging the former president to remain above political manoeuvring and protect his place in history.
“History has been kind to you. Preserve that honour and remain above the political games of those who want to use your name for their own purposes,” he wrote.
Recall that former President Goodluck Jonathan recently emerged as the presidential candidate of the Kabiru Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a special convention held in Abuja, where delegates ratified his nomination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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