Why Buhari Can't Afford to Fail, By Mark A. Israel

Let me start by telling you a short story as told to me by my friend who heard it from his friend.

Few weeks ago, I was in Lagos for an aptitude test. We were about five hundred - my rough estimate - in the hall. Ventilation was good enough, the chairs were comfortable, and the instructors, friendly. As expected, I was nervous. To my right, was a young lady who seemed to me to be too comfortable, and to my left, a guy who appeared to be distressed; he kept on adjusting his chair and robbing his wet palms against his trouser.

"Your own good o! You see, I graduated with a first class, so I can't afford to fail this test."

This is my interpretation of the above: it's pardonable for me to fail but it'd be a tragedy if he did. The difference is in our class of degree; being a first class graduate, he's constantly under pressure to prove himself. His reputation was at stake.

That was his thought though. And when, an hour later, he failed and I passed, I wondered why a first class would fail such a test.

End of story.

One of the many reasons some Nigerians voted for President Muhammadu Buhari in the last general election was because of his military antecedents. Boko haram militants had become a torn in the flesh and Jonathan had not being able to bring an end to the insurgency. So, it's believed that a retired military general, who in 1983, just months before Shehu Shagari was overthrown in a coup, pushed back Chadian forces who had invaded Nigeria through Borno state and is credited for bringing an end to Maitasine violence in parts of northern Nigeria would perform better than a civilian. Buhari was once governor of the north-eastern Nigeria, and incidentally, that's the same zone where we have the insurgency issue.

One other reason that endeared Buhari to Nigerians was his austere nature; unlike most Nigerian leaders and politicians, he's not obsessed with wealth accumulation. Even his critics agree that he's the least corrupt of all former leaders - they just won't buy the idea that he's incorruptible.
Jonathan's government was already competing for the top spot in the list of the most corrupt government in our history, and NNPC's corruption and inefficiency had become unbearable.

Again, we agreed that an 'incorruptible' Buhari, one who was between 1976 and 1978, minister of petroleum and natural resources and chairman of NNPC, would stem the rising tide of financial recklessness and impunity that was bringing the country to its kneels.

Just like any human being, Buhari has dark spots. His twenty months rein was repressive. The ruling party warned us, like a leopard, Buhari couldn't change his spots. Unknown to them, that was what Nigerians craved for; am improved version of the no nonsense Buhari, one that will come down hard on terrorism and use the courts to send treasury looters to jail. And so, his many sins were forgiven.

The reasons why Buhari won are the same reasons why he cannot afford to fail; his reputation is at stake. But unlike the gentleman to my left who was nervous, Buhari seem too comfortable, like the lady to my right. But the clock is ticking.

In four years time, Nigerians will compare his achievements with that of his predecessor who was neither known for competence nor discipline. It'll be a tragedy if he fails.

-Mark Ademola Israel.