Muhammad Buhari has been campaigning, running for the office of the
\nPresident of Nigeria since 2003.\u00a0 That is a long time – twelve years to be
\nexact.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know anyone else in Nigeria who ran longer for consecutive
\nyears and times.\u00a0 Buhari is also the only Nigerian who declared for the
\nPresidency himself (as opposed to being sponsored) and actually went out
\nand won it.<\/p>\n
So when the gentleman declared at his inauguration as President that he
\nwould \u201chit the ground running,\u201d it was a believable line.\u00a0 I mean, the
\nPresident has had twelve years to look at the nation\u2019s problems and he
\nwent out on campaign trails spelling these out and professing possible
\nsolutions to them.\u00a0 We all assumed he had the wherewithal, and had the
\npeople in mind to help him enforce these solutions.<\/p>\n
But today, 11 June 2015, as I write this, thirteen days in, we have a
\ngovernment of only 3: Buhari and his two Spokesmen.\u00a0 No Advisers, no
\nMinisters, no Chief of Staff, no Secretary, no Cook.<\/p>\n
Another believable line President Buhari sold the electorate was that he
\nwould publicly declare his assets if elected.\u00a0 Well…now we are told that
\nthere might or might not be a public declaration after something called
\n\u201cverification.\u201d<\/p>\n
All of that isn\u2019t exactly hitting the ground running, is it?<\/p>\n
To make matters worse, Bukola Saraki and his old Peoples Democratic Party
\n(PDP) gang rose up and taught Buhari a snappy lesson in how to get a move
\non and how to get things done.<\/p>\n
I know it is very early in the day, but the way Saraki and the PDP turned
\nBuhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over so cheaply is a cause
\nfor concern.\u00a0 You have to wonder what kind of change we are staring at.
\nThe PDP was more astute, more ready, more coordinated and executed better
\nthan Buhari and his ruling Party.\u00a0 Some PDP governors (Wike of River and
\nMimiko of Ondo) and other bigwigs like Anenih and Atiku were in town to
\nensure that the needful was done.\u00a0 Also in town was the PDP\u2019s perennial
\nconsensus doctrine.\u00a0 By the end of it all, while the APC leaders were
\nstill in siren blaring, chauffeur-driven cars and Buhari was still
\nshaving, the PDP captured the National Assembly completely without
\nbreaking sweat.\u00a0 Even David Mark, the previous Senate President, was
\nelected Senate Leader for goodness sake!<\/p>\n
Saraki and his PDP mates did their thing, hung around long enough to shake
\nhands and to gloat, then they shut down the National Assembly for two
\nweeks and went off on their merry way to their various hangouts for Cuban
\ncigars and non-alcoholic wine.<\/p>\n
Only Jesus Christ did it smoother when he walked on water.<\/p>\n
For the rest of us, unfortunately, it appears we are being left in the
\nclutches of the old stagnating and self-serving brigade again.\u00a0 It\u2019s all a
\npity given that there was so much expectation in the air only two weeks
\nago.\u00a0 In Lagos here, getting fuel at the station remains a one-day job,
\nand NEPA is still doing its thing as if it never heard of the word
\n\u2018change.\u2019\u00a0 Please, for what are we still waiting?\u00a0 What is holding up oga
\nBuhari?<\/p>\n
I recall it took the same Buhari an eternity to pick a running mate after
\nhis nomination.\u00a0 Well, here we go again.\u00a0 Two week in, there\u2019s no sign of
\nany government in sight.\u00a0 No policy speeches, no economic agenda or
\nblueprint, no discernible direction, no shape.\u00a0 Instead, Buhari has hit
\nthe ground like wet laundry.<\/p>\n
For our sake, and for the sake of the country, we can only pray that
\ntwelve straight years of campaigning and running for office hasn\u2019t left
\nBuhari stranded in electioneering mode.\u00a0 Someone should please inform the
\nPresident that the elections are over; there\u2019s a country waiting now to be
\ngoverned.<\/p>\n
Nigerians have been let down so many times.\u00a0 I truly hope it is not
\nhappening again.\u00a0 I hope Buhari isn\u2019t going to hang us all out to dry.
\nTwice now, David Mark has socked it to Buhari: one as a military man and
\nnow as a civilian politician.\u00a0 Haba!<\/p>\n