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Buhari, Trump and price of national unity

By Charles Ogbu
27 November 2016   |   3:24 am
The raw hate, bigotry and antagonism that characterised the United States election bring to mind the open display of hate and bitterness during Nigeria’s 2015 election.
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: DC area students protest the election of President-elect Donald Trump, while marching past the U.S. Capitol. The election of Trump as president has sparked protests in cities across the country. Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

WASHINGTON, DC – NOVEMBER 15: DC area students protest the election of President-elect Donald Trump, while marching past the U.S. Capitol. The election of Trump as president has sparked protests in cities across the country. Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP<br />MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

The raw hate, bigotry and antagonism that characterised the United States election bring to mind the open display of hate and bitterness during Nigeria’s 2015 election.

The two elections may have come and gone but I am reasonably certain Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari have some lessons to learn from the way the U.S. president-elect, Donald Trump has conducted himself so far. The conduct and utterances of the U.S. president-elect show a man who fully understands the huge difference between being a candidate of a political party and being the president-elect chosen to preside over the affairs of a whole country including those who didn’t vote for him.  Listening to Trump since he won the election, you’d be left wondering if he was the same man who repeatedly used the term “crook” for his opponent, Hillary Clinton and even vowed to ensure she sees the inside of a penitentiary should he win.

The actions and utterances of the president-elect so far have shown a man who truly understands the need for unity and national cohesion after a very bitter and highly divisive election campaign in sharp contrast to what we witnessed from our own President Muhammadu Buhari after he was declared the winner of the 2015 presidential elections.

Let’s review some of the actions and utterances of the reality T.V personality, Trump since winning the elections:

In his victory speech, the billionaire businessman showered encomiums on Clinton. Hear him: “Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country. And I mean that very seriously.”
That was Trump speaking as a man whose duty it is to unite both Clinton’s supporters and his own supporters, too. That was Trump sacrificing his petty emotions and urge for vendetta in the interest of national unity.

On those who didn’t support him during the election, let’s hear Trump again: “For those who have chosen not to support me……., I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help so that we can work together and unite our great country.”

Note, the president-elect didn’t say he was going to give more attention to those who supported him. He didn’t say anything about 97% versus 5% either. He simply pleaded with those who opposed his candidacy to please come and join him in making their country great.

Now, I believe Buhari has one or two lessons to learn here. You don’t go to a foreign country and start implying you’d punish those who didn’t give you their vote during an election. No one has to vote for you. No one owes you any vote. People have the constitutional right to vote for any candidate in an election. It smacks of a criminal sense of entitlement to feel that everybody in your country must vote for you or risk being treated like second class citizens by your government. This is the mentality of a man who knows next to nothing about the term “government.” As a president, you are both legally and morally obligated to treat all your people equally. Matter of fact, a wise president goes extra mile to win the love of those who didn’t support him at the polls. Even as president, those who didn’t support you don’t have to love you. You’ve got to earn their love and support. It must be stated here that the 97% versus 5% speech by Buhari where he promised to treat Nigerians on the basis of how much vote they gave him remains one of the worst presidential gaffes in human history.

All through the campaign, Trump never stopped attacking President Barack Obama. He even questioned his American citizenship and de
manded to see his birth certificate. But the moment Trump won the election, he realised that as the president-elect, he owes it to himself and the American people to say and do only those things that will promote national unity. After meeting with Obama for the first time, Trump described him (Obama) as “a very good man” and promised to seek his advice from time to time.

Trump did not describe Obama as a kindergarten president. He did not start telling journalists how Obama and his official had stolen billions of dollars.  He simply said he (Obama) was a very good man.

Again, Buhari needs to pay very close attention to this. Speaking as a candidate is different from speaking as a president-elect or even a sitting president. As a candidate, you can say virtually anything and get away with it but once you are declared president, your actions, inactions, speeches and even silence all have far-reaching consequences. Your word as a president, whether president-elect or a sitting president, can make or mar your country. Even your body language as a president can do so many things.

It must be stated here that Buhari lost a golden opportunity to heal this country and put her on the path of unity after a very divisive and poisonous campaign that characterised the 2015 general election. Instead of reaching out to those who opposed him during the election, the president allowed his urge for vendetta to cloud his sense of judgment. We must not shy away from the fact that had Buhari not dedicated so much time to witch-hunting those who didn’t support him during the election as well as ensuring that his opponent, Goodluck Jonathan was made to look like the devil before Nigerians, this country wouldn’t be as divided as it is right now.

The president’s very un-presidential and ill-advised 97% versus 5% statement, his constant use of the word “crush” as against dialogue when referring to the Niger Delta aggrieved youths, his desperate attempt to denigrate his predecessor at every turn with frivolous allegations of looting in the media etc caused more division than unity in a country that was just coming from a keenly contested general election that saw the North pitted against the South. As a president, if you believe your predecessor has some corruption cases to answer, it is not your place to even comment on the issue. You are the president and your job is to provide good governance to millions of your compatriots. There are institutions vested with the power of fighting corruption. Leave those institutions to do their job! You don’t fight corruption by always going to the media to accuse the government before you of stealing billions. Let the anti-graft agency quietly gather evidence against those persons and proceed to the court!

Here now is the most important lesson from Trump; a lesson that would have probably saved us from the current economic recession if only our president had imbibed it immediately he took over power from Jonathan.

Within few days of emerging president-elect and with over two months to his inauguration, Trump has completed almost 60% of his cabinet. As I type this, he has candidates pencilled down for almost every position in his cabinet pending his inauguration and Congress approval.

Once again, I think Buhari needs to learn one or two lessons here. You don’t spend 12 solid years begging your compatriots to give you their vote and promising heaven and earth only to get confused at such a basic thing as forming your cabinet such that you spend your first six months in office globetrotting while leaving your country on autopilot. No minister, no nothing! No investor that is worth his name would remain in such an environment even if it was the most peaceful place on earth.

I’ve said it in the past and it bears repeating now, the actions, inactions, utterances as well as the body language of Buhari since assuming office on May 29, 2015 have divided this country more along ethnic and religious lines than the activities of any secessionist group could ever do even in 20 years to come. The president’s reckless and tactless comments, his vendetta-styled anti-graft war, his nepotistic appointments which have seen his fellow Muslim northerners occupying most key positions in the country and his relentless quest to see that the name of his predecessor, Jonathan is never associated with anything good in the country, have only succeeded in creating more division than unity in the country. These ill-conceived actions and inactions have created more secessionist groups in the country and gifted the existing ones with more sympathisers.

As a matter of urgency, the president must be made to understand that he has progressed in error for far too long and must retrace his steps and embark on genuine reconciliations by reaching out to all the aggrieved sections of the country with a view to addressing their grievances.

Running a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country such as Nigeria requires a whole lot of wisdom. So far, Buhari hasn’t demonstrated that he has the much-needed wisdom. And regrettably, the president’s aides and advisers have all proved to be more of the problem than the solution as they’ve shown to be more interested in telling the president only what he wants to hear just so they could retain their jobs and remain in his good book instead of telling him the real truth at all times. The greatest asset any country could boast of is her human resources, not oil, not gold. How can we fully tap our human resources if we cannot make every section of the country feel a sense of belonging?

Ogbu, a social analyst, wrote from Port Harcourt.

19 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    My sincere gratitude to the writer Ogbu. for this article. Some president Buhari’s followers, I say some Buhari’s followers and not all still believe that he has it right. But what would you expect from a man who confided him self in Daura after leaving active governance or being overthrown in 1985 by Gen. Babangida. Some of us expected him to up grade or enroll himself in any higher institution to catch up with current and modern trends as Gen Gowon (rtd.) did.
    To some people who do not know. President Buhari recommended some people he knew back in the days for appointments in his government only to be told that such people were dead. That tells you his level of exposure and knowledge of current events even in Nigeria he has been earger to govern. Would any one be surprised if president Buhari is not computer literate. The division and hatred president Buhari has created amongst all the ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria has come to stay. I rest my case.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Awe may have been better off NOTinvesting time and money in ‘being brought up to modern attitudes”by the Professoriate, some of whom cannot be trusted to read the time of day from their own wrist watches!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Charles, what of Buhari’s sponsorship of Fulani herdsmen’s terrorism?

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is rather unfortunate that a president talks the way our President does.
    From his famous 97% and 5% classification of the electorate and the state they represent to his his calling of everyone a criminal whenever he is out of the country.
    It is no secret that the President has not upgraded himself for the last7iu 40 years.
    Any sane country will think twice before making this life changing choice of choosing a leaser.
    But is Nigeria a sane country?
    That is a topic for for another day.

  • Author’s gravatar

    We must come together to rescue our nation, we must not leave this country in the hands of a man whose life ambition is to travel round the world

  • Author’s gravatar

    I thank you my brother Charles for this piece it is a sure hope that Nigeria will rise again

  • Author’s gravatar

    The central quirk with Buhari’s administration is bizarre and narcissitic fixation that he is the only blind man who could see in a throng of blind people. He drags everybody with him into the murk and revels in the success he has achieved taking this country back to recession, impunity and flagrant disregard to everything that constitutes orderliness. He does little to cover his hate for people cut from a different part of the country than his, and refuses to accept the folly of that single-mindedness.

  • Author’s gravatar

    As usual, charles ogbu, you nailed it.it is just straight to the point.

    I will never accept buhari as my president. He is vile, vindictive and possibly evil!

    No matter what seems good he does while he last in office, he still not my president.

    His actions and inactions fuelled my full support for Biafra actualization.

    May God keep you as you choose this path!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Right on point, Mr Charles. As usual, you are factual, insightful and bold. You are Indeed one of the most prolific writer of our time. I enjoy reading your post/blog. Stay blessed and keep it coming!!!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Best article ever….if we had just ten writers like this, Nigerians would have been more enlightened and our country would have been better than it is today.

  • Author’s gravatar

    This is bold and straight

  • Author’s gravatar

    As always’ you gave this particular article a writers Midas touch. For anyone expecting anything more from a man who vehemently rejected leaning is wasting his or her precious time, that is president buhari for you, his not changing & as always owes no one an apology. Mother nature keep you Charles.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mr. Charles Ogbu,I will continue identifying with your heart reaching article that has made me one of your greatest fans,I just pray that you do not disappoint me and many other fans of yours,who have stayed glued waiting for ur nest article,even when is not out…All the best bro

  • Author’s gravatar

    Another masterpiece from ogbu,this guy makes my day with his writings anyday.May mother nature continue to increase his intellect,wisdom and courage to continue to speak truth to power.

  • Author’s gravatar

    “once you are declared president, your actions, inactions, speeches and even silence all have far-reaching consequences” – Charles Ogbu.

    You so contradicted yourself when you said the above mentioned quote and went ahead to say that

    “As a president, if you believe your predecessor has some corruption cases to answer, it is not your place to even comment on the issue” – Charles Ogbu

    Buhari is not a Leader but a dictator, he lacks the capacity to unite and move on!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Indeed,@The Guardian censorship of this piece by the erudite writer himself, Charles Ogbu,is of epic significance. Good one Guardian. As for you Charles, you are billed to grow from wisdom to wisdom

  • Author’s gravatar

    On president Buhari’s 97% versus 5%, I can now see the reason why all his developments are targeted to the North and North East, reclaiming Lake Chad, Building new power plants, Construction of areas damaged by Boko Haram as against the expectation that the Federal Government would have made funds available to the various states governors of the affected states or create a body- North East Development Commission (NEDC) to carry out the reconstruction. The Federal Government should as well come to NIger Delta and develop the area and stop giving peanuts to NDDC in pretest that the government has done much. Even non sustenance of the refineries in Nigeria maintained By former president Good Luck Ebele Jonathan before leaving office. Instead President Buhari chooses to import crude oil from Niger Republic to sustain the non functional Kaduna refinery. Who are the beneficiaries of his appointments? Friends and family members

  • Author’s gravatar

    Succintly put and well expressed golden article by a genius.
    Information is power and idea rules the world but this can only be useful for a wise man who knows the worth of an idea and not a man full of arrogant of power.

    Preident Muhammadu Buhari is an egoist who hardly take or yield to anyone’s advise but always right in his own view. He has not good intention for coming because has always been driven by the zeal to Islamize the country by all means at all cost for those promoters of Sharia and Islam as an Ideology.
    Nobody should expect something different than what we seeing nor hearing with PMB, because “as a man thinks so is he” He has not leadership ethic as a religion fundamentalist.
    And Nigeria as British Oil Company was established to be manage by the Northern Oligarchy for the Interest of British Economy as well to continue feeding them and no matter the state of Nigeria, they don’t care as long the Oil keep coming freely from that contraption.
    To me, to divide Nigeria peacefully will be a better and helpful option to end the incessant killings and clueless leadership of those who believe they were born to rule while others are born to be killed for Nigeria to be one.
    God Bless the writer,
    God Bless THE GUARDIAN NEWS,
    God Bless all people of goodwill, AMEN!
    #ENDIMPUNITY!

  • Author’s gravatar

    How dare he “question’Boraxo Hussein’s citizenship, merely because his birth certificate was a forgery?!And he said he was born in Kenya?!