Of carrot-and-stick presidential election (2)

Continued from yesterday
IN his well-deserved victory, Buhari, on his fourth bid for the presidency, remained very steady, pliant, and spirited, right from 2003 till he won the election.

The hard work of some key members of APC helped his success at the polls; unlike 2011, when he had no political campaign office in the south, let alone, campaigning in the southern zones.

He buried his head in the north, like the ostrich would bury its head in the sand with the rest of the body exposed to the world, in an open desert. In his three previous attempts, he ended up at the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the outcome of his failed bids for the nation’s topmost job. It is now in his court as Nigerians await what he has in stock for the country.

Buhari has to extend his hand of friendship and appeasement to President Goodluck Jonathan and his team, in the spirit of one Nigeria. No ill-will against anyone and respect the constitutional rights of President Jonathan, to voice his opinion without fear of intolerance.

He should also reach out to Nigerians of goodwill, character, and virtues across all areas of need to join hands with his administration on good governance, unity, cohesiveness, development and progress.

Since it took Buhari 12 years to prepare for Aso Rock, he should hit the ground running immediately he is sworn-in on Friday, May 29, 2015.

In his 100 days on the job, he should demonstrate a long flow of accomplishments of his 12-year plan to be a Nigerian president. Nigerians are hungry for change, realizing the legendary edginess of the citizenry.

The President-elect made lot of promises during the electioneering campaigns; it would be in his best interest to deliver on these promises; not playing upon the intelligence of Nigerians.

Failure to fulfil those promises, the broom would be available as a tool to sweep his administration away. He has to work for the common good of all Nigerians, most especially the poor and the vulnerable sections of the population.

The new administration is to revamp the structural defect s of the nation’s institutions, to ensure accountability, equity, and transparency. Nigeria runs a corrupt system. With the myriad of challenges, Buhari has to deal with the decay in the different sectors of Nigerian economy. Nigerians are anxiously waiting for him to pick “competent hands” to run the economy; fulfilling his pledge to tackle poverty by closing the wealth gap through shared economic growth.

On the issue of Security, Nigerians are expecting Buhari’s administration to end the insurgency within months of his inauguration, as promised during the electioneering campaigns.

As he promised the governors during the electioneering campaigns, not to probe them, it would be better for him not to waste the meagre resources going after the crooks known and unknown to him. However, he should make sure that every crook remaining in government is identified and made to pay for larceny.

Are the crooks returning their loots now that Buhari has won the presidential election, beginning with a ‘$200 million’ from a single source ‘to the Federation Account’, while ‘names of those who refused to return back what belongs to Nigerians’, would be released?

Nigerians agree with Buhari’s campaign statement that, “if Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.” Nigerians are awaiting his administration’s magic wand ‘to wipe out corruption’. He must come out with specific steps he will take to end corruption and impunity in the country.

The promise to create “20,000 jobs per state, totalling 720,000” in the entire country, and his administration’s full support for the agricultural sector and soft loans for small manufacturers to boost job creation, would reduce unemployment in the land of plenty, under the purview of the fewer Nigerians.

The dearth of infrastructure Nigeria suffers has to be tackled immediately. About 15 per cent of Nigerian roads were paved, and only about 28 per cent are motorable; to the dearth of viable rail lines. Over ninety per cent of travel in Nigeria is by road because air travel is beyond what an average Nigerian can afford. Buhari’s pledges to complete the stalled road projects and improve infrastructural development nationwide are waiting to be tackled immediately.

According to Buhari, the energy sector is “riddled with corruption and mismanagement.” Therefore he should not waste time in adequately adopting a market-based approach, favouring exploration of non-oil sector. The business community is expecting Buhari to adopt urgently the current approach to revive the power sector, to allow small-scale industries flourish, and keep the large-scale industries operating within the country.

On education particularly, he would be faced with teacher quality; provision of learner-friendly facilities and curriculum delivery.

Once again, Nigerians will keep a close eye on Buhari’s administration, as expectations are very high, and if he fails, change will automatically be the answer. Buhari should brace up to the expectations of Nigerians from his leadership as they would hold him to the promises he made to the electorate while campaigning.

In other words, Nigerians will shift tune from ‘hosanna’ today to ‘crucify him’ tomorrow when no dramatic change is seen in the power sector, economy, health, education, security and the general wellbeing of Nigerians within a reasonable time frame, even by December 31, 2015.

The 2015 elections have restored Nigerian democratic bragging rights. Nigerians are the employers of those holding power in trust for them and they are free to dispense with, when the elected representatives cease to act on behalf of the people rather for their benefits and progress.

As PDP got so arrogant to announce that its rule would last at least sixty years; APC’s longevity would depend on its capacity to promote good and democratic governance for Nigeria. Nigerians can start to believe that it is possible to remove politicians through the ballot box.

From the presidential election results, issues facing the country might still require the heavier use of stick rather than the carrot technique. Most Nigerians could still be suffering from the military amnesia, the only language most Nigerians understand, in all ramifications. Power is very hard to relinquish easily.

The 2015 presidential election shows that an incumbent can be defeated in any true democratic process, when people’s aspirations are not fulfilled. United States democracy is not perfect; while the beauty of democracy is that it is an on-going process that gives room for improvement, provides opportunity to make amendments, and affords the people the opportunity to make a statement with their ballots during elections.

•Concluded
*Ajayi is a Professor of Policy, Management and Conflict Resolution at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State