By whatever consideration it is given, it really constitutes a gross disservice to Nigerian presidents and even governors, that once elected into office, they are practically consigned to life in a cage. Even for those whose most distinguished feature in their pre-election promotional pictures was an ever radiant face and hearty smile, once they come into such high office, the smile often vanishes and is replaced by a perpetual frown and even a scowl, as if their ascent has suddenly transformed into a torture. Just as well, telephone lines of and communication with many a former friend are cut, all in the name of the demands of protocol. The implication is that often, by the sheer demands of the same protocol, the potentate easily ends up losing vital contact with the very people he or she came into office to serve, with the only contact with the outside world being the battalion of aides who literally execute a twist of fortunes by hijacking and dominating the potentate.
A typical scenario reportedly played out in the early days of the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential campaign, when the former Head of State visited Cote d’Ivoire and the president of that country then offered him a keg of palm wine among other gifts. On return to Nigeria Obasanjo asked for his presidential gift, only to find out that the stuff from ‘above’ had been disposed of by security aides and protocol staff. The reaction of the tradition-minded Egba high chief is any body’s guess.
President Muhammadu Buhari is all too familiar with the fact that with the trappings of presidential protocol whereby the typical security detail places his or her life on the line in order to marshal his strategy to ensure that no harm comes to the principal, also attracts considerable alienation of the leader from the led. That is why as president of this great country, he needs different fora for reaching out effectively to the people. It is also in this context that the invitation from the National Assembly to President Buhari requesting him to come over for a parley in respect of the ongoing economic recession, is one dispensation that the federal legislature needs to be commended for. Last Thursday the Senate concurred with the House of Representatives to invite President Buhari to come to the National Assembly and marshal out his strategy for taking Nigeria out of the present economic crisis culminating in a recession. At least its promise for reinventing the country’s democracy project and taking it to a new level, cannot be over emphasised.
In a good sense the envisaged parley mimics a ‘State of the Nation’ address which provides the platform on which the President would parley with the National Assembly directly, and which the federal legislature had been striving to institutionalise through a constitutional amendment. Such a dispensation has as a fore runner the ‘State of the Union Address’ in the United States of America through which that country’s presidents reconcile their political visions and expectations from the legislature on a face to face basis. A most recent one was the January 13th2016 State of the Union Address – President Barack Obama’s last, and which he effectively used to inspire his country on issues that will definitely remain topical even after his tenure.
There are several reasons why the executive arm should be celebrating this opportunity of an unscheduled invitation to parley between Buhari and the National Assembly. Beyond the ritualistic annual presentation of the country’s budget by the president to a joint session of the National Assembly, hardly is there any other formal platform for direct interface between the leadership of the legislature and the executive even when they should be partners in progress, as far as governance of the country is concerned. And such a scenario constitutes a major weakness in the governance culture in the country as it denies the citizenry of the benefit of cohesion among the arms of government in public service delivery.
Admissibly there are instances when the public is treated to stories of a sitting president meeting ‘accidentally’ with members of the National Assembly in the Presidential Villa. Such occasions can hardly qualify as the fora for any significantly productive enterprise as far as service delivery considerations are concerned. In a succinct context,as long as the executive arm of government plays shy of aspiring to fall openly into the same page with the legislature which is the statutory proxy of the citizenry, so shall the former be working at cross with the expectations of the people. After all leadership and followership can be likened to the two hands of the state which must come together to clap effectively.
More pointedly the invitation offers the president a new opportunity to establish a fresh rhythm with the Nigerian electorate given the undeniable dip in public rating of the administration in the past one year. Against the backdrop of the fact that the administration allowed itself to be seen in the public domain as being antagonistic towards the National Assembly, it needs a copious volume of fence mending to earn restitution and restoration of its public rating when it came into office. In the context of the foregoing the National Assembly as a market place of ideas, is therefore the most disposed platform through which the administration can gain significant mileage in projecting whatever message it has for Nigerians at this challenging time.
Indeed the issue at stake is less of whether Buhari will honour the invitation than what he will tell Nigerians and what questions the legislators will make him answer.This consideration defines for the forthcoming parley an agenda of a question and answer session, and in the full glare of Nigerians as well as the wider world. If any dispensation can boost his democratic credentials, this is it.
President Muhamadu Buhari was elected with a spread of votes that spanned the whole country based on his antecedents as a forthright patriot who is also exposed to all parts of the country. A retired army general, former Head of State, former military governor, and former Nigeria’s oil minister, Buhari has much going for him as an enigma of sorts in the country’s political terrain.
Yet not all of him is known to the public. That is why at any forum the public he will appear in public he enjoys a welcome reception. The National Assembly parley is of keen interest to many of his supporters and opponents alike. That is also why he cannot fail the country both in attending and message at the occasion.
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