For many who thought they had heard the last word on the immediate past administration of President Muhamadu Buhari after May 29th 2023, they need to be pardoned for hasty presumptuousness. And who will even blame them when during his tenure, Buhari had severally pronounced that his exit from office will see him keeping a safe distance from Abuja in order to enjoy his retirement in peace. Yet last week saw him coming to warn that no body – ostensibly his erstwhile lieutenants, should contemplate or venture to cite him as a witness with respect to testifying in public on any matter which transpired during his tenure. Seen in contest, this development constitutes an attempt at building a brick-wall around himself in anticipation of likely recourse to him by his erstwhile lieutenants, if such will help them in case they run into hot water with the new Bola Tinubu administration.
Meanwhile, not a few Nigerians are linking his warning to the early signs from the reformist posture of the successor Tinubu administration, which within days of inception has defined a course that takes no prisoners in stamping its authority down. In its short life so far, the Tinubu administration has embarked on some audacious measures that not only mark its future as a likely counter-pose to the Buhari era, but may also serve the bread of affliction to any of the past leader’s lieutenants, who may be found wanting by the new dispensation. In the first place right from the inaugural address, he shut down the controversial fuel subsidy regime – which given the deep rooted syndrome of corruption and sleaze associated with it may offer candidates for a rendezvous with the law. This he followed up with the assent to some bills which Buhari his predecessor had been skirting around indecisively without assenting to. Next he suspended and detained Godwin Emefiele the Governor of the Central Bank. This was followed up by the indefinite suspension of Bawa Abdulrasheed the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The trending question now as far as the clampdown of errant Buhari era officials seems to be ‘who is next?’
With respect to structuring the administration, Tinubu has also hit the fast lane with the establishment of the National Economic Council (NEC), appointment of Special Advisers to serve him in key areas of the polity, while he awaits the appointment of minsters and other officials of government, – a process that will commence when the Senate resumes on Tuesday July 4 2023. Also in the course of the inception of his administration Tinubu had intervened in the emergence of the leadership of the National Assembly, met with the 36 state governors, and generally striving to be reconciled with the expectations of the country with respect to fostering a new deal in governance.Against Tinubu’s relatively blistering pace in governance when compared to Buhari’s, it is without doubt that the guilty in the past era should remain afraid, with some even reaching out to the latter for support – just in case.
Yet that is where former President Muhamadu Buhari needs to shelve whatever concern he may be nursing, and reconsider the warning against whoever may drop his name with the expectation of salvation from the chant of Buhari. The truth is that a wide cross section of the Buhari lieutenants operated with so significant play-out of impunity as if there was no tomorrow, and left glaring tell-tale signs to their loots. This makes them sitting ducks for anti-graft agencies to deal with. By granting them the privilege of holding public office did no translate into engaging in misconduct that should implicate him unnecessarily.
Besides, beyond whatever is cited as a de-merit of his tenure – including the claim that Nigeria fell on its knees under him, he still enjoys significant goodwill given his strong reputation as a man of Spartan disposition as far as material wealth is concerned. Moreover as a former Head of State, Buhari remains a most valuable asset to the country, with respect to the endowment of institutional memory. Having ruled this county for a total of over ten years, both as a military ruler and an elected president, Nigerians look up to him for privileged information and critical insights as remains exclusive to him.
In the circumstances he should see his tenure as a period of stewardship for Nigerians, and should be willing to respond with pride at any forum where his clarification of issues will be needed. His appearance at any such forum does not necessarily translate into a demotion nor compromise of his status, but will constitute the most dignified playout of accountability. It is ostensibly for this reason that President Biola Tinubu even appealed to Buhari to keep his doors open during retirement as his assistance will be needed from time to time.
This is not to understate the fact that not a few Nigerians are actually looking forward to reading an autobiography by Buhari himself in his own words. Given his remarkable public life, not a few Nigerians want to have more of Buhari unveiled, not ensconced behind a forbidding brick wall.
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