01062019 - APC lawmakers move against party

10—SATURDAY Vanguard, JUNE 1, 2019
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ON May 29, 2015, history was made in Nigeria when an
opposition political party took over the seat of power from an
incumbent president.
Before the tsunami that swept away the then ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP under the captaincy of President
Goodluck Jonathan, many political analysts had predicted a landslide
victory for the PDP. The argument was that it was unthinkable that the
incumbent government with the control of security apparatus and other
resources could lose to the opposition. For some, even if the number of
votes for the opposition was ‘miraculously’ higher than that of the
incumbent, the power of brute force could be applied to upturn the
situation.
However, the maxim that “God’s time is the best” came to fruition in the
life of the then General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, who had earlier
contested the presidential poll three times without success.
Amid tension, the then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, declared Buhari, who ran on the
plank of the newly formed All Progressives Congress, APC, the winner of
the 2015 election.
High expectations
There were high expectations from Nigerians that with his military
background and his track record as a military head of state, reprieve had
come to the country especially in the area of security, given the deadly
attacks of the Boko Haram insurgents, who at a time were in control of 14
local councils in Borno State.
His emergence brought some rays of hope among the citizenry especially
those who had witnessed his regime between 1983 to 1985.
To reassure Nigerians that Solomon has come to judgement, the President
told Nigerians when he took the oath of office that he belongs to everybody
and belongs to nobody.
How far after four years?
However, the question on the lips of everyone is, four years after President
Buhari took over the mantle of leadership, how far have Nigerians fared,
has there been any remarkable change both in the security situation and the
economy of the country?
For some Nigerians especially those in the opposition, there is nothing
tangible to celebrate but for loyalists and supporters of the government, it
has been four years of joy and tremendous achievements.
For the opposition, insecurity situation has deteriorated and the economy is in
comatose. This group also believes that the country is more divided now along
ethnic and religious lines than the pre-2015 era.
Four years of waste, lamentations
They contend that it has been four years of waste, hopelessness and
lamentations. There have been hunger, dejection and loss of jobs.
This group believes that the President favours his
kinsmen in terms of appointments and
projects.
The President has been under
heavy attacks for allegedly doing
nothing when herdsmen who are
mainly from his tribe maimed and
attacked people especially farmers
in many parts of the country
especially in Benue, Plateau,
Nasarawa and Taraba.
Critics also accused President
Buhari of not having economic
Blueprint, which they claim was
responsible to the economic
recession the country went into few
months after the government took
over. For them, there is no sector of
the economy that has recorded
cheering news.
Buhari’s remarkable
achievements
But another school of thought
believes that the country has made
remarkable achievements since
Buhari came into power. This group
also believes that the Boko Haram
insurgents that were holding some
local governments before the
emergence of Buhari’s government
has been decimated, while
corruption which had been the bane
of the country is being dealt with.
My achievements,
frustrations – Buhari
For the President, it has been a
work in progress even though there
is more work to be done.
Speaking on a television interview
with the Nigeria Television
Authority, President Buhari
expressed frustration over
bureaucratic hurdles hampering his
Continues from pg 11
FOUR YEARS AFTER:
Buhari in the
eyes of critics,
supporters
My achievements, frustrations – Buhari