Why I Will Vote For Buhari By Collins Uma

‘On May 29, after Buhari’s assumption of office as President, all the borders are going to be shut so none of these corrupt men can escape.’

This was one of the opinions a Buharist shared on social media. I do not share his optimism and black-and-white perspective, but I will vote for General Muhammadu Buhari on February 14.

The reason I will vote Buhari is simple: I do not want to vote Goodluck Jonathan a second time. No, I don’t regret voting Jonathan in 2011. He was the best candidate. But this is 2015. The demands are different. The skills required are different.

Voting Jonathan in February would mean deliberately promoting him beyond his level of existing competency, a reversal of the management theory known as Peter’s Principle where managers stop being promoted when they have risen to their level of incompetence. Jonathan is at that point. This is why I have always maintained that the February 14 presidential election will be more about a rejection of Jonathan than an acceptance of Buhari. People will be voting against Jonathan. Buhari, by virtue of his APC candidature, will simply be a beneficiary of that rejection of Jonathan. Nigerians will join Olusegun Obasanjo to say ‘anything but Jonathan’.

For those wondering how I arrived at the conclusion that Jonathan is incompetent, check his records in the fight against insurgency. Our Army has become so demoralised that a rag tag team of 18 Boko Haram members arriving on 7 motorcycles had our soldiers fleeing, ahead of civilians, as it happened in Mubi before the town fell to the sect. I can’t even talk about Baga and the sadness of the massacre coupled with the presidential silence on the matter, especially when he couldn’t wait to express ‘grief’ at 17 people killed in France. How many fuel subsidy thieves have been prosecuted since the scam was revealed in 2012? Check his records in managing the economy. What was the exchange rate of the Naira when he came to power? What is it now? What was the pump price of petrol when he came to power? What is it now, in spite of the drop in oil prices internationally? What happened to our external reserves? It is pertinent to note that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa in spite of Goodluck Jonathan, not BECAUSE of Goodluck Jonathan.

Besides his glaring incompetence, with regards to Nigeria’s current leadership demands, another problem making Goodluck lose valuable goodwill is his inability to put events in proper perspective. He has created a universe and put himself at the centre so everything revolves around him. Thousands of innocent Nigerians have been killed by Boko Haram but there isn’t genuine empathy from the president because he believes it is all a ploy to frustrate his presidency. Almost all the members of his cabinet who resigned to contest elections in their various states lost at the primaries but he doesn’t give a damn provided this lose doesn’t affect his own chances. Its all about him.

Some have said he distanced himself from the governorship primaries to provide a level playing field for all contestants. But this is not true. The truth is that President Jonathan could not fight the governors (in PDP-controlled states) or party leaders (in non PDP-controlled states) who were fighting his Ministers for control of the party structures in the states as the governors or party leaders’ dissatisfaction would pose more threats to his ambition in February. So he sacrificed his Ministers to get for himself better guarantee of a return to Aso Rock on May 29.

Samuel Ortom, Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, lost in Benue; Labaran Maku, Minister of Information, lost in Nasarawa; Musiliu Obanikoro, Minister of State, Defence, lost in Lagos; Onyebuchi Chukwu, Minister of Health, lost in Ebonyi; Emeka Wogu, Minister of Labour, lost in Abia; Godsday Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta, lost in Delta; Mohammed Ali Pate, Minister of State, Health, lost in Bauchi; Yerima Lawal Ngama, Minister of State, Finance, lost in Yobe. Before all these, Chris Olubolade, former Minister of Police Affairs had lost to Ayo Fayose in Ekiti.

Of all the Ministers that resigned, only Nyesom Wike, Minister of State for Education, and Darius Ishiaku, immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, were able to muscle their ways to victory in their primaries in Rivers and Taraba states, respectively. And this was not because Jonathan showed active interest in their primaries. They won in spite of the presidential ‘unlooking’.

Inasmuch as a direct interference would never have been condoned, Jonathan’s nonchalance and body language only encouraged ridiculously high levels of impunity by state governors and other party leaders who imposed their candidates on the electorate. But, no problem. The impunity served his purposes. So, unlook.

Having a Commander-in-Chief who can neither command nor be the ‘Chief’ does not help anybody. Personally, I want a president with more steel.

Finally, no matter what is said about the route of Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s emergence as the APC vice presidential candidate, the fact remains that his selection was a masterstroke. He brings to the team intellectual depth and erudition, besides the obvious religious and inter-regional balance, as well as a further solidification of the team’s integrity, its unique selling point. He also provides hope for a worthy successor in case a Yar’Adua happens again.

PS: Take time out of your busy schedule and go to the INEC office in the local government where you registered to vote and get your permanent voter’s card (PVC). This is the power with which we will effect the much needed change or sustain the status quo, whatever your political persuasion is.