Octogenarian Buhari Appoints Septuagenarian Gambari As Chief Of Staff By Bayo Oluwasanmi

When President Muhammadu Buhari signed the not-too-young to rule into law, Nigerian youth went frenzy. But every appointment made by Buhari makes mockery of the law.

From bungled decisions and actions taken by Buhari on critical national and international issues, it is evident that there’s leadership age gap disconnect between him and Nigerian youth. The exclusion of youths from high political positions effectively debunks the cliche that “youths are the leaders of tomorrow.”

Youths make up the majority of our demography, yet they remain stunted at best and stifled at worst at the bottom of our political leadership while the octogenarians control the levers of power. We should not expect anything progressive, purposeful, and productive from Ibrahim Gambari as Chief of Staff. Why does Buhari keeps appointing people who are at their departure lounge of life to important positions?

Buhari appoints people he “trusts” and people who share his reactionary world view to progressivism. He’s comfortable with people who can advance Fulani agenda that’s rooted in hegemony, terrorism, barbarism, and tyranny. He appoints people who will pursue his vision of taking Nigeria back further into the dark ages of tyranny, poverty, disease, and ignorance. Of course, he selects those who will serve as conduits of corruption and malfeasance that will funnel our common wealth to the Northerners. 

Gambari is over qualified to inject new blood to the reign of terror – the hallmark of Buhari’s presidency. Gambari comes to Aso Rock with impressive resume as an advocate of military dictatorship and as a fierce opponent of democracy and civil liberties. Here’s Gambari’s abbreviated resume: He publicly and vigorously supported and defended General Sani Abacha for the execution of Ogoni environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other eight Ogoni acitivists.

He labelled Saro-Wiwa a “common criminal.”

He supported and encouraged the gap-tooth dictator, Ibrahim Babangida, to annul the 1993 presidential election that gave victory to MKO Abiola. The election was the freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria.

As a relentless and vocal supporter of military dictatorships, he argued that “Nigerians don’t need democracy because democracy is not food. It is not the priority now.”

He has always been a reliable, dependable, loyal, and close adviser to all dictators that ever ruled Nigeria.

He favours dictatorship over democracy.

Gambari like Buhari won’t be able to exercise or retain the alertness needed for his job. Similarly, Gambari will provide clouded vision unsuitable for the pace, expectations, and civilisation of our time. Gambari will fail to shape or influence any policy or program by Buhari to deliver on the expectations of Nigerians.

Gambari, who ought to be enjoying his retirement with his grandchildren is now saddled with running a dysfunctional, insensitive, and tone-deaf Aso Rock. Gambari’s appointment underscores the comedy of errors that Buhari’s presidency is famous for. Gambari, who is well known for his primitive, divisive, and oppressive politics, as Chief of Staff, he’ll religiously pursue politics of confusion fully anchored on bigotry, division, polarisation, intolerance, hate, and exclusion. Gambari will hit the ground running in pursuing the ancient evils of Buhari for Nigeria.

With Buhari as President and Gambari as Chief of Staff, the expectation that the government should create economic, political, and social policies for future and fortune of Nigerians is sealed for the next four years. This is how octogenarian Buhari and septuagenarian Gambari will revive the land of the living dead!