By Rafiu Aminu
The followers of politics will witness an historical catastrophe in politics in the next few days if President Muhammadu Buhari go ahead with his newly discovered Law of Reciprocity. It first appeared like Mathematical Law of Quadratic Reciprocity and one could not understand quickly how President Buhari intended to apply mathematics to solve the trending political issues in his party (APC). It later came as a shock that Mr. President has finally yielded to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advise that for anyone to succeed as President of Nigeria, he must have good traces of madness. And that’s what President Buhari’s Law of Reciprocity is all about. Unfortunately, President Buhari’s announcement of his newly discovered Law shows that he will not be a good wearer of the garment of madness recommended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. In a shocking manner, President Buhari justified his proposed imposition of successor with the principle of reciprocity which holds between him & the State Governors.The hanging question is whether the Governors & PMB are the only members of the party. How would the principle of reciprocity come into play among Mr. President, the lawmakers & non elected party members who are also stakeholders in the party.
Nigerians are waiting anxiously to see how President Buhari who could not impose a governorship candidate successfully in his home state in 2011 could do it at national level without severe consequences. His efforts to impose Aminu Bello Masari on Alh. Munir Yakubu, Yakubu Lado Dan Marke and Abubakar Ismail Funtua in Katsina CPC primary election in 2011 met a brick wall. How could anyone thinks he will achieve imposition plan at national level in a party where others helped him largely to emerge as the candidate of the party?
Excellent government performance is one of the major elements that make a popular leader and in the societies where imposition of candidates for an election is permissible – the chief promoter of imposition must be popular among the people. If Tinubu did not do well as governor of Lagos, he could not successfully impose Fashola as his successor. He is able to maintain the trend because Lagos is on a good track in term of performance of government from 1999 till date. Otherwise people would have revolted through ballot box irrespective of the level of thuggery adopted during the election. Having spent more than 6 years in office in August 2021, President Buhari was reported to have said that he doesn’t want to exit govt as a failure. About a year to the handover day, Accountant General of the Federation was still able to loot the treasury in billions; University Education is still in Jeopardy; Electricity distribution assumed historical down slope; every part of the country is engulfed in all forms of security challenge; standard of leaving shows no sign of improvement. On what ground is President Buhari qualified to dictate to Nigerian people the way to go in 2023 election? Is he popular among the electorates by virtue of his performance in government in the last seven years?
There’s, indeed, no doubt, that Buhari’s speech shows clearly that he is truly under the influence of certain owners of Nigeria who are afraid of the ambition of former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Also colluding with those that are working against Tinubu’s ambition are his well known former allies who are in the cabinet of President Buhari as Ministers or Special Advisers. The most annoying part are those that didn’t realize Tinubu is bad when he was making them Commissioner; Governor; etc. Their right sense was in a state of hibernation throughout the years they were with Tinubu – it restarted and came back to life in the wake of juicier political expediency and then they realize Tinubu is not the kind of Leader Nigeria deserves. They malign Tinubu as if they are not products of everything they say about him. These are people Nigeria should beware of. They are bad spectators who cannot reciprocate half of Tinubu’s management skills if they were in his shoes. They are overambitious & insatiable servants that employ every arsenal to overtake their master. They are competing with the man that made them. They forgot yesterday because of the opportunities today presents. We heard VP Yemi Osinbajo saying he owes nobody allegiance outside his oath of office. Which one gave birth to the other: allegiance to Tinubu gave birth to allegiance to oath of office or vice versa? Which of the two is the Parent allegiance? Why would a child attempt to kill his parent because he wants people to think he fell from heaven?
If President Muhammadu Buhari continue to propagate and finally implement his Law of Reciprocity at the expense of Tinubu’s ambition, we should first of all investigate whether it is an attempt to handover to another Fulani man (Atiku Abubakar) or an effort to weaken the party that offered him the opportunity to achieve his ambition to serve Nigeria as Civilian President.
Nigeria should prepare to privatize Central Bank of Nigeria & sell the entire weaponry of our Military system if Buhari give way to PDP & Atiku by imposing the flagbearer in APC on the ground of Reciprocity between him and the State Governors. PDP will show they have learnt their lessons and rule for 32 years if they are allowed to regain power. Atiku will launch revenge on our treasury & take his dollars back. A businessman like Atiku could not invest in a “business” in foreign currency for more than a decade without getting profits. President Buhari will only impose a Presidential flagbearer on APC if and only if he wants Atiku to take his dollars back.
