One year later, did Nigerians vote the right president?
Nigerians are still experiencing, under the current administration, all the problems they did under Goodluck Jonathan including fuel scarcity, insecurity and poor electricity among others.
President Muhammadu Buhari addressing a crowd of supporters
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![Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu locked out of his office [Leadership]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf8,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg'%20width%3D'100'%20height%3D'100'%20data-ring-placeholder%3D'1'%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Edo State Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu locked out of his office [Leadership]")
The major contestants were All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, who was riding on the promise of change, and then incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was campaigning for continuity.
The elections were initially set to hold on February 14, but Jonathan’s government forced a postponement after it realized that Buhari stood a real chance of winning the polls.
“By the grace of God when we had spoken to a few people, Jega had no option but to shift the date of the election,” the leader of the Oodua People's Congress (OPC), Frederick Fasheun said on March 19 in reference to then Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega.
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"Because if the elections was not shifted, I bet you that Jonathan would have lost the election," Fasheun added.
Despite the delay tactics however, Buhari defeated Jonathan by more than two million votes to become Nigeria’s new president.
One year ago today, Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for Buhari and the change he and the APC promised, did they vote right?
Nigerians are still experiencing, under the current administration, all the problems they did under Jonathan including fuel scarcity, insecurity and poor electricity among others.
A lot of people have lost faith in the Buhari administration and some even regret voting for him.
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However, the president has assured Nigerians that he still has three years to prove himself and fulfill his promises.
“I know you are being harassed since the election that they haven’t seen anything on the ground. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, (it) is that you have three more years to go,” Buhari said on Thursday, March 24, 2016, during a meeting with APC leaders in Abuja.
The president has also begged Nigerians not to lose faith in his administration adding that the change he promised will come.
“I urge you all therefore, to continue to have faith in the future greatness of our country and to believe that the CHANGE my administration promised will surely come to fruition,” Buhari said on March 26 in his Easter message to Nigerians.
“I thank the vast majority of Nigerians for their patience and understanding in the first ten months of this administration. We are moving on with an unshaken resolve and determination to deliver on the mandate you gave us on March 28, last year,” he added.
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The truth is that many Nigerians expect Buhari to perform magic and miracles and evaporate the country’s problems within days. Unfortunately, these problems are resting on a 16-year foundation hence solving them will take time.
This opinion was further expressed by Buhari’s media aide, Femi Adesinaduring a recent interview with Radio Continental.
“President Muhammadu Buhari only promised change but Nigerians want magic. This change will come, but it will follow a process, and it will be enduring. Mr. President said it would take a minimum of 18 months to revive the economy. Nigerians don’t listen to something like that; they want magic immediately. It doesn’t happen that way,” he said.
Buhari is not without his flaws, one of which is a penchant for keeping silent when his people desperately need to hear his voice. However, the current administration has taken more steps towards solving Nigeria’s problems than any other administration before it.
As bestselling author, Robin Sharma said, “Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end.”
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Nigerians made the choice to vote Buhari into office one year ago, but it is still too soon to decide if it was the wrong choice or the right one.
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See gallery of photos from 2015 elections below:
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