Buhari’s resignation order again shows his slow reactions to national issues [Pulse Editor's Opinion]

On the eve of his second term inauguration, President Muhammadu Buhari in an interview with Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) acknowledged the fact that some Nigerians refer to him as ‘Baba Go Slow’.

In Nigeria, ‘Go Slow’ is a colloquial reference to slow-moving traffic which the president since the inception of his administration has successfully interpolated into governance.

In his interview with NTA, Buhari said those who describe him as ‘baba go slow’ during his first term would soon see whether he is slow or fast.

This probably was a promise that his second term would be a departure from his slothful attitude toward governance, but three years after granting the interview, the president remains in his shell, as his reactions to national issues have been nothing short of a snail’s pace.

Apart from issues of insecurity and the country’s ailing economy, some of the criticisms against Buhari’s administration have to do with his lethargic disposition to issues of national importance.

On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, the president ordered his cabinet members with political ambitions to step down from their offices.

Following the directive, four ministers complied immediately by resigning to pursue their presidential ambitions.

Their resignations are in line with Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act 2022, signed by the president in February 2022.

The section states that “No political appointees at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election”.

Unfortunately, Buhari’s ministers flagrantly flouted the law as many of them joined the declaration craze that recently made a mockery of the country’s democracy.

The ministers’ abuse of office and desecration of the constitution would have been prevented if the president had asked the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to resign when he declared his presidential bid in April.

Amaechi was the first member of Buhari’s cabinet to declare for the 2023 presidency, and since Buhari saw no wrong in his declaration, other ministers followed suit.

No doubt, the ministers seeking to succeed their boss have the right to aspire, but the way they went about it showed their lack of respect for the constitution they swore to act by.

But sadly, it took the president four weeks after the first minister’s declaration to comment on the absurdity.

Why did the president have to wait for the development to be reduced to an embarrassing free for all before he reacted?

Apparently, if Buhari had promptly asked Amaechi to resign after his presidential declaration, Ogbonnaya Onu, Godswill Akpabio, Chris Ngige, Emeka Nwajiuba, and Timipre Sylva would have joined the declaration craze as former ministers.

Nigeria would have been saved the embarrassment the ministers subjected it to, but as usual, if a burning issue does not get out of hand, the Commander in Chief is not ready to wake from his slumber.

Whether Buhari has been slow or fast in his second term should never be a subject of argument. The president has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he’s incorrigibly at home with his reactive disposition to issues.

Following his swearing-in in 2015, Nigerians who massively supported his candidacy felt the anti-corruption crusader would hit the ground running, but it took the president four months to nominate ministers for his government.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the whole country was thrown into anxiety. Nigerians were looking up to the president to give them some sort of reassurance that everything would be fine. Instead, Buhari in his usual manner stood aloof despite the clamour for him to address the nation.

Again, the so-called unknown gunmen in the southeast took advantage of Buhari’s slow reactions to issues to attack police stations in the region. The criminals had had a field day before the president could address the issue which subsequently led to the suspension of Twitter for 214 days.

It was the same story during the nationwide #EndSARS protests. Buhari allowed the crisis to fester before he thought it necessary to address the protesting youths.

However, as unpresidential as Buhari’s disposition to issue is, President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina believes his principal has a right to his style of leadership.

When asked why Buhari did not address the nation during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Adesina said “It’s a matter of style”.

So, it is not surprising that Buhari could cross his legs and pick his teeth while the country burns.

It is not surprising that the president could sit back and wait for issues that require his urgent intervention to degenerate into chaos or a national embarrassment before saying a word to address the problem.

This is Buhari's way of doing things and he obviously wants no one to push him to give what he doesn’t have. 

*Pulse Editor's Opinion is the viewpoint of an Editor at Pulse. It does not represent the opinion of the Organisation Pulse.