Buhari's Romance With Failure: Another Mistake by Bamidele-Olateju Ademola.

Five days before the 2015 presidential elections, it became crystal clear to some close se associates of Goodluck Jonathan that he will lose the elections. One of them reached out to us and told us there is no way Buhari can govern without an IMF loan. No one within my group was surprised. The rot was deep, the plunder was unimaginable! They had started borrowing to pay salaries. I still shudder to think what would have been, had he won.

I worked for Buhari's election because Nigeria needed to be saved. Corruption is killing us. Religion is killing us. Mediocrity is killing us. Impunity is killing us. A total erosion of values, mores and ethos is killing us. We had reveled in 40 years of waste, lost opportunities, mediocrity, impunity and total loss of direction. There isn't no option on the table except a brain reset and a complete overhaul of how we think and act. Who could deliver that in the field of aspirants then? Buhari. It was him, because no traditional ruler can intimidate him. No one can go and plead with him on account of old age, he is old. No one can intimidate him with patriotism, he fought to keep Nigeria one. On religion, he has what it takes to keep the often restive Muslim population of the North calm. On integrity, he is in a class of one. My support was well considered.

My support of Buhari is not cast in stone. The overarching interest is how he administers Nigeria. I once made a threat on this wall that if Saraki gets a slap on the wrist, I will become Buhari's number one enemy. That threat still stands. His integrity and determination to fight corruption is good enough for me. I have studied Buhari well. I knew Buhari wouldn't be a good economic manager from the outset but I banked on the assumption that he will get good economic managers. What I did not prepare for, is his lack of preparedness to hit the ground running after all these years. What I did not prepare for, is his unreformed ability to place loyalty over competence. What I did not prepare for, is his latter day conversion to a wussy; who wants to look good to those who might brand him a dictator.

Nigerians have started groaning under Buhari because we assumed he has a magic wand. Being beneficiaries of corruption and graft in varying degrees, they are not prepared to face the pain. Where were you when Jonathan was squandering money? Where were you when your  civil servant neighbor was buying houses in choice locations in Nigeria and abroad. Were you not waiting for your turn to "hammer". My people, the pain has just started. If you recall, I predicted it here that there will be no respite until the last quarter of 2017. And that assumed we took the right poison. My fear is that we haven't. Buhari has yielded and still yielding to pressures. He has made several mistakes and he's entitled to them. The sad fact is that they all are avoidable. Last week he caved in to pressure and gave Naira a slap I the face after waiting for months to devalue. Now Naira is sinking. The subsidy cabals bared their fangs and he saw hell and retreated. He waited 5months to appoint ministers who are mostly incompetent and fossilized. He was undecided on the Niger delta because the avengers are a conglomerate. With many monied and powerful Nigerians as sponsors. He makes it worse by his deafening silence and acquiescence to the whims and caprices of the disabling triumvirate of Adesina, Abba Kyari and Mamman Daura. If he cannot discipline those he hired why does he want to discipline others through WAI? We elected him and Osinbajo, we did not elect any of his hires. What is Buhari afraid of? Can't he just damn the consequences and attain political martyrdom?

A few hours ago, I woke up to the Dogara riddle - the presidency backed a thief with distinction! Another mistake that has the potential to rubbish Buhari's legacy. Giving cover to Dogara is a pretty strong signal. It is a signal that Saraki and his Grand Saboteurs of The Federal Republic are free to act anyhow. It is a signal that the Dasuki prosecution and foot dragging may be a ruse or at best an abandoned proposition. If Buhari's anti corruption fails, he has failed! I am convinced he's on the path of failure unless he extricates himself from the hijackers who are daring him to succeed.

My faith in Buhari is shaken. Thoroughly shaken. I await further developments and I'm afraid for Nigeria.