SEARCHING FOR BUHARI’S SUCCESSOR

On May 29th next year President Muhammadu Buhari would hand over power to a newly elected president after election would have been conducted and result declared. By electoral laws, campaign has not yet started. However, aspirants who are looking for the high seat have continued to emerge from different political parties. Depending on which region these parties may field their candidates, evidence has shown the presidential election will be keenly contested between the ruling party (APC) and the opposition PDP. The raging debate among Nigerians and political analysts is: who will occupy the office of the president after Buhari? Former President Ibrahim Babangida recently stated that the next president must have the following attributes: he should be in his 60s, has the ability to talk to citizens, must have the knowledge of the country’s economy and above all understand the country’s pluralism. Of course, nobody can dispute the fact that these are qualities of good leadership.

However, beyond these qualities, what the country is desperately yearning for is someone who will consolidate the gains of our democracy and build trust among Nigerians. One will have loved the former president to have spoken about a president who will address the persistent issue of insecurity in the country. While Buhari’s administration might have inherited insecurity, under its watch banditry has escalated to frightening dimension. For instance, the good people of north-west have a sad tale to tell. Many communities in Kaduna, Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto have been sacked by bandits. The next president should be someone who will take the battle to the hideouts of these criminals and liberate the affected states.

Buhari’s successor should be ready to address the huge debt incurred by the government, the subsidy palaver and the free fall of the naira. This where we need a leader with good knowledge of the economy as posited by IBB. Our next president should come up with comprehensive economic blueprint aimed at navigating the troubled waters of economic uncertainties. He should be able to assemble economic experts who will assist him with useful advice and point the road map for sustainable economic growth. There is no gainsaying the fact that the agricultural sector has received nod of recognition under the present administration. The CBN’s Anchor Borrowers Programme has led to rice revolution in the country. This momentum needs to be improved and sustained. The over reliance on crude oil which accounts for 90 percent of the country’s revenue, amidst global market price unpredictability, demands for diversification of the economy by our next president.

The emergence of Buhari’s successor will depend on how Nigerians vote in the forthcoming elections. While the electorate hold the ace for the emergence of the president, they should resist the temptation of falling into the hands of moneybag politicians. The electorate should also be mindful of politicians who will exploit our religion and ethnic differences for their political gains. Let Nigerians vote for Buhari’s successor who is imbued with leadership qualities such as knowledgeability, competence, experience and integrity.

– Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State