By Moses Ochonu
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) In 2014, when OBJ wrote a damning letter that disavowed Jonathan and all but endorsed Buhari, the Buharists said, “forget the messenger and focus on the message.” Today, we say the same to them: forget the messenger and focus on the message.
Speaking of message, I agree with everything OBJ said. It’s the same thing we’ve been saying. These things should be obvious to all objective observers of our polity. The only part I have some reservation about is where he urged Buhari not to run for reelection in 2019. Such a decision would not be in the best interest of our democracy. It would be much better for our democracy if Buhari ran and was defeated, an increasingly plausible possibility, than if he chickened out of the contest.
Even if he runs and wins, it will lay bare the limitations of our politics and our democratic process and motivate patriots to step up and fix this broken democracy. For if a failed leader can win reelection, it would be a perfect illustration of the disconnect between a rigged elite political process and the discontent of the masses.
Leaders who fail so spectacularly as Buhari has need to experience electoral humiliation–or electoral punishment if you will. It sends a profound message to aspiring and future leaders: if you don’t do right by Nigerians who put you in power you will be disgraced at the polls. If this message is sent over several election cycles, it will deepen our democracy.
If a leader knows that they can do as much damage as they want in their first term and exit the scene without facing the verdict of voters, he/she will feel no restraint in inflicting hurt on the nation.
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