Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said despite the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership was underperforming and things may be gloomy in the country, Nigerians must not despair.
Obasanjo said this on Thursday in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled: “Politics as dashed hopes in Nigeria,” written by Dr. Auwalu Anwar.
He tasked Nigerians to remain optimistic and vigilant, adding that the time has come when every Nigerian must have a Nigerian dream where there must be some commonalities.
He said if Nigeria as a country must get it right, especially entrenching good democracy, there must be good governance, free and credible elections.
Obasanjo, who was the Chairman of the book presentation at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, said that democracy without a strong opposition is akin to a marriage without a bridegroom to consummate the marriage.
He said: “I am not in despair and I would ask the rest of us not to be in despair.
“Our hope lies in democracy with good governance as one of the hallmarks, which is free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
“What should be our take home: yes things may be gloomy, things may not be what they should be, yes leadership may be underperforming, we must not lose hope, that is the first thing.
“The second is that I believe we must have some commonalities that we will all hang on to.
“One, our common nationality: Nigeria.
“This is the time when we must have a Nigerian dream.
“What is Nigerian dream?
“What can I hang on to?
“Yes, I am a Nigerian and because I am a Nigerian I expect this.
“And I believe if we all see ourselves first as Nigerians and then we enunciate for ourselves the Nigerian dream, a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of opportunity, a land that gives you a stake in all that it is, I think, we will have a country that we can all be proud of.
“I believe that every record we can keep of the history of Nigeria in totality, it doesn’t matter from what point of view you are writing, it is good for the future of this country because if we do not know our past, we may not be able to channel the right course to our future.
“It is important that we keep the memory of the past so that so that we can enlighten our present.
“I must also congratulate him for the courage and the research work he has deplored in writing such a lucid and comprehensive book.
“I could see from the content from the book what may appear as the author’s frustration, which led to the somewhat melancholy title.
“Since the book is about The Buhari Organisation, Congress for Progressive Change, All Progressive Congress and Buhari’s political life and activities up to the second year of Buhari’s administration.
“I will touch on two or three points that may be of interest to all of us.
“President Buhari served the purpose of galvanizing efforts to get Jonathan and PDP out of office.
“Buhari and the APC must get the credit that because democracy without a strong opposition is like a marriage without the bridegroom consummating the marriage.
“But on the midterm score card Dr Anwar pointed out three significant and tangible areas of failure: security, fighting corruption and job creation.
“As at today, these three areas are still what they were at midterm not yet a success story.
“Dr. Anwar touched on another significant, but intangible areas of failure: exemplary leadership, which induce character and power for the sake of what may be called power for self aggrandizement.
“I can say that I understand where Dr. Anwar is coming from to get the title of the book, but we must face despair with optimism.
“I am not in despair and I would ask the rest of us not to be in despair.
“Our hope lies in democracy with good governance as one of the hallmarks which is free, fair, transparent and credible elections.
“Between now and the next few months, there are four significant countries where elections are taking place in West Africa: Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
“The incumbent in the four cases were in the opposition and people voted for them.
“It was good for democracy.
“The world is looking at these four countries in the incoming elections to see what will be their contribution to cumulatively strengthen, improve and stabilize democracy in each of these four countries.
“If we all cherish democracy, we will all guard and protect our fledgling democracy and that I believe is the main purpose of Dr Anwar’s book.
“As for me, I will do everything within me possible to safeguard democracy to good governance in Nigeria and for all Nigerians.
“I am particularly happy in this respect that most Nigerians themselves are rising to their duties, obligations and responsibilities as guardians of our democracy.
“I commend all those that are standing for democracy.
“Remember that if you stand aloof when evil is being perpetrated you will become an accomplice in the perpetration of evil.
“Nigerians must be the architect of their own fortunes and future progress but equally gratifying is that the international community have accepted the responsibility and committed themselves to take necessary actions to ensure the health and sustenance of our democracy therefore making politics a great hope for Nigeria, for West Africa and indeed for Africa rather than great despair or dashed hopes.
“We salute and appreciate those who support us for the general good of Nigeria with a population of 200million and rising, our misfortune has implications for the rest of Africa and the rest of the world in general. Nigeria’s potentials shall be realised by the grace of God.”
In his Keynote address, a former member of the House of Representatives, Usman Bugaje, who noted that there was the absence of elite consensus in Nigeria, where each zone is doing its own, without a common sense of purpose, urged Nigeria to get a replication of Rwandan model of national integration in addressing socio-political crisis in Nigeria.
Bugaje said the elite consensus introduced by the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, which reconciled Hutus and Tutsis, was required to salvage Nigeria.
He said: “I am confident Nigeria and other countries can escape crisis.
“And what gives me this confidence is Rwanda.
“I am not a fan of Paul Kagame because he has his shortcomings.
“He is human.
“What Paul Kagame does is elite consensus.
“Today if you go to Rwanda you cannot know who is a Tutsi, who is a Hutu.
“If you ask them, you will never get an answer.
“They will just smile.
“Because they agreed that they will not go back to that thing that divides them.
“And they succeed.
“This is what we require to salvage our country.”
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