REMEMBERING YAR’ADUA in a Season of Uncertainty

Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (UMY) will probably pass as the most complete leader Nigeria had. Urbane, humane and well-rounded, his aristocratic and royal backgrounds never seemed to infect him with any affectation.

His father was Minister of Lagos Affairs in the First Republic and Matawallen of the Katsina Emirate. His mother was also a scion of the Katsina Emirate, while his senior brother, General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was the vice head of state during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo.

But after Barewa College and the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), UMY was a secondary school teacher in Lagos and the north for many years. He then became a farm manager for many years before he was in the Katsina state’s farmers supplies company. It was after these long stints, in these fields of endeavour, that he got appointments and served as board member for public and private companies. 

Unlike other bourgeois kids, he had to start from the shop floor and earned himself much hands-on experience.

This must explain why his time as governor of Katsina State (1999 – 2007) was described as exemplifying financial prudence, transparency and accountability. On the expiration of his two terms, he left more funds in the state’s kitty than any other governor. Immediately he was sworn in as president in 2007, he publicly declared his assets; an act never experienced in Nigeria. 

But what earned President Yar’Adua his spurs as a veritable statesman was his declaration during swearing in that the election that brought him to office was flawed. He promised to do something to improve the electoral system. And true to type, among his first official acts in office was the setting up of the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee, headed by Justice Muhammadu Uwais, a retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. 

This was not the only gesture of good faith and outstanding leadership exhibited by UMY. He was also a nationalist and inclusive leader. He declared a government of national unity, whereupon he invited other parties to join his government without necessarily joining his party. A couple of members of other parties got ministerial appointments in his cabinet on this account. The country was peaceful and headed in one direction.

We have highlighted the UMY story to show the power of inspirational leadership in the affairs of a country. Leadership at sub-nationals and even economic subsectors naturally took a cue from the president’s style. Though UMY spent barely three years in office, a national poll will probably show him as the best president of Nigeria so far.

Today, leadership seems to fail Nigeria at various levels and the country is in turmoil. The rash of unsettling events of the last two weeks would probably make UMY to heave in his grave. Consider the electoral act amendment which must have put Nigeria and her government in very bad light in the eyes of the world. There was UMY seeking to improve the system and here we are today blatantly having it stymied. Opponents of the highly popular electronic transmission of results leave the impression that they seek to rig the 2023 election. By its legislators voting for non-transmission of election results electronically, the APC has placed itself in that vulnerable position. It didn’t matter that INEC had endorsed e-transmission during public hearing; it didn’t matter that e-transmission of results is the overwhelming will of the people. 

One is reminded of same scenario in 2018 when the president declined assent to the bill. The excuse then was that time was short. This time, a new excuse has been dredged up: inadequate telecommunications coverage. The entire world must he laughing Nigeria to scorn.

Another matter generating public discontent and odium are two draconian legislations in the assembly which ostensibly seek to gag the Nigerian press. Nigerians of all shades and strata have cried out about the NBC/NPC Bill’s being pushed vigorously by APC members but every plea seems to fall on deaf ears.

Just some hours ago, another bombshell was dropped on the polity: media houses are warned not to reveal the identity of terror victims in reporting the now rampant attacks. Not long after this uncivil and undemocratic order, an army general was killed and his wife abducted on the highway not far from the Federal Capital, Abuja. 

Now how is the media to report this assault on Nigeria’s very sovereignty without mentioning the poor victims? How does reporting terror attack detract from government’s efforts at fighting the miscreants. Would government prefer a blackout of the unmitigated exploits of rampaging bandits and terrorists?

In the final analysis, one sees a season of kakistocrats coming to full bloom; some will say that the ruling is APC getting increasingly jittery at the approach of the 2023 general elections. Unless it quickly retraces its steps, one sees the federal government take so many wrong steps that antagonize the citizenry and diminish our hard-won democratic space. Every day we see our country regress to situations reminiscent of our junta years.  

The auguries are indeed frightening.