Today, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be sworn in as the fifth democratically elected president since the return of Nigeria to civil rule.
He will be succeeding Muhammadu Buhari, who presided over the country for two terms of eight years.
Buhari was first elected in 2015 and won a re-election in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu was also elected on the platform of the APC. He is therefore, going to continue a government under the political platform of the APC.
The incoming president did not leave anybody in doubt that he had a burning ambition of becoming a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his lifetime.
His “Emilokan” refrain, which has since entered the nation’s political lexicon, attests to that ambition.
Buhari alluded to the burning ambition in his parting speech on Sunday, when he said: “To my brother, friend and fellow worker in the political terrain for the past ten years – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu – I congratulate you on the realisation of your dream, which was propelled by a burning passion to put Nigeria amongst the leading nations of the world.”
Buhari also said of Tinubu: “You have indeed worked for this day and God has crowned your efforts. I have no doubt that your passion for excellence, reliance on competence, fairness in relationships, commitment to equity, loyalty to the country and desire for Nigeria to be globally relevant would come through for you, under God’s guidance, as you lead our country to levels higher that I am leaving.”
Today, the age-long ambition will be sealed with his inauguration as Buhari’s successor.
Beyond the realisation of the dream, there is an onerous task ahead of him, which is returning the country to pre-2015 era.
Many observers speak in tandem that despite the claim by the outgoing President Buhari that 2023 is better than when he picked up the mantle of leadership in 2015, it has been a disastrous experience in the last eight years.
Now, having landed the job, all eyes are on him to perform the duty of office. He must acquit himself creditably.
He has also be reminded to resist toeing the path of Buhari, who looked for the power for several years and proved disastrous when he got the opportunity twice.
While addressing the audience at the Inauguration Lecture held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Saturday, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina reminded Tinubu that the time of ambition had passed but that he must squarely face the mission.
Adesina noted that the President-elect now has an opportunity to make history, by building a resurgent, a united and prosperous Nigeria, adding that “It is Nigeria’s turn” and no longer “my turn” (Emilokan)
He told him that “Nigeria will be looking to you, as President Tinubu, on your first day in office, with hope. Hope that you will assure security, peace, and stability. Hope that you will heal and unite a fractious nation.Hope that you will rise above party lines and forge a compelling force to move the nation forward, with inclusiveness, fairness, equity, and justice. Hope that you will drastically improve the economy. Hope that you will spark a new wave of prosperity.”
The 2023 Presidential election was perhaps, the most controversial since 1999. Although the inauguration goes on today, cases that emanated from the exercise are still going on at the Tribunal.
Observers have also reminded Tinubu that the 8,794,726 votes he scored in the general election in a country of over 200 million people was so unpopular that he should propel him to pursue and execute popular policies that could change citizens’ mindset.
Nigeria is obviously sick and urgently needs a leader that not only knows but has the remedy for the ailment. The country is economically, socially and politically sick. To pretend that all is well and continue the Ostrich disposition of Buhari would be Tinubu’s undoing.
There are agitations for self determination by several groups and parts of the country; the thing to do now should be meaningful dialogue on how to build a united nation.
Whereas Buhari delighted in widening the ethnic tension and kicking the Can down the street rather than trashing it once and for all, Tinubu must close the ethnic gap and takes decisive steps at healing the age-long wounds created by hate and intolerance.
This was in line with the advice that was given to him at the weekend by the Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba cultural association.
The group said that he must immediately calm “the fray nerves among various sections of the country, restoring security and safety of lives and property, shore up the economy, revamp our collapsed educational system, overhaul the dilapidated infrastructure, create jobs and restore the dashed hopes of youths in the country.”
He was also advised to try and set Nigeria on the path of industrialisation and bring her into the comity of most advanced countries in the world in social, economic and political terms within the shortest time possible.
“These areas are insecurity, economy, rekindling a sense of unity and patriotism among Nigerians, revamping agriculture, power, health, and infrastructure,” Afenifere said.
Tinubu is coming to power at a time when the faith of many citizens in the ability of the country to meet their aspirations in life has ebbed. This has resulted in the mass exodus of Nigerians out of the country for a better life abroad. What Tinubu does or refuses to do with power will determine if the “Japa” syndrome will continue or escalate, or be tamed.
He must as a matter of urgency restore confidence in the system which was dealt a deadly blow during the election that brought him into power. With all the allegations swirling around him, the question many are asking already is “is this the man that will be our president?”
A popular cleric was quoted a few days ago as saying that he would never “call Tinubu my president.” There are several of such across the country. The urgent task before him now is to prove critics and cynics wrong by swinging three hundred and sixty degrees, positively.
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, all inaugurations have been held on May 29.
Olusegun Obasanjo was first inaugurated on Saturday, May 29, 1999 at Eagle Square, Abuja. He was again inaugurated upon his re-election, on Thursday, May 29, 2003 at the same venue.
On Tuesday, May 29, 2007, his successor, the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was sworn into power at the same venue.
On Thursday, May 6, 2010, following the death of Yar’Adua, the then vice president, Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in, in what was termed extraordinary inauguration, following the Doctrine of Necessity that was pronounced by the then National Assembly. It was done inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Jonathan was inaugurated the second time on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at the Eagle Square.
On Friday, May 29, 2015, Muhammadu Buhari was first sworn in at the Eagle Square. His second inauguration was held on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at Eagle Square.
Today, Monday, May 29, 2023 Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be sworn into power at Eagle Square.
As he mounts the saddle in a few hours from now, Nigeria is on its way to making history.
