Reactions have continued to trail the planned resignation of British Prime Minister, Theresa May, on June 7.
While some analysts view the development as a right step in the right direction, others believed she assumed the position of British Prime Minister at the wrong time and the system worked against her.
On Friday, May announced that she would step down as leader of her governing Conservative Party by next month having failed to find a compromise Brexit deal that parliament could ratify.
In a telephone interview with BusinessDay on Friday, a development consultant, author and public affairs analyst, Jide Ojo, said Britons initially voted for Brexit without understanding the implications.
“This is long envisaged. I knew that when she (Theresa May) has been failing to convince the parliament on many occasions to go with her Brexit plans, there is little or no choice left but for her to quit. Her ministers were resigning and this is a parliamentary system of government.
The issue of collective responsibility is held in high esteem. So, she played her politics well. I think the problem started abinitio when they voted in 2016 and majority of the Britons voted to exit Europe. They did that without full understanding of the implications. And by the time they understood the implications, it was rather too late.
“I think that Theresa May came at the wrong time. She did her best but the system just didn’t work for her,” he said.
On whether her successor will pull through on the Brexit plan, Ojo said this depends on what he or she brings to the table.
“If the successor is able to bring together a more acceptable exit plan, maybe he or she could succeed where others have failed,” he added.
Also commenting on the matter, Solomon Gbenga, a foreign policy analyst called on leaders in developing countries to learn to throw in the towel when they fail to meet campaign promises.
His words: “It is good thing to know that we are having leaders around the world who know the right thing and the good thing to be done. In developed nations like the UK where if you have a wrong policy and you are being crucified for it, the best thing to do is to resign”.
Lessons for Nigeria
The development comes at a time there are increasing calls for separatist agitations in some parts of the country.
For instance, there are echoes of self-determination among the Igbos in the South East and the Yorubas championing a direct call for Oduduwa Republic.
The proscribed secessionist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has declared May 30th as sit-at-home protest in honour of people of the region allegedly killed during the Nigerian Civil War and others allegedly killed recently by security agencies in different parts of the geopolitical zone.
Similarly, a militant group, Network of Niger Delta Republic Fighters, threatened to declare a sovereign state of Niger Delta on June 1, 2019.
The militants stated that the killings, kidnappings and banditry all over the country were a clear sign that the Muhammadu Buhari administration had failed Nigerians and incapable of protecting Nigerians.
They accused Buhari and the Presidency of selective maltreatment of leaders from the region, alleging that the Federal Government had not commissioned a single project in the Niger Delta in the last four years, despite providing the revenue the nation depends on.
According to Ojo, such agitators can learn from the experiences of both South Sudan and Britain, adding that self-determination or exiting from regional blocs may not necessarily translate to Eldorado. “Sometimes be careful what you are asking for because you may get it. And when you have it, you may live the rest of your life in regret,” he cautioned.
With the incessant cases of divorces, Ojo believes those seeking for divorce have a lesson or two to learn from the Brexit fallout.
“They forgot that there are millions of other women who are envying their position and willingly take up what is useless and make him a useful man.
“So, the lessons are multi-various. At family level, national and international level. But I hope we are learning from what is happening to other nations,” he said.
Another analyst, Sylvester Odion, believes the development in the United Kingdom is a wakeup call to Nigerian leaders.
“We have issues upon issues like that in Nigeria, those policies that have killed people and no one attempts to resign so we should learn from things like this. It shows the level of integrity she has. Theresa May has shown Nigerians that she has integrity and this should be wake up call to all Nigerian leaders. When you make some policies and you do not meet up the right thing is just for you to step aside,” he stated.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE & JAMES KWEN, Abuja
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