Opinion

Buhari: Head of State is Never Weaker Than in His Final Days in Office

Published

3 years ago

August 19, 2022

Eric

By Joel Popoola

Joel Popoola, the head of digital democracy project, responds to attempts to impeach Muhammad Buhari.

President Buhari should not be impeached. But he must be given the ultimatum to use his final weeks in office to deliver real change for Nigerians.

I have never understood the concept of a lame duck presidency.

Accepted wisdom is that a Head of State is never weaker than in their final days in office, as the authority drains away leaving them “yesterday’s man” – even if they aren’t leaving office until tomorrow.
I have always felt that this was misguided. The greatest of leaders should never be stronger than at the end of their premiership.

In his book “Profiles of Courage” United States President John F Kennedy articulated how the finest of statesmen are those who are willing to take necessary but unpopular decisions, even at the expense of their own political futures.

If you don’t have a political future, you are surely free to take whatever action is necessary in the national interest – no matter how electorally unpopular.

This means that President Buhari actually has a vital window of opportunity to make the kind of decisions his successors may feel unable to – in doing so creating a lasting legacy for himself as president. He no longer needs to consider the needs of voters or vested interests.

Just the nation.

And even his most vociferous critics should be prepared to work with him.
Elsewhere in the United States, Kennedy’s successor Lyndon B Johnson actively decided not to stand for re-election in order to allow himself to dedicate his final months in office to negotiating a peace settlement in Vietnam, which could have involved decisions which would have been electorally ruinous. In doing so he started a path to peace which would eventually be completed by his successors.

President Buhari has the opportunity to do something similar.

This is why calls to impeach him are as undesirable as they are impractical.
But even though a motion from opposition senators to give the President six-weeks to improve security in Nigeria or face impeachment seems to have stalled, the idea of forcing Buhari from office ahead of his scheduled departure next year is now firmly on the agenda.

The legislators behind the move have announced that they “won’t back down”. Their efforts have the backing of prominent Nigerian’s such as Wole Soyinka – and even senators from the president’s own party – even though some constitutional efforts have described them as “technically impossible”.

These calls are not without cause. Try as he might, President Buhari has ultimately failed to resolve a whole range of security problems, ranging from Islamic insurgency in the northeast to mass school abductions in the northwest.
On top of that, recent figures suggest the cost of living has risen by 170% in Nigeria under his leadership.

But the fact is that any move to impeach Buhari would require support by two thirds of Senators. This is never going to happen. And the process for it not happening would in all likelihood take up around 7 months of legislative and executive time – when President Buhari only have 9 months left in office anyway!
More importantly, Nigerians want their elected officials to be focussed on delivery, not deviousness.

At my political engagement app Rate Your Leader – which allows verified voters to interact directly –and in an abuse-proof way with their local leaders, allowing politicians to carry out a data-driven analysis of what matters most to the people who elect them – the message is loud and clear than voters want politicians to show leadership, and political parties to work together in the national interest. Shenanigans like this – and indeed the president’s response that his opponents are “babyish” – do not impress them at all.

History many not view the Buhari presidency as a success – despite recent endeavours towards improved energy resilience, such as accelerating the use of solar power in the national energy grid, and in his launching of the End Malaria in Nigeria council.

But there is still time for him to bequeath a peaceful nation to his successor and his citizens.

But this will need focussed bipartisan effort. Not legislative scheming.

Joel Popoola is a software entrepreneur, and Chief Executive of political engagement app Rate Your Leader. He can be reached via @JOpopoola

Opinion

Dele Momodu: Charismatic Gentleman @65

Published

2 days ago

May 10, 2025

Eric

By Yemi Edun

Aare Dele Momodu is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable names, voices, and personalities to emerge from the world’s most populous Black nation Nigeria.

Anyone who has travelled with Bob Dee would understand the magnetic presence he carries from Atlanta Georgia, Accra to Nairobi, down to Central London. He receives nods of admiration, requests for photos, and warm pats on the back wherever he goes. A true cultural ambassador, effortlessly at ease in rich native attire, which his commanding presence makes look truly majestic, he wears native outfits like royalty.

He is a consummate storyteller, an indefatigable workhorse, and one of the most selfless and hospitable people I know. His generosity is legendary. Mention Dele Momodu at any Marriott Hotel in East Africa, and you can expect the red carpet to be rolled out.

I was stunned at Kotoka International Airport as immigration and customs officials broke into chants of “Ovation! Ovation!” while we walked through, it was surreal but perfectly fitting for a man so deeply respected.

Bob Dee is at home with the old and young, with royalty and regular folk alike. There are countless moments that reflect his goodness, but allow me to share just one:

In Summer 2023, while holidaying in Accra with my family, Aare generously assigned his Ghanaian chef to us for two full weeks serving delicious meals until we had to kindly ask him to pause! Not long after, he flew into Accra and hosted us at La Chaumiere his favourite upscale French restaurant, where his presence is evidently cherished.

As my daughter and I prepared to return to London, we discovered shockingly that her passport had expired just a day earlier. I had to remain behind to resolve the issue. By divine timing, Bob Dee called to check in, and upon hearing the situation, immediately sent his driver. We spent that night in his elegant Accra home.

The next morning, using her Nigerian passport, we flew into Lagos. On his advice, I contacted Mr. Governor, and thanks to that call and Bob Dee’s understanding of the terrain, a new British passport was issued the same day.

Happy Birthday, Aare. A charismatic gentleman, who treats all with warmth and deserved respect.

@yemiedundf

Opinion

A Tribute of Grace to My Younger Brother, Dele Momodu, @65

Published

4 days ago

May 8, 2025

Eric

By Mama OluwaBunmi Adedayo

My Beloved Aburo,

Your heart beats with the rhythm of compassion,
Your laughter softens the storms of men,
And your pen—yes, that mighty pen—has built bridges where once stood walls.

Today, I speak not only with words,
But with the rhythm of gratitude,
The poetry of love,
And the dance of legacy.

You are more than a name—
You are Dele Momodu.
A spirit of honour.
A vessel of humility.
A generous soul.
A quiet strength wrapped in dignity and thunder.

In you, kindness flows like a river,
And generosity walks hand in hand with wisdom.

You have fed minds, lifted voices,
And sewn hope into the very fabric of Africa.

You write—oh, how you write—
With fire, with elegance, with truth.
You publish, you speak, you dream aloud.
You carry the soul of a president, even when the title passed by.

But allow me this honest moment:
As I turned through the pages of Ovation Magazine,
I searched for a picture of us—
You and I,
Captured in joy, frozen in memory.
But it was not there.

*Yes, I am jealous!*
I say it with a loving smile.
It’s alright… this time.
But when the next milestone arrives,
*When seventy comes knocking—*
*By the grace of God, we shall all be alive.*
And when that time comes,
Let my picture rise with yours,
Let our laughter live in history.
Let it not be forgotten—*again.*

So, as you are honoured today,
And as voices rise in celebration,
Know this, my dear brother:

You are deeply cherished.
You are profoundly celebrated.
And I—your sister, your friend, your family—
Walk with pride in your light.

May joy crown your 65 years,
And may heaven prepare glory for your 70th.

With all my heart and prayers,
Mama OluwaBunmi Adedayo

Opinion

Towards a Non-Violent Local Government Election in Lagos State

Published

1 week ago

May 5, 2025

Eric

By Tola Ogunnubi

The upcoming July 12, 2025 Local Government Election in Lagos State is a litmus test for the 2027 general elections.

The election of executives at the grassroots level to run the affairs of the Local Government has always been a mixture of peace and violence between leading political parties, aspirants, indigenes and settlers in the various area councils. Local government elections is a critical element of democracy and governance which provides a vital pathway for new political participants to engage communities and impact governance from the ground up in their quest for good governance.

In Lagos State, elections have always been characterized with violence and peaceful conducts. Clashes between APC supporters and main opponents’ supporters from the PDP have been reported from various parts of the state like Surulere, Agege, Amuwo-Odofin, Ajeromi Ifelodun, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo and Kosofe LGAs of the state.

Election violence can diminish voter turnout, influence election outcomes, and erode public trust in the electoral system raising concerns about the legitimacy of results according to Yiaga Africa. Political parties should ensure that the local elections is not a zero sum game, whereby the winners takes it all and the benefits of good governance is limited and retained to only party members and loyalists.

The violence that led to the death of Jide Badaru and one other with several people injured in August 2018 in Surulere Local Government should not be allowed to happen again. According to the cousin of the deceased Mr. Babatunde Badaru, a former Local Government Chairmanship Aspirant in his accounts of the violence that characterizes elections in Surulere LGA.

The wanton destruction of properties, continued threat to lives of opposition supporters should be a thing of the past. Since it is a grassroots election, the African communal sense of being should be displayed during the elections. Perpetrators of electoral violence and their sponsors should be arrested and should be diligently prosecuted so as to deter others who see violence as a viable pathway to electoral victory.

Tola Ogunnubi ANIPR wrote in from Abuja Abuja