NIGERIA SIXTH REPUBLIC: 50 YEARS OF UNFINISHED LEADERSHIP

NIGERIA SIXTH REPUBLIC: 50 YEARS OF UNFINISHED LEADERSHIP

Chijioke Akusoronwa

            

                              

Nigeria became an independent country in 1960, but under a parliamentary system of government which was practiced in 1960 - 1963. But the system did not make our country, Nigeria a truly sovereign and independent state in managing the affairs of its country especially the nature of her constitution; the President a ceremonial figure, representing the Queen of England and not elected by the people, and the final court was also foreign in nature. All these parliamentary system fallouts were corrected in the 1963 Constitution which brought about a Republican constitution and with the peoples’ believe that the best government is one in which supreme power is vested in an electorate.

In 1963, Nigerians went to the poll and it brought about Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as first elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This marked the beginning of the first republic and the Republican Presidential system of government in Nigeria. But, sooner than expected, this system was faced out with the genesis of military intervention in Nigerian politic like its counterparts in other African countries.

The military involvement in politics in Nigeria that halted the first republic started on 15th January, 1966 from Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi to Colonel Yakubu Gowon (29th July, 1966 - 29th July, 1975) and continued to Murtala Mohammed (29th July, 1975 – 13th Feb, 1976), who was succeeded by his Deputy, General Olusegun Obasanjo after his assassination, until on 1 October, 1979 when General Olusegun Obasanjo handed power over  to a democratic elected civilian president of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari which also marked the second republic.

But, soon after the civilian president took power, the government was faced with large corruption and money bag politics. Even with Shagari bid to protecting his political party, National party of Nigeria (NPN) motto of "One Nation, One Destiny" and objectives of providing Housing, Industries, Transportation and Agriculture as the major goals of his administration, particularly in his early stages of governance during the oil boom were all met with incongruous outcomes. It is important to note, that the prominence of money bags politics which financed the elections of 1979 and lapse ethical judgement by ministers under Shagari, especially the man whose name rings a bell; Umaru Dikko - Shagari campaign manager and later Minister of Transportation, heightened allegations of corruption. This included the Nigeria election of 1983 marked by accusations of electoral fraud, coupled with a decline in world oil prices, led to a marked deterioration in the national finances under Shagari's watch, while religious and political violence became so endemic that his overthrow by Major General Muhammadu Buhari on New Year's Eve in 1983 was actually looked upon with relief by most of the Nigerian public at the time. Again, this marked the end of the second republic due to another military intervention and a failed transition into another democratic elected president.

After the Shagari’s leadership, the military government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari took power in 1983 which continued with successive military coups from Major General Ibrahim Babangida (27th August, 1985 – 26th August, 1993), who after annulling  the June 12 election handed over to Ernest Shonekan on 26th August, 1993. The handover of power to Ernest Shonekan was short lived before power was taken over from him by General Sani Abacha on 17th November, 1993 until his death on 8 June, 1998 when the Supreme Military Council decided to hand power to General Abdulsalam Abubakar who was to hand power to a civilian democratically elected president of Nigeria. This task of bringing back the civilian to power was not just announced but also meticulously implemented and finally brought about the emergence of May 29, 1999, now known as a public holiday in Nigeria and celebrated as a new Democracy Day which brought the leadership of Olusegun Obasanjo under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The Olusegun Obasanjo first tenure of 1999 – 2003 was the third republic. The 1999 elections, was the first in sixteen years after a military long intervention in Nigeria politics. In the election, Obasanjo won with 62.6% of the vote, sweeping the strongly Christian Southeast and the predominantly Muslim north, but decisively lost his home region, the Southwest, to his fellow-Yoruba and Christian, Olu Falae, the only other candidate.

Again, Obasanjo was re-elected in 2003 – 2007 which also marked the fourth republic, in a tumultuous election that had violent ethnic and religious overtones, his main opponent (fellow former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari) being a Muslim who drew his support mainly from the north. Capturing 61.8% of the vote, Obasanjo defeated Buhari by more than 11 million votes. Buhari and other defeated candidates (including Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the former Biafran leader of the 1960s who was the presidential candidate for APGA), claimed that the election was fraudulent.

Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was the fifth republican President of Nigeria and the 13th Head of State. He was declared the winner of the controversial Nigerian presidential election under the ruling party, People's Democratic Party (PDP), held on 21 April 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007. In the presidential election, Yar'Adua won with 70% of the vote (24.6 million votes) according to official results released on 23 April. The election was strongly criticized by observers, as well as the two primary opposition candidates, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) and Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC), its results were largely rejected as having been rigged in Yar'Adua's favour

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But, as bad as it may seem that the election was rigged, most Nigerian began to even legitimate the leadership of Yar’Adua, due to his leadership ability in putting to an end some pressing problem soon as sworn in as president of Nigeria. Again, some also saw that he was able to provide practical solutions having been the first Nigerian president to have been educated in a Nigerian university. Be that as it may, his administration was short lived due to his illness and died on 5th May, 2010.

On 6th May 2010, Jonathan was sworn in as Yar'Adua's replacement on 6 May 2010, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State. He served as President until the next election in April 2011, which he also contested and won as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Upon taking office on 6th May, Jonathan cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reform as likely focuses of his administration. He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances."

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan after contesting and winning the 16th April, 2011 general election marked the beginning of the sixth republic, when he was also sworn in on 29th May, 2011. The April general election was seen as an improvement in the history of elections in Nigeria as promised in his speech on 6th May, 2010 even although the incumbent Presidential took part and won in the general election. The changes saw a more efficient INEC with the correction of mistakes from its first election on 9th April, 2011. And, when the result was released, it was constitutional won by Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the incumbent President of Nigeria, under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) flag, in what most Nigerian describe as a victory of the people’s choice with a total of 22,495,187 votes representing 58.89% and winning in 24 states of the federation and meeting the requirement of having 25% of total vote cast in at least 24 states (two-third majority) while the other parties have the following results: CPC, 12,214,853 – 31.98%; ACN, 2,067,301 – 5.41%; ANPP, 917,012 – 2.40%; and all others remaining parties clenched a total of 504,866 votes – 1.32%.

Finally, the sixth republic is greeted with high expectations from the president to all elected representatives and to other appointed Nigerians that would be called to serve with the need to putting back the country to her footpath of greatness. The greatness is expected to be pursued not just on paper works but in a realistic and attainable people oriented needs: power, security, employment opportunities, programme, projects, infrastructures, policies and social amenities that will improve the standard of living of the largest Nigerian masses.

CHIJIOKE, holds a professional certification in Management and a first degree in Political Science and one of the best graduating student in the said discipline from Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. He is passionate about providing the leading platform for bearing the burden for his clients’ zenith successes which is hinged at providing exceptional Consulting Services in the areas of paper writing, biographies, training, political advisory, public speaking, business development, product marketing and advert production all in a practical solution driven and goal oriented perspectives. As the Principal/Head Consultant, HeroesPlus Consultant based in Lagos, his interest in research and development made him a social blogger and a prolific biographer. Among his works includes: Celebrating Our Country In Doubt: A Question Begging Patriotic Answer; Challenging Your Dreams; A Conscious Africa People Of Change Long Desired: Critical Look At African Today’s Politics In The Year 2011; A Charade Celebration Of Childrens’ Day, among others. He is a member of Civil Liberty Organization, Rotaract Club to mention a few.

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