Editor’s note: There have been speculations and rumours concerning the health status of President Muhammadu Buhari although the president’s aides have continued denying that he was ill. The president has also tried to dispel rumours by releasing messages explaining his reason for his extended vacation.
In this opinion by Toyin Dawodu, the writer points out that the president owes Nigerians a duty to either be fully fit to lead the country or resign and spend time with his family as there is no third option.
Buhari may not be dead but…
There is a saying in Yoruba Land: “Orun a re mabo.”
Translation: No one comes back from the dead.
READ ALSO: OPINION: President Muhammadu Buhari and the 20-month jinx
Buhari may not be dead, but he might as well be – too sick to rule, too greedy to leave.
Do I wish Buhari dead? Hell no! I wish him well. But as the president of Nigeria, he needs to either serve in his full capacity as president, or immediately resign. There is no third option here, at least not one that benefits Nigerians.
For weeks, Buhari’s administration has been reporting that he is healthy, that he is simply on an extended trip to London for medical tests. He has been away for weeks, and his administration is unwilling or unable to tell Nigerians if or when their president will return, according to the LA Times.
So, what we know for sure is even if Buhari is not sick – which is improbable, considering his appearance of late – and he is just more comfortable spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on his current medical tour instead of getting these “medical tests” done at the State House Clinic Abuja, the fact remains he so preoccupied with his health that he is unable to lead his country. And Nigeria does not seem to have another leader poised to take his place.
I agree with Okey Ndibe that Buhari should step down.
Nigeria must prosper
Unlike most of Buhari’s detractors, I do not have a self-serving agenda. My agenda is to see Nigerians prosper in Nigeria. But Nigerians remain in chains, enslaved by their inability to see beyond their greedy noses.
I speculate Buhari is suffering from either a kidney failure or pancreatic cancer, but even if Buhari comes back home, we all know his policies of the last two years have left the country almost completely stagnate. Try as we might to put our faith in him, Buhari has brought Nigeria no closer to self-sufficiency.
If you remember, I campaigned for Buhari. I wanted him to help halt the abyss to which Nigeria was descending during the time of Jonathan’s presidency, as referenced in my article Nigeria’s Rise to the Bottom.
In another one of my articles, I stated that Nigeria is Not a Country but a conspiracy of the elites. My sincere hope was that Buhari would mark the start of a new paradigm of leadership for Nigeria.
That has not been the case.
I am not naive in thinking any world leader would panic his or her constituents by announcing a major illness then admitting there is no cure for the illness, nor a plan in place to ensure the stability of the country going forward. World leaders don’t do that. Hell, C-level executives don’t even do that.
I think what we all feel is the sense of unease that manifests when you know something’s wrong and no one will tell you what it is. It’s the same unease Americans felt when William Henry Harrison died in office. It’s the same unease experienced by Ethiopians when Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died in office. It’s the same unease the whole world felt when North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il died and we realized we were stuck with his sons.
The saga of Yar’adua comes to mind. Not quite seven years ago, we had another Nigerian President lying comatose in another country. The cabals lied to the nation for several months until they could no longer lie.
This may be history repeating itself.
Will Buhari regain the strength to rule Nigeria
By the time this post goes live, Buhari may be dead or Buhari may be back in Nigeria. But I question whether he will ever regain enough strength to lead in the proper capacity as president. How can he have a broken body and a distracted mind and retain the strength and focus to lead Nigeria out of social, political, and economic turmoil?
READ ALSO: Buhari should resign, confirm Osinbajo as president – International group
I am hedging my bets. The cabals know the answer. The conspirators know the answer. But they will continue to lie and keep Nigerians guessing so they can milk the system for as long as possible.
Therefore, I say to all Nigerians, let us pray the Lord see fit to restore President Buhari’s health, and that he has the opportunity to enjoy the rest of his years in peace with his family beside him.
And let us pray that Nigerians would wake up, and rise up. Long live Nigeria.
This opinion first appeared in Sahara Reporters
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