Mr. President, while you were away on medical leave, detractors, using politicking, agitations and hate speeches made several attempts to take over the polity, but Acting President Yemi Osinbajo remained resolute on promoting good governance and purposeful leadership. Mr. Osinbajo avoided attempts to make him deviate from your collective drive for positive change to mundane politics. Many detractors tried to create imaginary scenarios to brainwash the public into thinking that Vice President Osinbajo was not in control as Acting President, but he was never distracted. Mr. President you have indeed, a reliable and dependable Vice President, whom you can always expect to get required support from, anytime anywhere.
During your absence, Mr. President, Osinbajo’s performance as acting president was excellent. He performed according to the expectations of most Nigerians and in line with tenets of the Buhari presidency. Osinbajo in his capacity as acting president has been a good representative of the ‘Buhari School’. He has shown that he has not been a figure-head vice president, rather an astute complementing figure to your drive to take Nigeria to greater heights.
Mr. President, when one looks at the relationships between many leaders and their deputies in the past and present, it is apparent that there have never been two persons like you and Osinbajo who have shown Nigerians how delegating power is used for the benefit of the nation and for the development of democracy instead for personal motives. The two of you have set a standard which should become a model for leaders and assistants to follow, if our democracy must continue to flourish.
Most pairings on a presidential ticket are meant to balance the ticket. In many cases, the two persons are like-minded, have a harmonized action plan and work in the same direction. Nonetheless, these two could also be at variance on certain issues, have conflicting views of certain phenomena and maybe sometimes disagree on things.
Nigerians are used to sit-tight leadership at all levels that see political positions as personal, abhors delegating authorities, see their deputies as rivals and a threat; a leadership that often have disdain for their second-in-command; and one that will never support their deputies in anything, let alone transfer power to them to act in their absence. Nigeria has witnessed numerous cases of leaders and their assistants turning against one another. Some have even turned out to become sworn enemies- Mr. President, your adherence to constitutional provisions has brought to an end this phenomenon.
Mr. President, you and vice President Yemi Osinbajo have re-established the ideal of one presidency and it is working well for the good of the country and democracy. Prior to your absence and during your absence, the two of you have redefined how we view the President vis-a-vis the Vice President. You have created an atmosphere of progressive political synergy never seen in Aso Rock villa in recent times.
It is a known fact that relationship between you and Prof has looked promising since your campaign days. Both of you have unique chemistry. Civility of the two of you distinguished men has kept the relationship of the Buhari/Osinbajo presidency close, warm and personally friendly. A few numbers of politicians are not happy with the way Osinbajo ran the affairs of the nation according to your expectations, Mr. President. These politicians are the ‘regular’ Nigerian politicians who run politics just for personal gains. Their selfish expectations from the Muhammadu Buhari government have not materialized. These politicians have forgotten that the only item that has kept and is keeping your presidency 'afloat' is the ordinary man on the street. But for the ordinary-man's belief in Buhari School, no political-leader in Nigeria can take some of the stringent decisions as you did without drawing the ire of the masses.
Mr. President, welcome back! In your vice president Yemi Osinbajo you have got a potential ‘heir-apparent’ who shares your thoughts, style and commitment to the nation building without any overriding personal interest. During your absence, Professor Yemi was able to tacitly calm nerves of agitators, maintain the administration credibility; re-evoke public confidence, reassure Nigerians of your administration’s empathy with the suffering of masses and the commitment to do something to alleviate that suffering. What most Nigerians are expecting now is cabinet reshuffle- new hands, portfolio reassignment and reduction of burdens of jobs on some ministers. Most Nigerians still believe that you are the right man to push the right button for a bold; home-grown and off-the-shelf development model that will focus on promoting economic growth, massive structural changes and improving the potential of Nigeria’s human capital through both public and private channels.
Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Jimeta, Adamawa State, zaymohd@yahoo.com, 08036070980
