MOURN THE DEATH; BURRY THE HATCHET (1)

I was carefully going through social media posts, comments and reactions since the death of former president Muhammadu Buhari due to what was reported as "brief illness" in a London hospital. The Nigerian social media space has become intensed as to how Nigerians receive his death—whether to forgive his shortcomings or not—or whether there are well meaning legacies to celebrate.

Before delving into that, let me say Buhari's demise would have immense impact on the 2027 general elections. Both ruling political party, APC and the erupted opposition, ADC have been anticipating to get Buhari's endorsement, to continue lurking in the remaining shadows of his fame and unconditional love by his supporters mainly the Hausa-Fulani core northerners.

It's been impeccably admirable seeing how Buhari keep persisting on presidential polls and had lost three bids until 2015 where he became an elected president to overthrow and incumbent president from a ruling party that had been in power for sixteen years. His passion to either "rule" over Nigerian affairs or "fix" the country's economy and insecurity spurn the unconditional love from his supporters.

The biggest question in his posthumous is to whether he has fulfilled his promises to fix Nigeria to attract the common man to mourn for him or not—or the explicit display of morality as to how death should be celebrated in respect to cultural and or religious affiliation. The latter instigated a wide range of opinion conflicts, seeing the axiomatic fact that only God can judge the death—not a living wandering soul.

As I pointed out in my Facebook post yesterday, the cartigories of people celebrating Buhari's death are either fanatics or religious bigots, ranging both from the southern part of the country or north. These are Nigerians who have negatively been brainwashed to how exactly humanity suppose to be and behave or react to social phenomenon. Let's explain this further.

Shi'aite blocked the route of Nigerian Chief of Army Staff and his envoy on their way to an official assignment. A very senior officer stepped down to plead for a few minutes passage but to no avail. COAS forced his way to what seemed a conflict and later resulted in death of scores of Shi'aites and concluded to the arrest of Zakzaky, the supreme leader of the sect. This marked to the halt of the Shi'aite movements in Zaria and across Nigeria.

E dey as e be. In the South West, the supposed "Leeki massacre" has cultivated a seemingly hatred to the person of Buhari during EndSars protest and in the aftermath, seeing him as anti-human rights and a dictator despite numerous infrastructural developments he brought to life in the region. Not to mention of renovation or Murtala Muhammad International Airport into international standard and lots more.

In a general term, Buhari, just like any other passed elected president or head of state has his achievements and shortcomings, but the major questions we can ask ourselves for adjudication are: 

i. Does Buhari's diversification of economy, border closure, tax reforms, subsidies, poverty alleviation programmes and increase in PMS has standardized the value of naira and stabilized the wellbeing of the citizens compared to how he met the system in 2015?

ii. Was the state of security both in south and north, consisting of IPOB, Boko Haram and banditry became a total history during transition in 2023 as he promised in 2014 campaigns?

Even though most Nigerians, especially from the northwest have been directly or indirectly affected by the insurgency which engulfed the region; not to mention of dilapidation or the economy and hardship, celebrating a stateman's death who had showed efforts but failed due to circumstances that overcome his administration is against humanity, culture and religion.