Those familiar with the political chemistry of President Muhammadu Buhari agree that a driving force has been missing in his current political structure. President Buhari is known for identifying and domiciling power in somebody while he reigns as the King.
In 1984, during his first coming as military Head of state, Nigerians watched how he reigned as a leader but had enormous power of his government reposed in his deputy, late Major General Tunde Idiagbon, who was the then Chief of General Staff, Supreme Headquarters.
Till date political pundits are yet to be unanimous on who, between Buhari and Idiagbon should be credited for any success recorded by that
administration especially in the area of discipline among the citizens. What was clear before the regime was thrown out in what came to be known as a palace coup was that the empathy between Buhari and Idiagbon jelled so well that each could correctly decipher the body language of the other.
In fact, there was not much of body language without action. When Buhari made a dramatic and historic return to political power courtesy of the March 28, 2015 Presidential election in the country, many political observers, especially those who have been following his antecedents argued that for him to make a success of his administration, there must emerge within the fold another Tunde Idiagbon of this time.
The people with this school of thought contend that the government would have problem if the President fails to identify an Idiagbon on whom he is to rack power on and who is expected to transform his body language into action while he reigns. Five months after, it’s beginning to seem that those holding this view point might not be wrong after all.
From all indications, President Buhari’s administration, after five months cannot be said to have located its bearing yet. There has been series of flip flops and apparent lack of clear-cut direction on relevant issues from this administration to the extent that discerning minds are beginning to be nervous.
The continued argument and excuse of clearing the Augean stable, (the so called mess left behind by previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government) has become so over-flogged, now sounds like a broken record and Nigerians are not buying into it any longer. An apposite forensic analysis of Buhari’s five months reign shows that there is a lacuna of an Idiagbon.
Political observers are asking, was Idiagbon not Buhari’s deputy? Why shouldn’t the current deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo fill in the gap?
However, political realists are arguing that on paper and in the face of the law Prof. Osinbajo is the Vice President and the number two citizen of the country, but in reality he is not the most powerful man in the country after the President politically speaking.
You may want to know if this Vice President had a hand in any way in the choosing of the Ministerial nominees as was the case with, Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Goodluck Jonathan and Nnamdi Sambo during their time. Prof Osinbajo cannot replicate Idiagbon in this administration because of a number of variables. In politics, the command structure is not as straight jacketed as it is in the military.
In political arithmetic, it is said that 2 plus 2 do not necessarily amount to 4. Perhaps American Comedian, Groucho Marx captured the game of politics well when he humorously defined it “as the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies”.
Also, famous French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte summed it correctly when he toned that in this game of politics, “stupidity is not a handicap.” Politics is such a game where ground is usually not level yet it goes on being played.
That Prof Osinbajo is the next in command does not translate that he should be next in power, it does not so follow in politics. Not that the Vice President is not qualified; intellectually he is so endowed that even what he should have lacked in his small physique, he has made up in his enviable professional accomplishments.
A man who has excelled to the highest peak in every career he found himself, as a teacher, his first calling, he is a professor. As a lawyer, he is a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN). As a clergy, he is a Pastor and lately as a politician, he is the Vice President of Nigeria. Why shouldn’t such a man fill the Idiagbon gap?
The answer is simple. The political equation does not favour him. He does not fit into the camp of the trusted, that Buhari can leave power for.
Moreover, he is coming from a political background that is already seen by Buhari henchmen as over-bearing and should be checked.
Moreover, Idiagbon and Buhari shared a lot in common which is not the case with Prof Osinbajo, Idiagbon, was a soldier like Buhari, he was a northerner like Buhari and also a Muslim like him, the VP is certainly far on these very vital factors that appear to be driving this government policy directions.
Despite his deep intellect, the Vice President in a power circle has no character of his own no matter how honest he would want to be. Any beautiful idea he brings to the table is usually seen as coming from the master and taken with suspicion. This is the tragedy of this administration and which is being reflected in the apparent confusion being noticed in its take off.
Not until an Idiagbon is found and installed, Nigerians may never see a Buhari government promptly moving its programmes as promised to Nigerians. The irrepressible and diminutive Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, who is trying to play the Idiagbon card from the background is obviously handicapped to do it effectively because he is already occupying an engaging position as executive governor.
The searchlight is on as both Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF and the Chief of Staff, who although trusted, have not shown the traits needed to occupy the vacant stool as they do not seem to possess the political sagacity of an Idiagbon or the paunch of an El Rufai.
The concern here for some political watchers is that if the convolutions of politics and democracy prevents Buhari from creating an Idiagbon of this time, Nigerians might wait longer to see a focused and pragmatic administration as they had envisaged.
If Buhari needed an Idiagbon when he was in his 40s, and in a military regime, he perhaps needs it even more now that he is in his 70s and under a more dragging political system called democracy. God help Nigeria.
NEW TELEGRAPH
END
The so called mess left by PDP!
Stop, look and listen to yourself