Connect with us

Nigeria

Why Buhari Lost And It May Never Be Regained By Anymore

Published

5 years ago

on

By Rudolf Okonkwo — Guest Columnist

This week, I went back to watch an April 12, 2015, interview that I had with the then-President-elect Muhammadu Buhari.

After watching the interview, I arrived at a clear conclusion: It was all Olusegun Obasanjo’s fault.

Nigeria’s final chance to revive itself, to be a fair, decent, and just nation, came in 1999. Posterity called on Olusegun Obasanjo, who came out of prison with a new lease on life, to do Nigeria the honor. But Obasanjo failed.

On January 29, 2004, as Obasanjo was entering his fifth year in office, still pursuing shadows, I wrote an article on Nigeriaworld.com titled: Why Obasanjo Failed.

At that point, I had determined that Obasanjo was more interested in building a castle in the sand. There was Obasanjo, a president who had a rare chance to transform Nigeria permanently. But Obasanjo lived in Eldorado, interested in turning Nigeria into South Korea when Nigeria’s foundation is worse than Sudan’s. It wasn’t that Obasanjo was oblivious of the issues.

Being a major actor in Nigeria since independence and coming from the South West, he knew what the vexing matters were. But Obasanjo allowed his ego, massaged by budding oligarchs like Tony Elumelu, Cecelia Ibru, Aliko Dangote, Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke, Femi Otedola, Jim Ovia, Festus Odimegwu, Bernard Longe, Fola Adeola, and others, to blind him.

Obasanjo inherited a country that was like a vast piece of land with active gully erosion sites. His primary job was to stabilise the estate by channeling floodwater away from inhabited zones. In his messianic illusion, Obasanjo chose to use his 200 million shares in the mega-corporation, the Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp), to transform Nigeria into a nation of skyscrapers and white elephant projects.

As his second term in office was ending, he was fully aware that he had failed. It made him seek a third term in office secretly with the help of his cohorts in the public and private sectors.* *When that mission failed, he decided to handpick a successor that would have no chance of overshadowing him.
*That was how Nigeria got President Umaru Yar’Adua as Obasanjo’s successor. And it was down the hill from there.

Yar’Adua begot Jonathan and Jonathan begot Buhari. And in each of these births, Olusegun Obasanjo was the midwife. If Obasanjo had done the right thing between 1999-2007, it wouldn’t have mattered much who came after him. Nigeria would not have been overtaken by erosion as it is today. Now houses, roads and farms are inside the gullies, and some swept away beyond the country’s shores.

Yar’Adua could not have saved Nigeria because he was not predisposed to tackle such weighty fundamental issues. Unluckily for him, ill-health sealed his fate by wiping out any chance that he could come to a new awareness.

Jonathan assumed power, totally lacking the skill sets needed to surgically extract Nigeria’s cancer cells that were fast metastasizing. Jonathan would spend five years leaving observers with no doubt that Nigeria’s problem outmatched his abilities. Jonathan’s ultimate failure set the stage for the far-reaching compromises that brought Buhari in.
Buhari did not just fail like others before him. He took it a notch up — he lost Nigeria. And that is Nigeria’s greatest tragedy.

Buhari lost Nigeria because he suffered from a bigger messianic complex than Obasanjo. His self-righteous indignation blinded him to the most obvious remedies capable of extending the life of Nigeria. Buhari’s allergy to diversity meant that he had only a narrow tunnel view of the country. It ultimately led him to the current end where the tunnel is collapsing in his face, burying him and the nation in its wake.

In ‘Why Obasanjo Failed,’ I wrote:

“Granted, Obasanjo inherited a fractured country that had been ravaged by years of military misrule. It was a country with so many structural flaws that cracks were visible along its walls, beams, and pillars. There was no sense of direction and no purpose for the nation and its citizens. The country lacked the institutions to support any democratic initiative. The Nigeria Obasanjo was handed over was a country on its stomach.”

“The recipe for failure was put in place when such a country was handed over to someone who had no knowledge and not enough courage to do things that were needed to be done to jump-start the failed nation. Obasanjo was like a partially blind, partially deaf, unskilled driver without any knowledge of the mechanics of machines, who was charged with the responsibility to drive a troubled car in rough weather from point A to point B. It did not take two years before it became clear to serious observers that the man was the wrong choice for that mission.”

If Obasanjo was the wrong person in 1999, Buhari was the ‘wrongest’ person in 2015. But in each case, the doctrine of desperation steeped deep into the fear of losing the country threw Obasanjo and Buhari up as the easiest of all viable options. For a country like Nigeria that loves the path of easy resistance, Obasanjo in 1999 and Buhari in 2015 became the default candidates.

In “Why Obasanjo failed,” I noted the following:
“Obasanjo’s job is not to give billions of naira to certified crooks for the maintenance of the refineries, only to spend more billions importing fuel to avoid the shortage we saw during Abacha’s time. His duty is not to spend billions of naira in Tony Anenih’s road contracts without having roads that lead to a brighter future. Obasanjo’s responsibility is not to scold us for expecting a lot and abuse us for being impatient; rather his task is to provide hope. Unfortunately, Obasanjo could not get over himself. He allowed his exaggerated sense of importance to prevent him from achieving a victory for the Nigerian-kind.

“The litany of crises we are witnessing is the product of the intentional decision by Obasanjo and his cohorts in the ruling PDP to ignore the fundamentals. Basically, they made a deliberate decision to continue from where the NPN of the early 80s stopped, as if all that transpired in the late 80s and all of the 90s were of no consequence. In a more sophisticated way, Obasanjo and his friends embarked on a mission to plunder what remained of Nigeria’s wealth, wellbeing, and welfare.”
The Buhari team has essentially followed the same path. They have plundered Nigeria just like all the successive governments before them.

“Any other PDP candidate of 1999 who fought to lead Nigeria might have spared the nation Obasanjo’s truckload of embarrassments, arrogance, pettiness, vindictiveness, and blatant ignorance, but working within the principles of PDP and with the certified criminals who fill its ranks and file would have also ended up a failure. As long as the fundamental problems of Nigeria, like the very nature of the union, resource control, judicial reform, relationship between the state and the federation, etc, are either ignored or shied away from, all efforts at reform, especially the half-hearted ones, would amount to nothing…

“The primary reason why Obasanjo has failed is his stubborn refusal to implement a deep-rooted structural reform of Nigeria. Obasanjo, full of himself and trusting in his military drill-sergeant mentality, thought he could order around a wounded country. Obasanjo’s resort to patching the wall, managing one crisis after another instead of tearing down the walls and rebuilding a nation has become his waterloo. His choice of actions, or inactions, is the style of cowards and men without vision.”

When it became obvious in 2004 that Obasanjo had failed, this was what we did.

“Interestingly, we have counted out Obasanjo and have plunged into a vigorous search for another personality on whom we shall hang our hope. We are once again refusing to insist on reforms that would guarantee progress irrespective of who occupies Aso Rocks. For some reason, we continue to have the hope that those unprincipled men and women in the National Assembly have in them the right mantle needed to chart a decent course for us. In our stupidity, we are once again betting our survival on some proven crooks, expired characters, and loudmouthed egoists. We are propping ourselves to be satisfied in the realization that any of them would be better than Obasanjo. Just like we once convinced ourselves that, come what may, Obasanjo would be better than Sani Abacha.”

We are already doing this again. We are looking up to the National Assembly to amend the constitution to take their mouth off Nigeria’s breast where they feed fat. We are looking up to the likes of Bola Tinubu, Nasir el-Rufai, David Umahi, Yemi Osinbajo, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Kayode Fayemi, Yahaya Bello, Orji Uzo Kalu, etc, to save us from the rut they created – the same rut that they still depend on for their sustenance. We are again sure that any of them would be better than Buhari. If that is not a form of mental illness on our part, then I do not know what is.
*The truth is that, unlike in 2015, something has fundamentally changed in Nigeria. Buhari did not just fail spectacularly, he also lost Nigeria in the process.

Nobody on the Nigerian stage today can save it. None. What will save Nigeria is no longer deep reforms, restructuring, repentance, and reconciliation.

Unfortunately, the window for that kind of intervention is closing up fast, if not closed entirely. Secrets that were once hidden are now revealed; irate giants that were once asleep are now awake; and barrels of blood that were shed on the altar of Nigeria for decades are now choking the life out of the country. It is no more Obasanjo’s or Buhari’s grandfather’s Nigeria. The hornets will sting those who disturbed their nest. No amount of prayers will stop it. Nigeria is beaten up, pushed down the hill, and the country is grudgingly marching down to Golgotha. Nobody can carry its cross. The only path out of this valley of death is via reincarnation.

In our own eyes, Buhari dragged Nigeria across the Rubicon. And as Julius Caesar said, “alea iacta est”— the die is cast. Not even Obasanjo can say that Nigeria still dey Kampe.

  • Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo is a Nigerian-American journalist and writer. He is the host of the satirical show, “Dr. Damages Show” on SaharaTV online. Dr. Damages has been featured in the New York Times, BBC and Guardian of London. Okonkwo also writes a weekly column, “Correct Me If I’m Right,” for Saharareporters.com.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Education

Professor Josephine Onyido Earns Prestigious Nigerian Academy of Education Induction

Published

4 days ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

University of Port Harcourt scholar will be inducted into Nigeria’s apex education academy in Abuja, marking another milestone in a career spanning teaching, research, leadership, mentorship and advocacy

HOUSTON, TEXAS — Professor Josephine Azuka Onyido, an accomplished scholar and academic leader at the University of Port Harcourt, will be inducted into the Nigerian Academy of Education on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, in recognition of her contributions to the advancement of education.

The ceremony, scheduled for the Conference Hall of the National Commission for Colleges of Education in Abuja, places Onyido among scholars recognized for sustained contributions to education, research, and academic development in Nigeria.

A Professor in the Department of Educational Foundations at the University of Port Harcourt, Onyido has built a career encompassing teaching, research, administration, mentorship, curriculum development, and institutional service.

She described the forthcoming recognition as both an honor and a renewed obligation to education. “I receive this recognition with profound gratitude and humility. My journey in education has always been driven by the belief that scholarship must extend beyond the classroom and contribute meaningfully to society. This induction is not simply a personal achievement; it strengthens my responsibility to continue advancing quality education, mentoring future scholars, and promoting opportunities for women and girls. I am deeply grateful to my family, colleagues, students, and everyone who has been part of this journey.”

Onyido earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education (English), a Master of Education, and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Education. She is also a permanent member of the University of Port Harcourt Senate. Her scholarly record includes more than 90 journal articles, book chapters and Sociology of Education Made Easy, a textbook developed to make concepts in the discipline more accessible to students.

Much of her research examines the intersection of education and society, with particular emphasis on gender, women’s empowerment, educational development, social justice and the rights of women and girls. Her work advocates translating academic research into policies and practices that expand educational opportunities and strengthen human-capital development.

Beyond research, Onyido has occupied several academic leadership positions. She served as Acting Head of the Department of Educational Foundations from 2021 to 2023 and has worked as the Departmental Coordinator of Postgraduate Programs, the Anti-Plagiarism Coordinator, the Academic Adviser, and the Editor of the Port Harcourt Journal of Education Studies.

Her influence also extends beyond her university. She has served as an external examiner for several institutions and has participated as a resource person for the National Teachers’ Institute, the University of Port Harcourt, the Centers for Higher Education and Sandwich Programs, and the National Universities Commission verification exercise.

Internationally, Onyido represented the Niger Delta Development Commission at the African Women in Leadership Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, expanding her engagement with issues of women’s leadership, empowerment, and social transformation.

She belongs to several professional organizations, including the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, the Association of Sociologists of Education of Nigeria, and the International Association for Gender Equity.

Her academic and community work have earned numerous recognitions, including the Millennium Development Ambassador Award, Lecturer of the Year, Outstanding Project Supervisor, and Professional Service awards.

Yet Onyido’s story also reaches deeply into heritage and service. She is the great-great-granddaughter of King Josiah Constance Ockiya, MINGI VII, Amanyanabo of Nembe Kingdom and Supreme King of Brass. Her great-grandfather, Rev. Daniel Ockiya, translated the Bible into the Nembe language.

A committed Catholic and Jerusalem pilgrim, she has also served in church and community leadership positions and was recognized by the Catholic Women Organization of the Port Harcourt Diocese as a “Quintessential Woman.”

For Onyido, the November 4 induction represents more than another distinction on an extensive academic résumé. It recognizes a career built around an enduring principle: education achieves its greatest value when knowledge is transformed into opportunity, service, and social progress.

Continue Reading

Houston

PCNI Elevates Chief Dr. Emmanuel Opara to Patron in Historic Ihiagwa Investiture

Published

4 days ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Sugar Land People’s Club leaders celebrate their First Vice Chairman’s December 22 investiture, describing the honor as recognition of leadership, scholarship, service, and commitment to the enduring ideals of the People’s Club

HOUSTON, TEXAS — All roads will lead to Ihiagwa, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, on December 22, 2026, as members, associates, and well-wishers of People’s Club of Nigeria International gather for the Patronship Investiture of Hon. Chief Dr. Emmanuel Uzoma Opara, First Vice Chairman of the Sugar Land People’s Club of Nigeria International (SLPCNI).

The ceremony will mark another milestone for the Sugar Land branch, historically recognized within the organization as its First International Branch, and will elevate one of its senior officers into the distinguished circle of PCNI patrons.

Since its inception in 1971, the People’s Club of Nigeria has developed into an international social and philanthropic organization with branches in Nigeria, the United States, and Europe. Its tradition emphasizes fellowship, community service, and the principles of Love, Unity, and Service.

Within that tradition, patronship carries significance beyond a ceremonial title. Patrons are expected to serve as senior advisers, custodians of institutional values, and respected voices in sustaining the organization’s heritage and direction. The recognition is traditionally associated with sustained service, leadership, and commitment to the Club and society.

For Opara, the honor also recognizes a professional life extending far beyond community leadership.

An academic and technology specialist, Opara’s scholarly interests span cybersecurity, digital and media forensics, artificial intelligence, and Agentic AI. His research includes digital forensic investigation, incident response and threat analysis, memory analysis, advanced-adversary containment and intrusion detection, including applications of Python programming.

His work also engages with memory forensics and investigative technologies, as well as the offensive and defensive dimensions of cybersecurity, commonly characterized as Red Team and Blue Team operations.

Opara is a Fellow of the International Information Management Association (FIIMA) and serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of International Technology and Information Management (JITIM).

Reflecting on the forthcoming investiture, Opara described the recognition as a responsibility rather than simply another distinction.

“I receive this honor with profound gratitude and humility. Patronship represents a responsibility to protect the values that have sustained People’s Club for generations: love, unity, service, and genuine fellowship. Whatever we achieve professionally becomes more meaningful when we use our knowledge, experience, and resources to strengthen our communities and create opportunities for others. I look forward to serving the Club at an even greater level.”

Grand Patron of SLPCNI, Hon. Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu, said Opara’s elevation reflects the leadership qualities expected of those entrusted with preserving the organization’s legacy. “Chief Dr. Opara represents the combination of intellectual accomplishment, community service, and organizational commitment that the People’s Club should continue to encourage. Patronship is not merely about recognition; it carries an obligation to guide, support and protect the institution. We are proud that another leader from our Sugar Land family has earned this important honor.”

Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman of SLPCNI, said the investiture demonstrates the depth of leadership within the Sugar Land branch. “This is a proud moment for Sugar Land People’s Club. Chief Dr. Opara has distinguished himself through service, scholarship, and dedication to our organization. His investiture strengthens our branch while reinforcing our connection to the national and international People’s Club family. We congratulate him and look forward to celebrating with him in Ihiagwa.”

The December gathering is expected to draw PCNI leaders, patrons, members, family, friends, and community representatives from Nigeria and abroad. Beyond the pageantry of the ceremony, however, Opara’s investiture carries a broader institutional message: leadership within the People’s Club is ultimately measured by service.

On December 22, Ihiagwa will host the celebration. But for Sugar Land, the occasion will also be a celebration of one of its own—a scholar, technology professional, and community leader entering a new chapter of responsibility in the People’s Club tradition.

Continue Reading

Houston

Membership Surge Continues as Dr. Nkem Ugwu Joins People’s Club

Published

1 week ago

on

September 20, 2026

By

Following a successful induction ceremony, the First International Branch continues to attract new members drawn to its tradition of friendship, service, culture, and community

SUGAR LAND, TEXAS — The Sugar Land People’s Club of Nigeria International (SLPCNI) is continuing its membership expansion following its recently concluded induction ceremony, with Dr. Nkem Ugwu becoming one of the latest community members to join the organization.

Ugwu, a Sugar Land resident originally from Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria, is an entrepreneur and mother of three sons, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother. She describes service to others, family, and community engagement as important parts of her personal and professional life.

Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu addressing the September Conference of the Sugar Land PCNI

Her membership comes on the heels of the branch’s successful bi-annual induction ceremony, during which 16 new members were formally sworn in by PCNI National President Atty. Fidelis Onyebueke. The celebration attracted national leaders, patrons, and members representing branches from across the People’s Club network.

Photo from left: Hon. Chief Sir Michael Okeke; Hon. Anaeto Okakpu “Oranwezuluaku”; Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu; Hon. Dr. Nkem Ugwu ; Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman; Hon. Chief, Sir Basil Mbuba; Hon. Chief Sir Dr. Uche Egbuchuam “Akudo World Wide.”

Ugwu said joining the organization provides an opportunity to develop meaningful relationships while contributing to its mission.

“I am truly excited and honored to join the prestigious People’s Club of Nigeria International, Sugar Land Branch. I look forward to getting to know fellow members, building lasting friendships, and becoming actively involved in this vibrant and welcoming community. I am especially drawn to the Club’s tradition of fellowship, service, and mutual support, and I hope to contribute my experience, energy, and passion for serving others to its continued growth.”

Grand Patron Ide Obinna Nnanyelugo Mbachu welcomed Ugwu, describing continued interest in membership as encouraging for the historic First International Branch.

Membership Chairperson Hon. Chief Udoji Achebe and Hon. Ndidi Chidume

“When people of accomplishment and community spirit continue to identify with our organization, it tells us that the values upon which People’s Club was built remain relevant. We welcome Dr. Ugwu and look forward to the experience and fellowship she brings to our family.”

Hon. Prof. Chris Ulasi, Group Chairman, said the branch’s recent induction helped showcase an organization that continues to combine Nigerian cultural heritage with community engagement in Houston.

“Our successful induction created tremendous enthusiasm, but our focus goes beyond ceremonies. We are building a stronger organization rooted in friendship, responsibility and service. Dr. Ugwu’s decision to join reflects that continuing momentum.”

One of the meeting hosts, Hon. Professor Keih George, introduces the co-meeting hosts.

Membership Chairperson Hon. Chief Udoji Achebe said the branch remains interested in individuals prepared to participate actively in its programs and fellowship.

“Membership is about belonging, but it is equally about participation and contribution. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ugwu and other prospective members who share the principles and aspirations of People’s Club.”

For SLPCNI, the growing interest following its induction represents another chapter in the evolution of a branch with a special place in the organization’s history.

And for Ugwu, it marks the beginning of a new journey—one centered on friendship, community, and service.

Continue Reading

Trending