President Buhari strolled through his eight years in power in arrogant ignorance
He was literally not aware of most things. The phrase delineated his reproach to a country that loved him and gave him so much
‘I assure you, I am not aware’ was his poster response to any query on most issues
The arrognace of it, the biting sense of entitlement and the detached engagement with a suffering people painted democracy in dark colours
People like Buhari gave democracy at least the Nigerian version a bad name
The system threw him up despite very glaring inadequacies.
His simpleton approach to life and issues made a mockery of those who went the whole hog to get education and work hard but still were not chosen by fate who instead blessed very strangely this one that came to the table bereft of any pretentious claim to cerebral pursuits
He was a good man whose very strong claim to historical immortality was his austere aporoach to life
He boasted of his incorruptibility, his discipline and his astute approach to life
This blinded him to the theft around him, the malicious carnage his limited cerebral postulations threw the country into and to the horror of his eight years which some have labeled the years of the locusts.
His rabid popularity served as a never ending albatros from which he never emerged
His famed 12m voters catapaulted him to the most powerful position in the country twice but left him lonely and confused as to how to handle the immence powers he had emboweled
The Presidency wasnt and is still not for a simple man. It is meant for visionary leadership and astute plausibility that would now be designed to serve as a bridge between despair and hope for 200m people
Buhari was lucky. Nigeria blessed him so annoyingly, cos till today his day of his passing, I still dont understand how luck chose him to make a GOC, Minister, Member of the SMC, two time President despite the millions who are better qualified and his pedestrian qualifications and native disposition.
He now rewarded luck and Nigeria with – I assure you…. And retired to his Daura and his 150 cows
People like Buhari have contributed to the desecration of traditional mores of not speaking evil of the dead
Abacha pioneered the new movement, pulling Nigerians to the street in amazing dance routines when he fell on his apples
Since then a motley crew of lesser caricatures have had their fair share of public joy at their passing
For Buhari, a quick cursory scan at comments on social media shows that Buhari may be ranking with his former boss Abacha in public odium at his passing.
Nigerians are not accepting the fact that he simply was not aware as the economy was being destroyed during his tenure, ethnic hatred heightened and nepotism becoming strict government policy as a plausible excuse
This is why we always stress the need for leaders to always look very closely at Legacy as they dribble Nigerians and Diddy us
Cos attimes like this, you really cannot bribe history as it writes a post mortem for future generations
For Mr Buhari, I doubt history will be kind to him as it would ask him a very pertinent question – how did you leave Nigerians who gave you so much?
As for me, I will remain very reluctant to join the hordes who are popping expensive drinks to celebrate his passing and who are being very critical of him and the life he spent as I am a well brought up man.
Instead, I would seek for his present predicament to serve as a beacon that would hopefully serve to trigger a change in the hearts of our present crop of leaders, failure which they too may wallow in the same odious pit of public adulation at their demise.
May God grant Mr Muhammadu Buhari eternal rest and receive his soul in his bosom cos truly he wasnt really aware, I assure you.
Nobody shd beat me o, we are mourning
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: July 14, 2025
