ACHIKE CHUDE 

He was the one that told us how critically important the judgement of history is to him. He obviously wanted to be remembered as the man who became president after four attempts, and like Abraham Lincoln, went on to become one of the greatest presidents that Nigeria ever produced.

But would history not gargle, regurgitate and revolt at the thought of passing such an onerous and patently false verdict on the life and times of former military General, Muhammadu Buhari, now civilian president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the past seven years?

Perhaps, history could be induced, seduced, cajoled and intimidated to declare President Buhari as the best president there ever was. Maybe a little bit or large dose of propaganda could help. It always does – but only to an extent. After all, it was the well-polished and garnished propaganda of the APC machinery that first propelled that nefarious political party to power in 2015.

It was that propaganda that made us see that President Goodluck Jonathan had seven horns on his head while there were actually four.

It was propaganda that made us realise that the then PDP government was populated by advanced ‘pick-pockets’ and unconscionable 419ners.

It was propaganda that made us believe that 24-hour electricity supply and destruction of terrorists within six months were possible under an APC government led by retired General Muhammadu Buhari.

Now rather than the seven horns on President Goodluck Jonathan’s head, we have seen the ‘fourteen horns’ on the head of President Muhammadu Buhari, our president of seven years and the replacement of the advanced ‘pick-pockets’ and unconscionable 419ners of the PDP with the APC ‘armed robbers’.

We have also been living witnesses to the continuous collapse (over ten times) of our country’s national electricity grid, and the rise of the herdsmen, bandits, kidnappers, and unknown gunmen to compliment and to provide good company to the hitherto lonely Boko-Haram terrorists.

All these – happening under our president, Muhammadu Buhari, who wants to be remembered positively by the verdict of history.

There seems no way back for him. But there might be. The 2023 General Elections could help redeem him and give him just a little bit of immortality. Just as President Goodluck Jonathan gained history’s favour by organising the election that removed him from power.

Just like the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua gained eternal respect by declaring that the election that brought him to power was flawed and subsequently set up the Uwais panel for electoral reform.

Just like President Olusegun Obasanjo gained some form of immortality by ensuring the total reversal of our country’s then external debt from $30 billion to zero dollar during his administration (though now the rapacious hyenas and vultures have taken our debt back to $42 billion).

Let us try to give our president, Muhammadu Buhari, a break. As they say in Nigerian parlance, “let us sorry for him”. Perhaps he truly did not know how long and tough the journey to make Nigeria better was going to be. Perhaps he did not honestly realise that he did not have the capacity, energy, and zeal to govern. Perhaps he genuinely believed that governing Nigeria was that easy.

We know that he has failed with every promise he made to the Nigerian people. We know that at times he appeared like a bull in a China shop, wrecking everything in his way.

But now he has a chance at redemption. Every election is important. But there are elections and there are elections. We have had very important elections in our country. The 2023 election is the election of all elections – the mother and father of elections. It is the most important and pivotal because of our country’s extremely tenuous and dangerous present placement on the precipice.

Does President Buhari realise that history has given him one more opportunity at some form of redemption, one opportunity to leave the Aso Rock Villa on a kind of high despite his many low points as president of the Federal Republic? Can he defy history’s inevitable negative appraisal of his eight years in office? Can his government organise a proper election come 2023 – an election that at best will surpass the 2015 election organised by his rival that brought him to power, an election that is generally seen to be free, fair and credible?

Only the president can make that decision that will fetch him some forgiveness and amnesty for eight years exercise of political power that took our country backwards at least 15 years. Only he can decide whether he will walk in the company of the somewhat politically redeemed or in the company of the damned – like Abacha, like Mobutu Sese Seko, Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga, like Jean Bedel Bokassa and others like them.

Theirs is not a company we would want our dear President Buhari to keep. All he needs to do is to get INEC to organise a proper election. It is a simple thing to do. Or maybe it is not so simple. But it’s doable. And history will be kinder to him.

Chude, a public affairs commentator, writes from Lagos