Without mincing words, that Buhari interview granted to The Cable was an opportunity squandered. What was supposed to be a window into the heart of the major bastion of opposition to the ruling PDP ended up being as opaque as a wall. Even when the interviewers goaded him on and tried to extract some responses from General Muhammadu Buhari, what came from him was at best shallow.
Reading through the interview, I was tempted to think that the interviewers asked him ‘soft’ questions but even at that, Buhari did not acquit himself creditably. The answers leaves you wondering whether his PR people didn’t prepare him adequately. During the course of the interview, he mouthed platitudes and rehashed what most Nigerians know. He was long about the problems besetting the nation but he was very short on solutions. His interview did not leave anyone with any ‘aha’ moment, that feeling you get that this candidate has what it takes to confront the issues headlong. The interview certainly didn’t do justice to his candidature. But I’m jumping the gun. Let’s look at how Buhari fared by analyzing his responses.
ON WHY NIGERIANS SHOULD PREFER HIM TO OTHER CANDIDATES
Buhari missed the point totally here. He fluffed the opportunity big time and dropped the ball. Instead of selling himself, he spoke about how he went to the tribunal three times in his effort to stabilize the system. So is that why we should prefer him?
ON WHAT QUALITIES SET HIM APART FROM THE OTHER CANDIDATES
I see this as another opportunity given him by the interviewers to redeem himself since he fluffed the first one. I’ve been scratching my head thinking why he responded that the question was an unfair one and that he wouldn’t like to blow his own trumpet. If that was supposed to be a show of humility, then you now wonder why he decided to reel out his CV. He spoke about his tour of duty in the Nigerian Army but he stopped short. What particular qualities set him apart? Was it his legendary incorruptibility? Are we supposed to believe that it was his experience in the military that set him apart from other candidates? He left the answer blowing in the wind.
ON WHAT HE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY ABOUT POWER
Here I expected him to highlight how he would consolidate on the gains of the unbundling of the sector and talk about his plans for the sector. But his first response shocked me. He plainly said, “It can’t be done overnight”. So you now begin to wonder what exactly he will do differently about this sector than the incumbent. He spoke about the fact that power generation has not gone beyond 4,000 MW since 1999. That is a fact we all know. But curiously, he delved into the purported missing pension funds and the $20b alleged to be missing by the former CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi. What exactly will he do differently? He didn’t tell us.
ON IF HE WOULD DIG UP THE REPORT OF PAST PROBES OF THE POWER SECTOR
Buhari was a realist when he answered this question. In his words, “If you try to do that, the state will immediately collapse because a lot of the institutions have been compromised. With whom are you going to work? My own belief now is that you just have to draw a line and move forward”. To many supporters who see Buhari as the ultimate death knell for corruption, I guess they may be somewhat disappointed by this response.
ON WHAT BUHARI THINKS THEY ARE DOING WRONG IN THE POWER SECTOR
Buhari said, “If from 1999 till now, in my own perception, Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro had been repaired and brought to optimal usage, and we do the thermal stations… it is a question of changing spare parts because the gas is there”. To paraphrase him, get Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro repaired and working well and also do the thermal stations and we are home and dry. To me, that seems to be a very simplistic way of analyzing the problems bedeviling that sector. Kainji, Jebba and Shiroro even if they work optimally can no longer cater for the power needs of about 170m Nigerians. Apart from the challenges of power generation, what of distribution which is even a far greater challenge? He mentioned the nation’s gas reserves but he didn’t mention to what use they will be put.
HIS POSITION ON THE PIB
His response leaves you wondering if he understood what the PIB was about as he spoke about the textile industry.
ON REMOVAL OF PETROLEUM SUBSIDY AND HOW HE WOULD HANDLE IT
GMB delved into history and recounted how he was pressurized to remove the subsidy by IMF in 1984 but he refused. He called it the ‘so-called subsidy’ and his next statement actually unveils the fact that he didn’t believe there is any subsidy. He said, “But for someone to say they are subsidising, who is subsidising who? This industry, the prospecting and development, were paid for by the Nigerian people. We spent money to discover the oil. Who then is subsidising who? To come and kill Nigerians, you know, to put that amount of burden on them when their salary is hardly enough for them to eat, pay for their bill of their healthcare, and education of their children. Who are you subsidising? It is Nigerian petrol, it is Nigerian capital that was used to mine it, it is Nigerians doing most of the work, so who are you subsidising? Subsidy for what?” Will this position not run counter to that of Comrade Adams Oshiomole and Babatunde Raji Fashola, proponents of removal of subsidy and key players in his party, the APC?
ON FISCAL FEDERALISM, RESOURCE CONTROL AND RESTRUCTURING OF THE FEDERATION
For me, this was the most disappointing part of the interview. I expected him to wax lyrical about the need for a restructuring of the federation and the need for fiscal federalism- two major areas his party the APC promised to champion. Does he believe in resource control? But his response was pedestrian to say the least. “The important thing is to change Nigeria”, he said. How? But then there was no answer. Rather he rehashed all what he said before about youth unemployment, security and economic development.
Fortunately (or otherwise, depending on which side of the divide you belong to), his answer to this question may be the fulcrum on which his candidature will be judged. He made statements alluding to the fact that he was not a magician and anyone expecting him to do wonders would wait till godot. Hear him, “This cannot be done overnight. Nigerians have to be prepared, at least from 2015 to maybe about 2018 to really work extremely hard”. Furthermore, he said, “So for anybody to come and create the impression that he can work wonders [is a lie]. Nigerians have to be prepared to suffer for at least five straight years before we can stabilise this country, security wise and economically because so much damage has been done.” In other words, don’t expect any miracle from me. Shikena!
ON RESOURCE CONTROL
This question was asked again-directly this time- because he failed to answer it previously. But yet he parried the question. Rather, he spoke about the need to develop agriculture and solid minerals so as to create employment. Then he launched into another tirade on overcrowded universities, lack of teachers and poor infrastructure. But does he believe in resource control? Nobody knows.
DOES BUHARI THINK THERE’S A NEED FOR RESTRUCTURING OF THE FEDERATION
His answer makes you wonder if he understood the question at all or didn’t want to respond directly. He responded by referring to his training as motor transport officer in the United Kingdom and how the British Army vehicles are well maintained. He ended by saying, ‘ The elites need restructuring’. So if he becomes President, the best we can expect is a maintenance of the status quo.
ON QUOTA SYSTEM AND FEDERAL CHARACTER
His response seemed to indicate that he wasn’t in agreement with the quota system and federal character. But he wasn’t very explicit. He left enough room for conjectures.
ON HOW HE WILL FIGHT CORRUPTION IN A DEMOCRATIC SETTING
This was what he offered- “We have a constitution and all sorts of laws… let us revisit them. Let us move forward and stabilise the system. I am very concerned about stabilising this system”. Of course the constitution has always been there and laws have been made. It is disappointing that GMB whose major battle cry has been the fight against corruption could not highlight specific plans on how he will deal with the hydra-headed monster.
ON RENEGING ON HIS PROMISE NOT TO CONTEST AGAIN
He spoke about yielding to the pressure of people who wanted him to contest one more time.
ON THE RUMOURED MUSLIM-MUSLIM TICKET
It was a tricky question which he didn’t navigate very well. His answer left room for people to believe the rumour on APC’s intended Muslim-Muslim ticket. So I wasn’t surprised that Obasanjo would later release a statement condemning that part of his interview. That was one opportunity missed to finally and fully dispel the tag of ‘Muslim party’ on APC. However, he tried to explain the need to de-emphasize religion in politics.
So how did GMB perform during the interview? Below average, I would say. The interview was not inspiring and it was as dour as it was colourless. He didn’t espouse a new vision or inspire a new direction. He couldn’t really tell what the change he wanted to bring represents. Neither could he tell how he would bring it. It looked like change just for the sake of it. And change just for the sake of change is no change
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