Nigeria’s former Vice President during the Sani Abacha era, Lieutenant General Donaldson Oladipo Diya (Retd), says finding Buhari’s successor when he’s done being Nigeria’s President, will be doubly difficult.
“When he, President Buhari finishes his tenure, who stands in, who comes in after him will be our big problem. But, maybe we shouldn’t get ourselves troubled over that now because when we get to the river we shall cross it. But it is a problem”, Diya said in an interview with Vanguard.
Diya also said it amounts to some degree of foolishness to expect Buhari to change Nigeria in the space of the seven months he’s been in office.
“For these people, who are shouting and asking that where is the change, what do they really want that should have happened within the short period that the government has been on seat?
“Do they want things to happen in six or seven months? No! We have a life span of the government, which is four years. It is within seven months and people are complaining. They are just wasting their time. I mean, if a government has a life span of four years with first and second term service, and within seven months out of this serving period, people are complaining, it is not right.
“When people say he is slow or whatever, I don’t agree. The pity I have for him is just to say that maybe he should realise that those people who criticise him don’t know what they are saying”.
The former Chief of General Staff also added that Buhari is truly a converted democrat.
“Military era is gone, and as a converted democrat, he is doing it very well. In fact, many people who expected to find military power play in the present government are surprised that what they expected when he came to power is not what they are experiencing now.
“Now he sits down, analyses and takes so many things into consideration before he takes a decision on anything.
“To recap what I said earlier concerning the end of his tenure, I did say there may be a problem because I am suspecting that to have somebody like him who the people will naturally trust like they trust General Buhari may be difficult.
“For Nigerians’ dreams, the hopes are high, the expectations are high. Many people did vote for him not just because he is Buhari but rather, they voted for him because he is the Buhari they know and trust and nobody can point an accusing finger against him. That is what sold him to the general public”.
The Yorubas appear to see Buhari as one of their own in a country where the ethnic group without the President screams of marginalization; and Diya says that’s no surprise.
“The Yoruba generally trust Buhari because they knew him before now. Generally speaking, if you are acquainted with much of the story, the personality of Buhari is enough to sell.
“You look at the man and say, “yes, we can trust him.” When you look at his antecedents you will believe that he has done it before and that he will do it better this time.
“You see, it is not easy to have a man who has been a General Officer Commanding, a Minister of Petroleum, a Head of State and Chairman Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), yet, as big as Nigeria is, nobody can really face him and point an accusing finger at him to say, You have done this or that.
“If somebody comes in, he has been this or that and as big as this country is, nobody can say this man has done something bad before, I think it is worthy of appreciation.
“I am a living witness, with the personality that Buhari has put up, it will be difficult for him to fail and probably, that may be our next problem”.
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