A few days ago I came across a tweet by Mallam El-Rufai, in which he stated that the Congress for Progressive Change was going to field General Buhari for the presidential elections in 2015. He also insinuated that General Buhari was the best man for the job — more or less the only one who can help Nigeria at this point. A sentiment many of Buhari's followers share.
When I saw those tweets, my first reaction was: what the heck is it with these guys? He'll be about 73 by 2015. But as I pondered on it, I began to see that it basically showed the failures of our so-called leaders and their followers. Was there no other person who could comfortably take after Buhari after learning from him for many years?
What leadership is actually for
Do our leaders know that the true essence of leadership is to raise other leaders? Do they know that as they grow, they are supposed to invest, empower, and train other leaders who will eventually take their place? Do their followers know that this is what their leaders ought to do?
Our present crop of leaders do not build lasting legacies. They rarely raise people who will take after them. They believe they are indispensable — and this defeats the aim of leadership. Maybe it is out of fear of being supplanted. Whatever the reason, this trait has created a huge leadership dearth in Nigeria.
The followers also make matters worse. They urge on these leaders, refuse to accept that one day they will be gone, and refuse to pressure them to raise other leaders. In the end, they have little to show for all their years of followership.
If the CPC says Buhari is our best bet and our only hope, then he has failed as a leader. And his followers have also failed. They have all failed our nation.
I believe that it is an insult to our nation — to the many youths and Nigerians who are fighting for change — to tell us that there is only one man who can save us. It is shameful and an indictment on all the so-called leaders.