A lot has been written and said already about president Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammad Buhari, but there are some important qualities we should really look for in a president.

Here are seven qualities to look for in a president and how Jonathan and Buhari score on each quality.

1. Charisma.
A president has to be likeable. He or she has to be able to attract a following and arouse a feeling of enthusiasm among the people.

Jonathan used to have this especially when he first became president in 2010 after Yar'adua passed on. People were impressed by his personality and his rise to the top, but he's clearly lost most o that popularity.
Buhari on the other hand has grown more popular over the lats one year and he's now popular than ever. With his towering height and the way he raises his fist up in the air like a revoluntionary, Buhari is clearly charismatic than Jonathan right now.

How they score

Jonathan: C
Buhari: A.

2.Record.
Anyone who wants to be president should have a good history. People aren't perfect, but if you are running for president, you've got to be clean because certainly people will ask for your record.

That's been Buhari biggest problem this year. His record as a former head of state is embarrasing even to his supporters. He and his vice, Tunde Idiagbon ran an oppressive government and he's still judged by it till today.

Jonathan has a better human rights record than Buhari, but frankly none of these candidates have an A record generally speaking. That's why the Economist described this election as one between an utter failure and a former dictator with blood on his hands.

Jonathan: C
Buhari: D.

3. Character.
Nigerians need a president reputable for doing what is right- someone who is upright , respectable and who can be trusted to gover the country with integrity. We need someone who will be a model to our young people and to our society.

Jonathan and Buhari both have a fairly nice character, but it certainly could be better.

Jonathan: B
Buhari: B

4. Public speaking.
Presidents have to give speeches all the time. It's not about orator. It's about ability to communicate effectively in a way that touches people and instill confidence. People need and want to listen to you speak.
That's what gave Obama the edge when he first ran for president as an obscure senator, and it's what made him world famous.

The truth is neither Jonathan nor Buhari get a pass mark in public speaking, but Jonathan is probably better in expressing himself.

Jonathan: C
Buhari: D

5. Leadership.
What's the heck is the presidency for if it's not leadership.
The president of Nigeria isn't the president of any party or group. We need a president that can act decisively. We need strong leadership in Aso Rock. That's one thing that's clear. We need someone who can lead the way forward and take decisions in the collective interest of the Nigerian people, not in the interest of his party or ethnicity. We need a president who will fire someone whe it has to be done, who will move to solve problems and show the people with an impact so strong that the people would feel it even in the grassroots.

Buhari was effectivel a figure head when he ruled in the 80s. Everyone knows Idiagbon was the one calling the shot, people already thinks if he win, the vice president may be more active than him given the precedence. Jonathan too has slackened as president and fail to stand up sometimes when it matterd, but does he offer beter leadership?

Jonathan: C
Buhari: C

6. Intelligent/knowledge /ability
Being president doesn't mean you have to be a genius or know astronomy, but you have to be intelligent more than average. It has to show in your way, your speech and decision making. You also have to be knowledgeable about the issue that matter and be able to apply knowledge to solve problems and make things better. Buhari hasn't demostrated better than average intelligence, neither has jonathan.

Jonathan: C
Buhari: C

7. Public spirit
Public spirit is the willingness to do things for the good of the people and the society. A president is the leader of the country. He must have a heart for the people. That should be the focus of his policy making. He should have someone who constantly think something like, how will this affect my people? What can I do for them? How can I make things better for them? Who do they need? That's how a president should be thinking , and this have to show in his or her ways.

Again, neither Buhari nor Jonathan has shown enough public spirit deserving credit.

Jonathan: D
Buhari: D.

Supporters in each of these two candidates would say their candidate is the best man for the job, but one thing we've got to be honest about is that these two people aren't our best choices. We could have better options if circumstances were different, but sometimes what looks like an unsuitable choice may turn out to make a huge difference after all.

But having said all that, my choice still remain the same. And that is General Muhammad Buhari (GMD)...

Sai Buhari

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did you just say GEJ can express himself publicly? are u a Nigerian at all? I av couple of his speeches, maybe I can help u by sending them to you, so u listen and judge yasef

Op..gej lack most of dox qualities ooo

saTANist... sorry I mean TANoid... u r so unfair wit ur marks

Waiting for F.P

hadizadeezy:
did you just say GEJ can express himself publicly? are u a Nigerian at all? I av couple of his speeches, maybe I can help u by sending them to you, so u listen and judge yasef

I'd love u more if u could send them 2 me.
Where should we start from?

kestolove95:
Op..gej lack most of dox qualities ooo

he lacked every thing stated up there buh i think Buhari lack more

saintkash:
saTANist... sorry I mean TANoid... u r so unfair wit ur marks

m stating a fact here moreover am nt a supporter of Jonathan but Buhari.

intergral:
Waiting for F.P

u go wait tire oo