A policy advocate and President Muhammadu Buhari’s former loyalist, Ayo Sogunro, speaks with BAYO AKINLOYE on why he thinks Buhari should be removed from office

Recently, you said President Muhammadu Buhari deserves impeachment. Does the President really deserve that?

A lot of our public office holders deserve removal or impeachment. (President Muhammadu) Buhari is no exception. In a saner political system, the loss of human lives in just under two years of this administration is enough to prompt popular anger and legislative inquiry. If the president is being nonchalant about the loss of Nigerian lives in the Middle Belt, in Southern Kaduna, in Zaria, and in Internally Displaced Persons’ camps, then anyone who says they unequivocally stand with the president is standing against the lives of Nigerians. We are often too complacent, too uncritical and misguidedly supportive of anyone in power. We should not judge the president by our own individual experience, but by the collective experiences of all Nigerians. If the president fails to protect one Nigerian, he fails to protect all Nigerians.

Would you say President Buhari should resign?

I think the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress should go back to their meeting rooms and reflect deeply on the meaning of change. Nigerians do not just want a change in the individuals in government; they want a change in the system of government. Changing Buhari changes nothing in itself. Changing Nigeria is what matters. This requires serious contemplation and critical thinking on the underlying problems: social inequality, ethnic divisions, religious primacy and fundamentalism, political patronage, corruption of greed and corruption of need. The political system that inspires these underlying problems has to be fixed before we start talking of the symptoms such as power failure, poor education, bad economy, etc.

What do you think about Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade?

I am not aware of any anti-corruption crusade – not while there are unresolved allegations against several persons in the president’s cabinet and staff; not while loyal members of the president’s party are insulated from prosecution; not while convictions are only in the media and rarely in the courts; not while social inequality still persists across Nigeria; not while politicians go home with undeserved remuneration whereas our civil servants are not even paid the minimum wage on time. I am not aware of any anti-corruption crusade.

Senator Shehu Sani described Buhari’s anti-corruption crusade as using ‘insecticide’ against those outside his political circle accused of corruption and deodorant for his allegedly corrupt close allies. Is that correct?

Mr. Shehu Sani has a point. The presidency is either hypocritical or suffering from cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is a situation when a person has inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes in making decisions. The same presidency that swooped on judges in the middle of the night now believes in fair hearing for members of the executive? It is as if we have two presidencies in Aso Rock: one that believes in fast and urgent action (Sambo Dasuki, Bukola Saraki, and the judiciary) and another that believes in fair hearing and due process.

Do you think Nigerians should still hope for change under Buhari?

Buhari is not the problem with Nigeria. He is merely compounding the original problem. The problem is the Nigerian socio-political system. Although we all say the system is the problem, I am not sure we have ever tried to define it. For me, the Nigerian system is the cumulative socio-legal segregations in our rules, regulations, laws, precedents and practice woven into a patronage socio-legal order for the purpose of controlling resources, maintaining power and generating revenue for the government’s treasury in general, and the pockets of some individuals in particular. That was how Taubman Goldie designed Nigeria in 1886, perfected by Frederick Lugard in 1914 and how it is still run today. If there is hope, it is in the initiation of a system reform.

What is view about the standoff between the President and the Senate concerning the confirmation of Ibrahim Magu as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission?

The president is free to appoint anyone he desires within the constitutional provisions. The Senate is also free to reject anyone they disapprove within the constitutional provisions. (Ibrahim) Magu and anyone else will come and go with Buhari. In the long run, what matters for us now is that the (Nigerian) Constitution –imperfect as it is – should be respected. If either side is unclear about the constitutional right of way, then that is why the judiciary exists. Unfortunately, Nigerian politicians prefer political solutions rather than legal solutions.

What would you say about how the Presidency communicates with Nigerians?

It is common knowledge that President Buhari doesn’t communicate often to the Nigerian people and even when he does, it is often in the course of a foreign trip. I am not sure whether this is deliberate disdain, misguided strategy or negligence. Whatever it is, it shows a lack of empathy towards Nigerians. This is part of why I rate the president low on
governance. He has behaved more like a distant autocrat than a democratic leader.

http://punchng.com/buhari-cant-deliver-good-governance-sogunro/

Tomorrow, a disclaimer will come out.

Too many fake news abound in the Nigerian cyberspace.

PMB till LiePODS get sense!

Listen...
The truth is the truth.
The truth is always life.
The truth will always exist even if there's no one to hold to it.
In the situation of this country, we all need to embrace this truth.
What is this truth?
The truth is simple.
PMB is just incompetent!
PERIOD.

na now day break for ur eyes

Er

Never felt so ashamed having this man as my president

PMB's Social Media Idiots are running out of excuses.

Truth.

Ayo Shogunro should Go n Die.


Buhary till 2037...

Unstable Afonjas. The wise people from the east warned them

Everyone has got the right to be critical of government even if they voted for them. It is also a huge step up to see even PMB supporters insist that everyone must be subjected to same rules whether they are close to the presidency or not, even when it concerns what should really be considered as an ethical issue, valued at N250m (about $500k).

This is progress.

Think back to when the president declared that goat must eat yam, when raw cash dollars was being withdrawn from CBN, cash dollars ferried in private jets, billions of dollars stolen from crude sales at source and president's wife was known to collect cash dollar bribes while chasing after every conceivable contract. Nothing happened.

Are there areas of improvement? Yes.. loads.

For instance I will still rate him low if Goodluck, Patience, Dasuki, Dieziani and co do not go to jail.

In PMB I trust.

DropShot:
Tomorrow, a disclaimer will come out.

Too many fake news abound in the Nigerian cyberspace.

PMB till LiePODS get sense!

Even wen u see a credible source attached to there

Dropshot.... You are a Muslim
That says it all

madridguy:
In PMB I trust.

Are u not a muslim

ivandragon:
PMB's Social Media Idiots are running out of excuses.

What excuses again will they give
Excuses have long expired

They now denounce any unfavorable news and call it lies

KidsNEXTdoor:
What excuses again will they give Excuses have long expired
They now denounce any unfavorable news and call it lies

lol...
can't really blame them though...
they have to earn their pay for being PMB's Social Media Idiots...

KidsNEXTdoor:

Even wen u see a credible source attached to there

Dropshot.... You are a Muslim
That says it all

Kidnextdoor, your're a ??

That might say it all.

Just like Ken Nnamani, Emeka Offor, Ifeanyi Araraume, George Moughalu, Tony Eze, Ebuka Onunkwo, Jombo Offor, Eze Madumere?

KidsNEXTdoor:

Are u not a muslim

We re aware

madridguy:
Just like Ken Nnamani, Emeka Offor, Ifeanyi Araraume, George Moughalu, Tony Eze, Ebuka Onunkwo, Jombo Offor, Eze Madumere?

These are just fools looking for chop money

But you are a Muslim

Those above me carry this Buhari matter for head, they should state just one commendable thing he has done for Nigerians since he came into power almost 2 years ago?

Proudly Muslim.

KidsNEXTdoor:

These are just fools looking for chop money

But you are a Muslim

fp tins pls do d needful@lala

madridguy:
Proudly Muslim.

OK!!!that sums it all