Nigeria, the most populous African Nation had been battling with quality leadership and good representative since her Independence in 1960. It been a case of ''grass to grace; grace to grass'' as power kept changing from military rule to civilian rule without meaningful and tangible developmental strides to showcase.
After the demise of the Military Head of State, Major-General Sani Abacha in june, 1998, the interim/transition Government headed by Major-General Abdulsalam Abubakar conducted an election adjudged to be credible, free and fair in 1999. The election brought into power President Olusegun Obasanjo as the winner of the presidential election under the platform of Peoples’ Democratic Party. A new dawn of democratic leadership was herald and given an overwhelming welcome by Nigerians. He re-contested in 2003 and won again. His 8years of leadership was a mixture of “the good, the bad and the terrible” till May 2007 when Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua succeeded him through a controversial election conducted on 21 April, 2007.
Late Umaru M. Yar’Adua (a Muslim katsina man from Northwestern part of Nigeria) was a seasoned scholar and Administrator both in the public and private sectors before he joined politics and contested the Katsina state gubernatorial election as PDP flag bearer in 1999 and won. He recontested in 2003 and won again. A position he maintained till he became the Presidential flag bearer of PDP alongside Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as his running mate, and subsequently emerged the winner and elected President of Nigeria in 2007.
Few months after his inauguration, he owned up publicly that the election that brought him into power was full of frauds. He established a Presidential Electoral Reform Committee headed by the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais to look into all the illegalities that affect the credibility of electioneering in Nigeria. It takes only a true and honest leader to make such open confession and take a step to correct the anomalies. He was also the first Nigerian President/Public servant that declared his asset in totality openly. Such traits are rare to come by among African Leaders.
Despite his ill health, Late Yar'Adua tried his best to see that his Administration lived up to his campaign promises and his 7 Points Agenda centred on Security, Human capital development, Critical infrastructural development, Wealth creation through diversion of the economy, Focus on development issues in the Niger Delta Region, Review of land tenure regulation and Food Security.
He was a detribalized leader whose Administration created the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Niger Delta Development Commission charged with the responsibility of the development of the oil producing region and putting to rest the long unrest and agitation of the Niger Deltan youth (Militants) He granted the agitators Amnesty, majority of them were rehabilitated and given scholarship to study abroad.
The security of life, properties and the general living standards of Nigerians under his Administration were above average and commendable. He was passionate about Nigeria and Nigerians before death came calling him home on the 5th of May, 2010. His then Vice President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was sworn in immediately as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Before and after the reign of Late Umaru Musa Yara’adua, Nigeria had never had it all rosy with a democratic president. He remains the best president Nigeria ever had even in death. May his soul continue to rest in peace (Amin)
God Bless Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
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