Will a Military Regime Solve our Problems in Nigeria?
Being Nigerian can be so depressing. Personally, I have stopped listening to the news or reading the dailies because every time you turn to the news you are only sure of one result: depression. Its either the naira depressing further against the dollar, or new violent attacks, or a new insurgency, further depression, or rising debt profile. In short, if you are someone who wants peace of mind, you just have to stay away from the news.
Everyone on this planet earth knows that we are experiencing Nigeria as a result of poor leadership. But what most people don’t know is that there is pattern to what has been happening to this country. I say this because most people call for a military regime to solve our current crisis. But for me, this is an understandable knee-jerk reaction of the average Nigerian who has had to endure so much. The rationale is that a military regime will force people who are in the government to do the right thing, and if that happens, what is meant for the common man will reach his end. But will that be the case?
You see, Nigeria for the most part, has been governed by military and ex-military men. Apart from Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Shonekan, Shehu Shagari, Umar Yar’Adua and Jonathan Goodluck; the remaining 11 presidents we have had were either military officers or retired military officers. Out of the 15 administrations we have had in this country, only 5 of them were ruled by “purely civilian” Presidents. And even out the 7, two were ex-service men who had already been Head of State. Five non-military presidents out of a total of fourteen is a small number.
Nnamdi Azikiwe who was the first indigenous president was already popular in the corridors of power before his appointment as president in 1990. From Azikiwe, it took 13 years within which we had 4 military regimes, to produce the next civilian president, Shehu Shagari. From Shagari, the next civilian administration would take 2 military regimes lasting 14 years, to produce the next civilian administration. The Shonekan-led administration, which will last for only 83 years was actually a pretentious attempt at civilian governance in the mist of the military dominance that preceded it and which would continue 6 years after. That was before the fourth republic where there has been stable democratic rule for some time now.
Even in this “democratic era”, two of the four presidents that have ruled are ex-service men. The tale of two civilian presidents even in this democratic era, was far from straight-forward; it was more or less a case of happenstance. Goodluck was Yar’Adua’s vice and only succeeded him after his demise as it is constitutional for a vice-president to. One can only wonder if without being vice to Yar’Adua, Goodluck could have actually been elected to the presidency, especially when you consider that he would leave office after just one term. A term which was actually full of security issued in the north at the instance of Boko Haram. The point I make is that out of the 15 times presidents and heads of states to have ruled Nigeria, only 5 have not been military or ex-military men; accounting to a total of 17 and half years. So as it stands, Nigeria has only been ruled by civilians for only 17 and half years out of a total of 63 years.
Again, of the civilian presidents, Umar Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan had 8 years of administration between them compared to the 15 in which ex-service chiefs Buhari and Obasanjo have ruled. My point is that we have had military men rule us for the most part of our history as a country. It stands to reason therefore, that since we are still ruled by military and ex-military men, we have experienced military tactics as a people. Talk about plunder – the long held tradition of misappropriation in public offices in the country. Talk about oppression or coercion – the Lekki shootings immediately spring to mind. Talk about short-term vision or rashness– as you would see in the lack of vision that our past leaders have shown. How else do you explain how we have relied on only oil for so long and abandoned Agriculture which is also one of our natural strength? Isn’t it surprising that not even a single person to see the risk in what we were doing?
I am not saying that we shouldn’t vote our ex-service men into office ever again, no. However, I will be right to say that leadership is not the best forte for these sort of people. Even in this republic, as short as the tenures of Yar’Adua and Goodluck were, they have become the reference points for the Buhari’s and Obasanjo’s. It is obvious that if we have to vote anyone as president, it should be someone more refined; someone with greater vision and collectiveness, someone who has had a track history of helping out when we have issues. The military haven’t been good leaders, and even when they have reincarnated as civilians, the story has not been different. My take therefore is that if you are to vote anyone, it should not be ex-service men, or anything like them. Yes, we have people who haven’t been ex-service men but have a military mindset.
And you should vote. Everyone should vote. What happened in 2015 gives us so much hope. The masses wanted Buhari, the masses voted Buhari and they got Buhari. 2019 was more of the same because most of the electorate was wary of Atiku. Being asked to choose between Buhari and Atiku was like being asked to choose between the devil you know and the devil you know better. What we can learn from these two scenarios is that if we really unite as a people and vote the right person, our votes can be capable of bringing the person of our choice into office. And if we are united to choose the right person, then there is no way we won’t have good leadership going forward.

Nigeria as a whole is broken including the military... We'd just be entering a rule of tyranny coupled with our present situation

Our democracy is too expensive

Yes

Chance to embezzle more money by the military

absolute power to do good and Evil!!

NO!

No but reduce unnecessary spending on legislatures for 23years now, no single law or Constitution has changed our lives so what are we paying them for to make laws on tinted windows and windscreens? They won't be travelling to foreign hospitals or hospices.

iokpebholo:
Yes

As if the previous ones solved it . Abeggi shift

slimfit1:
No but reduce unnecessary spending on legislatures for 23years now, no single law or Constitution has changed our lives so what are we paying them for to make laws on tinted windows and windscreens? They won't be travelling to foreign hospitals or hospices.

The money will be embezzled just like Abacha and IBB did

Datikwerreboi:

The money will be embezzled just like Abacha and IBB did

Well at least the money is still helping us till today.

slimfit1:


Well at least the money is still helping us till today.

Which one, the Abacha own ani IBB or Abdulsalami own?

[quote author=psychoblayse post=110215537]Nigeria as a whole is broken including the military... We'd just be entering a rule of tyranny coupled with our present situation[/quote
Exactly my point

iokpebholo:
Yes

Pls what makes you think so

Salihusaliheen:
Chance to embezzle more money by the military

as in en

anoda:
absolute power to do good and Evil!!

Absolute power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely

pavoda:
NO!

I tell you my brother

Abba Kyari case has made me understand how powerful the Fulanis are!! They will forever protect their own
Even if Kyari goes to prison, his VIP CELL WILL BE 1000% Better than most Nigeria houses. Unless Nigeria divides, this impunity won't and will never stop. @FBI, #kyari

Disintegration will solve the problems.

Biafra, Oodua, Arewa!

Onye obula za afa nna ya!

Let's go back to regional system of government.

Democracy, though touted as the best form of government is, indeed one of the worst.
This is because the crowd is not always right.
For a country like Nigeria with an adult literacy level of 62.2, there are just too many idiots voting for the wrong people and that's why bad leaders keep finding themselves in power.
In a democracy, if the majority decides to make a foolish change as we experienced in 2015, everyone else suffers the consequences of their stupidity.

Now, tell me, how does a system of government that makes it possible to enforce the wrong change because the foolish majority said so become the best?