Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has announced he will run again in the 2019 election. He has just started his work on important reforms — but that's exactly the problem, says DW's Thomas Mösch.

President Muhammadu Buhari's election victory three years ago was a moment of joy for many Nigerians. For the first time since the country's independence in 1960, Nigeria had succeeded in electing a new president to replace the incumbent. Buhari's ambitious plan was to make Nigeria safe again, to tackle corruption and take into account the interests of ordinary people.

But in the meantime, a feeling of disillusionment has risen across different parts of the country. Over and over you hear from locals that life under Buhari has become more difficult, rather than easier.
No victory against terror

On the issue of security, it first seemed like Buhari could actually turn things around. The extremist group Boko Haram occupied entire tracts of land by the end of former president Goodluck Jonathan's term in 2015. Within the course of a few months of Buhari's presidency, Boko Haram were forced to retreat to parts of the remote forest regions and the mountains. But in their central zone in the area around Lake Chad, Boko Haram continues to spread fear and terror with suicide attacks and raids. These attacks have been increasing of late.


In other parts of Nigeria, the outlook is even gloomier. In particular, the states of Taraba and Benue in the center of the country have been experiencing massacres on an almost daily basis for a few months now, with clashes mostly taking place between Muslim nomads and Christian farmers, who make up the majority of the population in these regions. Buhari's government there seems to be as helpless as Jonathan's was in his fight against Boko Haram.

Even in the immediate vicinity of Buhari's own hometown in the northwestern state of Zamfara, murderous gangs rage almost completely unchecked. Only recently did the president finally send military reinforcements to the region.
Small progress made towards tackling corruption

The second main theme which helped Buhari win the election was the struggle against corruption. Today, anti-corruption campaigners are less restricted in their operations than they were under Buhari's predecessor. But so far, Nigerians have waited in vain for court rulings. Nigeria has been languishing in the bottom third of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for years — it is currently ranked 148th out of 180 countries. Buhari may have the goodwill to solve the problem, but he lacks assertiveness over the issue.
Meanwhile, the economic balance sheet under the first three years of Buhari looks very poor. Granted, he took over in difficult times. The price of the country's most important product — oil — had dropped and Nigeria's treasury had even been looted. But Buhari has not yet offered a convincing strategy which would relax the country's dependence on oil. Fuel shortages paralyze Nigeria on a regular basis, even though Buhari himself runs the oil ministry — so the issue is a top priority. Even the notoriously poor electricity supply has barely shown any improvement. No wonder, then, that Nigeria's stock market fell following the announcement that Buhari would run for office again.
Physically and politically weak

In addition, the 75-year-old president failed to govern for several months in 2017 because he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness in London. Now, he is seeking another four years as head of state — by the end of which he would be 80 years old.
Nigeria deserves better than an old, ailing president, whose leadership style is characterized by hesitance rather than courage. In the Muslim-majority regions in northern Nigeria, Buhari still enjoys support. But he won the election in 2015 largely because he managed to convince Nigerians in the central and south-western regions of the country — including many Christians. However, the desperate security situation in the central states and ongoing poverty makes it unlikely that the people there will support Buhari for a second time. Now the opposition — that is, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which was voted out of office four years ago — needs to produce a convincing candidate who will pose a serious threat to Buhari. So far, there appears to be no suitable candidate.
Thomas Mösch (im)

Thomas Mösch is the Head of the Hausa Service at Germany's DW

https://m.dw.com/en/opinion-four-more-years-of-buhari-nigeria-deserves-better/a-43321681

It will now look as if Nigerians cannot produce a sensible person to lead the country

Criticism and opposition is allowed in politics but only if it will bring development positively


I am irredeemable Buhari supporter

If Nigerians could withstand 16 whole years of PDP's wanton looting, destruction, poor leadership & infrastructural decay, then 4 more years of PMB's recovery, rebuilding & completion of abandoned projects is a piece of cake. Just ask the tens of thousands of N Power and TraderMoni beneficiaries.

But who does Mösch expect Nigerians to vote? Atiku? Saraki? Bafarawa? Lmao.

Even the author agreed that NONE of the present PDP aspirants is a better choice than PMB.

Babygiwa:

Now the opposition — that is, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) which was voted out of office four years ago — needs to produce a convincing candidate who will pose a serious threat to Buhari. So far, there appears to be no suitable candidate.
- Thomas Mösch (im)

PDP's 16 years of FAILURE to provide basics like stable power, roads, ports, quality education etc. must never be repeated in this Nation's history.

Never again will we allow the ASUU strike & Boko Haram party lead us again.

Its Sai Baba till 2023 no shaking!

You've every right to express ur opinion but well meaning Nigerians have resolved... Sai Baba!

sai baba . . . Hope he takes that pretty slay queens issue that will do campaign for APC very serious?

NIGERIANS DESERVE BETTER (Summary)

P1: Buhari is contesting for 2019 election as President
P2: Nigerians successfully ejected a sitting president GEJ, replaced him with PMB who promised to fix corruption and security issues
P3: The citizens think they’ve been scammed
P4: PMB government have repelled BH to remote locations (LC) unlike what we had during GEJ tenure.
P5: Taraba and Benue are hotbeds for daily massacre of citizens, while Muslim nomads kill Christian farmers in other parts of the country.
P6: PMBs NW area is experiencing senseless killings by murderous gangs, and corruption has not been stopped.
P7: PMB told Nigerians he was coming to fight corruption but Nigeria ranks 148/180 (bottom third) on the TICPI. PMB lacks assertiveness but has goodwill.
P8: Economic balance sheet looks very poor in 3 yrs of PMB tenure with no strategy to forestall the economic doom.
P9: Nigerians deserve someone better than 75-YO PMB + 4 Years = 80 YO, who spent the larger chunk of 2017 treating undisclosed ailments in London.
P10: Support for PMB is dwindling in the Central and Western part of the country due to insecurity and poverty. He still enjoys overwhelming support from the Northern Muslims. PDP should present a serious candidate in order to eject PMB.

Mediocrity must not be allowed to continue

True. Personally, I think Buhari should retire, become an elder statesman like Gowon and play with his grandkids. We need someone more vibrant.
But with his contestants like the extremely corrupt Atiku, Saraki, Lamido and more useless ex-Northern governors, I prefer him to go on. I dont want to talk about that ambitious pro-homosexual Donald Duke, who is presently bringing light to the rumors about him.
People like Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye are good candidiates but it is not our faults that they did not align themselves politically all these while.
My Igbo brothers, don't keep on hating. Buhari has been blessed with the support of the people. 2023 is an opportunity to clinch the presidency. You all better start your groundwork.
So, the stance remains the same Nigerians.
SAI BABA TILL 2023.

Some will still come and defend him

FiftyFifty:
You've every right to express ur opinion but well meaning Nigerians have resolved... Sai Baba!

Well meaning zone b I guess

dingbang:
It will now look as if Nigerians cannot produce a sensible person to lead the country

walahi

Igbos always claim they are 100% Christians,





Yet na dem plenty pass for this thread so far!




Àbí who else oppose PMB's second term ambition if not Piggies!






Amaka people dem, MAKE UNA REPENT AND DEY GO CHURCH OOO

Sad!

When the Economist wrote and labeled GEJ "Ineffectual Buffoon", we they listened. Now DW writer, White House have double-labeled PMB an ailing, old, helpless, indicisive, lifeless nomad. Read content to confirm.

Truly, reactions apart, we deserve better. No more recycling.


Caviet Emputol: I'm no politician, no alliance. I'm a concerned Nigerian.

FiftyFifty:
You've every right to express ur opinion but well meaning Nigerians have resolved... Sai Baba!

you and your kinds please

I still don't believe any cabals is behind buhari incompetencies. buhari had some unruly behaviour in him that's killing his govt. nonchalant attitude and self ego


nonchalant attitude in the sense that I don't care what they're going thru so Far they're not from my tribe and my region

self ego, to buhari he believes he's the only clean, honest, integrity, and corrupt free person on earth just because some hungry people are singing his favouritism song to get contract and other things their motive was


it's so pathetic buhari allows power to get him off the lane of Democratic settings

Foolish THOMAS MORCH!

SAI BABA!

God bless His Excellence, President Mohammadu Buhari

2023 Ascerta!

Nigerians deserve better than Buhari indeed, but do we have any "better" On ground? Is it Atiku that's better? Is it Saraki that's better?

I would have voted Osinbajo or Fashola if they were contesting against Buhari, and I think with the hype on Kingsley Morghalu, he's likely to be a visionary leader than Buhari, but do they all stand any chance? No. Does that mean we should now hand over power to the most corrupt political party in the world (PDP) absolutely NO.

Buhari's failure is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. We deserve better!

I don't have any political affiliations but I think Donald Duke is the type of leader we need as President.

All I know is if Buhari wins 2019 presidential election, I will leave this country..


It's either he leaves or I leave...



I can't take it anymore

Anybody who believes buhari can still turn things around, needs an urgent brain transplant. I didn't vote him because I was sure he wouldn't do anything new. But then, I decided I was going to support him if he proved me wrong and performed. Unfortunately, he not only did not fail to perform but also made things worse. Buhari lacks the intellectual capacity to govern a modern day Nigeria and move the country forward. He should just leave and go tend to his cows in daura.

Buhari issa disaster waiting to happen. Never again.

Nigeria matter Don tire me..

For the best laptop deal check my signature. Touchscreen, 8gb RAM, 1 terabyte, 4gb Intel HD 620 graphics memory for gaming and heavy task, windows 10. Check my signature.

No, Nigerians don't deserve better. They deserve whoever they get.


You'll see hungry youths who will come here to support one failed politician over the other.


Buhari, Saraki, Ekweremadu, Tinubu, Kwankwaso etc are a bunch of failures.


Yet ordinary Nigerians, victims of their greed and heartlessness are their greatest supporters.


We deserve them until we learn to stone these bastards in public.

DEHVEHLOP:
Igbos always claim they are 100% Christians,





Yet na dem plenty pass for this thread so far!




Àbí who else oppose PMB's second term ambition if not Piggies!






Amaka people dem, MAKE UNA REPENT AND DEY GO CHURCH OOO

Bro, this is beyond tribe. Wake up! Foreign observers are warning us again. Remember Angela M was here some days back, now a German wrote this. FYI, this is an official report to Angela, which may delay or deny us whatever promise she made during her visit.

OkaNaUbe:
Buhari's failure is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf. We deserve better!
I don't have any political affiliations but I think Donald Duke is the type of leader we need as President.

Definitely Donald Duke would make a better president than Buhari, but does he stand a chance?
Besides, is Buhari not better than the corrupt conglomerate in PDP?

FiftyFifty:
You've every right to express ur opinion but Zombies in Nigerian have resolved... Sai Senior zombie buhari

Fixed!

Buhari is a disaster.Under him as president,7million Nigerians lost their jobs.Fuel price was increased from ₦97 to ₦145 per litre.This was an hypocrite who led protest against past president due to increment of fuel price.
Under buhari,price of a bag of garri went up from ₦5k to ₦15k.It managed to go down to ₦8k.Bmc are bragging that inflation has reduced.
Under buhari,a bag of rice went up to ₦20k from ₦8k.They said they would introduced local and cheaper rice.Where is the local rice?
Under buhari,a dollar went up from ₦200 to to ₦360.Fulani herdsmen have gotten licences to carry guns and kill at will.Nepotism and ethnic bigotry are his watchwords.Chai Babarian!

Zai Barbar will go down the line as the most useless clueless clumsy lifeless clown idiotic confuse President the world Ever had

Lizilicious:
All I know is if Buhari wins 2019 presidential election, I will leave this country..
It's either he leaves or I leave..
I can't take it anymore

Togo isn't far

QuotaSystem:
We know Buhari is not Pope Benedict but who does Mosh expect Nigerians to vote? PDP? Lmao.

PDP's 16 years of FAILURE to provide basics like stable power, roads, ports, quality education etc. must never be repeated in this Nation's history.

Never again will we allow the ASUU strike & Boko Haram party lead us again.

From North to South, West to 5%...

Its Sai Baba till 2023 no shaking!

Enemies of Nigeria have spoken.
Get a life bro.