President Muhammadu Buhari travelled to London on Friday, May 22 – before his inauguration – to get vital information on Nigerian affairs from Downing Street and other Western allies which former President Goodluck Jonathan failed to supply him, according to investigation by TheNiche.
He pulled a fast one on most of those close to him, including top leaders of his All Progressives Congress (APC), when he left for London unannounced.
Surprise dummy
Even journalists who cover the party were asked to proceed to the National Mosque, Abuja for the Juma’at service which was part of the activities for his inauguration as president.
The environment at the mosque presented a picture of the likely presence of Buhari. But he did not show up. Rather, he was represented by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
It did not take long before tongues began to wag, with speculation about his whereabouts.
Official explanation
That forced the spokesman of his media team to hurriedly issue a statement explaining his trip to London.
It said he “left for Britain on a private visit, his first such trip outside the country since winning the March 28 presidential election. Buhari will use the opportunity of the visit to take a much-deserved rest ahead of his inauguration on May 29.
”He is expected back in the country a few days before the inauguration, refreshed and ready to hit the ground running once he is sworn into office.”
Invitation by London
However, investigation by TheNiche showed that Buhari undertook the trip because of the unwillingness of Jonathan to provide vital information on how he ran the country for five years, beginning from 2010.
A week earlier when the APC Transition Committee submitted its report to Buhari, it complained that the government side did not provide input into its deliberations.
A source in the APC disclosed that Buhari was invited by the British authorities for briefing on facts which the Jonathan administration was hiding from him.
He also wanted to escape from the enormous pressure being piled on him by APC members looking for appointments in his government.
He was already having running battles with some APC governors who were insisting on nominating cronies for ministerial jobs.
Last week, Buhari reportedly rejected the lists from some governors, saying since he does not dictate who they appoint commissioners they cannot dictate who he appoints ministers.
Buhari returned to Nigeria on Thursday, May 28, a day to his inauguration.
However, it was not clear at press time what documents he secured while abroad and how he intends to use them.
A close aide of the president told TheNiche that “Buhari will disappoint a lot of people who thought they would control him.
“The elections are over and this is the time for governance, and the president would only do what will serve the best interest of the people.
“There will be many surprises in the days ahead.
“The man knew what he wants all these years, all he needed was the political power. Now he has it”
Mission misread
He promised in his inaugural speech on Friday, May 29, that he would strengthen the doctrine of separation of powers, as he blamed recent past leaders for misreading the mission of Nigeria’s founding fathers.
Buhari recalled that Herbert Macauley, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Aminu Kano, Joseph Tarka, Eyo Ita, Denis Osadeby, Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance.
“They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country. Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house,” he said.
“Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilisations: Shehu Othman Dan Fodio’s caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja’s formidable domain.
“The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernise and uplift Nigeria.
Daunting task
“Daunting as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system.”
Buhari pledged that the federal executive “under my watch” will not encroach on the duties and functions of the legislative and judicial arms of government.
“The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilise the system.
“For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out oversight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past.”
Nigerians yearn for action
He reiterated that Nigerians expect the judiciary to “act with dispatch” on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office.
“It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that the government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today.
Buhari said relations between Abuja and states have to be clarified “if we are to serve the country better.”
Constitutionally, he stressed, there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the federal government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments.
“Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the federal government cannot interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked.”
He pledged that “as far as the Constitution allows” him he will ensure “responsible and accountable governance” at all levels of government in the country.
“For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allowed others abuse theirs under my watch.
Governors and grandees
It is not yet clear whether Buhari will completely free himself from the pressure coming from governors and APC grandees trying to encircle him.
A source said their plan is to put cronies in strategic positions such as the principal offices in the National Assembly (NASS) and plum ministerial offices whom they would use to extract favours from Buhari or to cause problem for him if they fail.