IF BUHARI BECOMES PRESIDENT, WHAT NEXT?

...by Tijjani Muhammad Musa

written on 22nd March, 2015

It keeps crossing my mind, what I will do with myself as a Nigerian who has been through hell and back, and ended up of the edge of oblivion, if Buhari eventually wins the forthcoming 28^th March, 2015 elections and thus becomes the next President and Commander-in-Chief of Federal Republic of Nigeria, finding a “New Nigeria” stretched before me.

This would be such a historic development, in the sense that for the first time, an incumbent Nigerian ruler has been defeated at the polls in a free and fair election. That a man, unrelenting, resilient, consistent, with a never-give-up attitude has finally succeeded in his quest, after trying 4 consecutive times to become Nigeria’s president. 

Also that Nigeria, instead of disintegrating as earlier predicted by some prophets of doom, has survived into an apocalypse that could transform the fortunes of this much traumatized, bastardized, raped and abused country, envied by both its friends and enemies.

And if such a dream should come true, against all odds, despite all the threats of war, intimidation of hope, loss of lives and properties, security challenges, corruption, economic retardation etc I could go on and on and on, it would be tantamount to utter ungratefulness on my part as an individual citizen, if I should want to continue living life the way I have been living it now with this business as usual approach.

What I would want to do is to close the chapter of my life on the dark days the country has been through and open a new chapter in which I would want everything that has been found wrong with the nation, be rectified and corrected in order to subsequently place Nigeria where it truly belongs among the committee of 21^st century developing nations.

 These disastrous days (pre-28^th March, 2015) would serve as my reference point for everything and by everything, I do mean everything, that I desire to change (apologies to Dame Patience for using the word) about this beautiful, well endowed country, which I would do everything in my power to ensure it never gets back to the times when its glorious history gets tainted or stained.

And the first thing I will do is to strip myself of the typical Nigerian attitude of selfishness, self-importance and self-centeredness. Giving myself a second chance at being a true citizen of the country, which country has been given a second chance to live by providence. I will offer myself to serve the newly re-discovered country by obeying its simply laws and orders, abiding by its simple rules and regulations for conducting myself anywhere, both in public and private places.

I will look at Nigeria from a new perspective and strive to make it a place I can proudly call my home, my beloved country. In whatever way I can, I will want to become its sound and sincere ambassador both at home within its states and abroad in other nations. 

My green passport will assume a new symbol of prestige, for my country would go to the extreme with whoever or whatever violates my fundamental human rights, either onshore or offshore.

That is what I hereby promise to do.

(c) 2015 Tijjani M. M.

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