Resignation is an uncommon act in Nigeria especially from public or political office holders.
Resignation is an uncommon act in Nigeria especially from public or political office holders. Across the world, it is not a big deal to see public officers resign when they have fallen out of favour with the masses. This occurs when the ‘vote of no confidence’ have been passed against them. The reverse is sadly the case in the black nations. People engage public offices as their birth right and are never willing to let go even when things deteriorate to a terrible state. In Nigeria, resignation by public officers is seen as an act of cowardice. Politicians are never remorseful about their wrong conducts. A major reason why public officers chose not to resign is because of the cabals behind them even when all indices prove that they are not capable to lead.
I posit that resignation from public office is honourable, noble or even heroic, in tandem with the popular sage that one should quit the stage when the ovation is loudest.
Resignation has been severally used as a tactic to fight against governments whose leadership is perceived as steering national affairs in directions that do not favour the country. In July 2005, It was used as a political manoeuvre in the Philippines when ten cabinet officials resigned en masse to pressure on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign (as well) over allegations of electoral fraud.
Fairly recently, David Cameron resigned as the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Whilst he desired that Britain remained in the EU in line with his belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the EU, the British people made a different decision to toll a new path of leaving EU. This may also be synonymous to the biblical occurrence: when Pilate wished to let Jesus Christ go, but the crowd agitated that he should be released for crucifixion. Cameron didn’t allow the fame, the wealth and the privileges of the office to make him stay back or to continue to chart a course he claimed not to believe in. Hence, the people clamoured for BREXIT, which he obliged, and nominated a successor, May Theresa.
In January 2016, Japan’s Economy Minister, Akira Amari the brain-power behind Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s economic reforms, ‘Abenomics’, resigned amidst corruption allegations. While he made the announcement in Tokyo, he denied personally receiving bribes from a construction company as reported by a Japanese magazine. Mr Amari being one of the PM’s most trusted members of parliament didn’t hold back the idea of resignation. He did it honourably and received applause from me (I don’t know about you anyway). He was only accused by a local magazine that he was given money and gifts worth 12m yen ($101,000; £70,500) by a construction company in return for some favours linked to land ownership a fraction of what his Nigerian counterparts actually steal
I support the demand for President Muhammadu Buhari to tell Nigerians the true state of his health and resign if he is too incapacitated to function as Head of Government. In as much as he has not made himself sick, it is obvious that the feebleness of a septuagenarian is playing hard on him which is occasioned by the demand of the position he occupies.
In 2010, President Buhari, declared that the only solution to the political uncertainty in the country is for the National Assembly to set machineries in motion for the impeachment of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Again, in a publication in Daily Trust on Wednesday, May 22nd 2013, he called for the resignation of former President Goodluck Jonathan blaming him for the insurgency occasioned by Boko Haram and asked him to resign saying “Jonathan should vacate and give way to a competent hand to govern the country. Now the question is, will President Muhammadu Buhari come out to speak about the true state of his health and thereafter resign if indeed he is incapacitated?
Nigeria has become a movie set, the drama goes on.
Ken Adejumoh
A communication strategist writes from Lekki, Lagos.
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Tweet @kenadejumoh
