President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB)’s Illusory Superiority Is Truncating His Presidency

With the recent discordance, repugnance and uproar in our polity instigated by the recent lopsided anti-corruption policy directions and the key political appointments by PMB, questions have been raised as to his intellectual capacity and or wisdom to comprehend the complexity of and govern Nigeria. PMB who has either been in government or supported by government for most of his life has had a small cadre of loyalist that share or shape his world view and consist his comfort zone.

Steven Handel, a psychology blogger at The Emotion Machine commented that, “knowing what you don’t know is an important kind of wisdom…That too often we fall into the delusion of thinking we know a lot more than we really do, a condition commonly known as illusory superiority. This can often make us stubborn in our beliefs and unwilling to accept new information. Ultimately, it stagnates our growth.”

On ascension to the Presidency, one would have expected PMB to reach out beyond his comfort zone for a more comprehensive needs assessment for the nation, and then followed by plan of action. But no, not PMB, he already knows it all. The same attitude that got him removed from office, by his own military colleagues, barely 18 months into his dictatorial rule in 1985. Today he has run into another buzz saw, emanating from same lack of curiosity and inclusion of other views.

He was voted into office largely on his singular focus on fighting corruption. Commonsense would dictate that his first line of action on assuming office would be the appointment of an Attorney General (AG) to advise on and craft the strategies to drive this this initiative. PMB apparently is his own AG.

It is no rocket science that every modern state rests and thrives on a tripod namely National Security, Economy, and Domestic affair pillars. The leaders of these various pillars are most likely to be at the decision making table, with the president. Till date the heads of the Army, Department of State Security (representing national security pillar), Petroleum (representing the economy pillar), Secretary to the Federal Government and Chief of Staff of the President (representing Domestic affairs) have been filled by Northerners who are all close associates of PMB. No wonder most Nigerians, across party and regional lines condemned these appointments as obscene and unfair.

Although we all make mistakes, but what distinguishes a leader is the ability to timely acknowledge and effectively correct your mistakes. It is the Chinese philosopher Confucius who said “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” However, rather than proffer sensible corrective measures, PMB and his team have engaged in patronizing “baby talk to” Nigerians.

In a futile attempt to spin the lack of national character representation in these key appointments a presidential media aide when asked if the South- East and other parts of the country, who are complaining of being marginalized by PMB would be compensated, he said “appointments so far made by the President were just a few out of so many that would be made by the President…..There will be ministers, heads of government departments, federal boards and ambassadors. At the end of the exercise, no part of the country will be left feeling left out.” Really? I guess he forgot other equally very essential roles like dog catchers, palm wine tappers and sewage drainers! PMB has made it clear he doesn’t need ministers to govern; he would have done without them, if it wasn’t for the pesky constitutional requirement. It is therefore worthless and doesn’t matter if you gave the South-East all the available ministerial, board and ambassadorial positions, which guarantees no access to the decision making table.

Unless PMB has truly written off and willing to lose the South-East forever, he must as a matter of urgency, re-do these key appointments to accommodate all the geo-political zones. Confucius, my favorite philosopher also stated that “It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.” I want to believe that PMB has good intentions with his actions, but there is a proverb that says “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

To save his presidency, PMB must exorcize his illusory superiority traits, reach out, consult widely, and reconstitute leadership of Nigeria’s National Security, Economy, and Domestic Affair pillars, to ensure equitable geo-political representation.