Buhari's second term in office is only 2 years and some months away from coming to a close. Within his few years in office, the president has lost his popularity not only from the South were he never was accepted in the first place, but even from his own backyard, and the vast landmass where insecurity now calls home.
But here's the catch, Buhari won't need his popularity anymore having enjoyed years on power both as a military dictator, and a democratically elected president. He is second to Obasanjo to have enjoyed a privilege which eluded General Ibrahim Babangida. Surely, Buhari has a lot to be grateful for, but will also be remembered as the president who promised heaven, but brought hell on Nigerians.
Yes, the president has somehow earned himself eight years of undeserved Presidency, a claim based on his failure to convince even his ardent supporters, that he was the messiah they had hoped for.
With eyes now set on 2023 general elections, the North still wants to retain power, but how it intends to do this without the usual rigging gimmicks used by the region in previous elections, is a thing of great interest to Nigerians living south of the Niger.
The Buhari administration has polarized the country, and failed to unite even its own people in the North. As a matter of fact, life has never been unbearable in the region as it is now, under the messianic regime.
The Buhari administration also laid to bare the fact that the North may be united by religion, but certainly not by ethnicity.
The recent suspension of Ibrahim Magu as EFCC chairman having served for the majority of Buhari's administration prior to his suspension, has raised dust and division in part of the North.
The Kanuris who see Magu as one of their own, said attacks on Magu is tantamount to attack on the Kanuri ethnicity.
This position was made clear by North based organisation – Kanuri Collective Agenda (KCA), in response to allegations against Magu by the Attorney General of the Federal, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The group in a statement by its spokesman Malam Waziri Ibrahim, said, “By making such weighty allegation against Magu, the justice minister has only succeeded in telling the opposition and the international community that Buhari’s anti-corruption war is a farce because the champion of the anti-graft war is corruption-personified. The allegation also implies that Mr. President is running a very corrupt administration.
“Indeed, even the opposition could not have made such damning allegation against Magu because no one could have believed them in view of his unblemished records. But when such allegation is coming from a key member of the administration who is believed to have insider knowledge of the key actors in government, the public may be inclined to believing such allegation."
Kanuri is one of the largest ethnic groups in the country, dominating parts of the North East and North Central. Winning their trust alongside other ethnic minorities in the North, will be a daunting task for whoever is vying for president, especially from the Fulani tribe. Coupled with the fading popularity of the president, it would certainly be interesting to see how things shapes out ahead of the 2023 general elections.