I Wish My Father Lived To See Buhari Become President – Okadigbo's Son

Here are except of a chat Pharoh Okadigbo, son of late Chief Chuba Okadigbo, had with Leadership:

Your father was a known political and ideological ally of President Muhammadu Buhari. He was Buhari’s vice presidential running mate in the defunct ANPP in the 2003 presidential election. He believed so much in Buhari’s military and civilian presidency such that he refused to serve under the previous military regimes before the advent of this democracy. What would have been their relationship now that Buhari is in power were he to be alive?
First and foremost, my father, the Chuba Okadigbo that you know, was a political scientist who believes strongly in democracy and civil governance. He was never a fan of the military rule because he believes that power belongs to the people and should indeed be derived from the people through a democratic process. Like you rightly said, that was why he refused to be part of the military government even when he was invited severally to serve under the military as a minister and positions like that in the transition process leading to democratic rule like the constituent assembly. So Chuba Okadigbo was guided all his life by a strong democratic philosophy. And while he shared very strongly President Buhari’s people-oriented ideology in political and democratic governance, he did not welcome Buhari’s historical circumstance as a military leader.

They are two different things. So while he was totally for Buhari’s style of leadership, he was averse to the institution of the military getting involved in civil governance. So if you are a soldier and you want to serve the people, you must shed your uniform and come down to derive your power from the people through the process of democracy. That is why you see President Buhari today being totally different from Major General Muhammadu Buhari as a Head of State of Nigeria. You will observe that it is that same premise of democratic supremacy so to speak, which my father believes in, that President Buhari is strongly opposing the military junta in Burkina Faso today. So President Buhari has seen both sides and has become a better president that we have always known him to be under the mandate of the people and not through the power of the gun. Therefore my father would have been a part of this government and a supporter of the Buhari presidency.

I also believe that if my father was alive, Buhari would have served out his eight year tenure as a president of this country before 2015.

How do you mean?
Yes, if Okadigbo was alive, Buhari would have been president in 2007. So l believe strongly that Buhari would have been a retired politician by now because he would have won the election in 2007 and won again in 2011. Another man would have been at the helms of affairs of this country today. Chuba Okadigbo would have played a great role in making that scenario possible.

In specific terms, what do you think Okadigbo and Buhari shared in common?
Integrity. They shared similar political philosophy and they believed so much in humanity. Both men were very humane people. A lot of people who speak about Buhari’s years when he was a military leader and talk about his draconian decrees and all that, were simply a product of the environment and circumstance at the time. President Buhari couldn’t have responded in any other manner considering the state of things he met. His colleagues in the army who rallied round him to become the Head of State at that time knew of course, that he was the best man to clean the Augean stable and he did. So there is no way anyone could undertake such task without stepping on toes. It’s just normal. President Buhari has changed. Politics is about patience. Buhari has been patient all these past twelve years that he contested elections from 2003 to 2007 to 2011 and in 2015 that he finally made it to become the president. That was the same thing with my father. He started contesting for elections since 1979 up till 1999 when he came to the Senate and till 2003 when he ran with President Buhari for the presidency. My father deliberately refused to get involved with military rule even when juicy offers of appointments were made to him. Because of his ideology, he stayed away even though he had officers who were his friends.

So one thing you have to understand about president Buhari is that he is ideological and when you are ideological and have principles, it gives you strength to achieve what you want to achieve. Both president Buhari and my father were born in December. They were age mates. Both of them were tall and lanky. They possess the virtues of perseverance, ideological commitment and integrity and dignity. If you look at the Okadigbo family, there has not been any scandal associated with our family members, likewise the Buhari family. Buhari and my father were good family men who trained their children. People that know Dr Chuba Okadigbo will attest to the fact that he always carry people along.

In what way do you think your father would have complimented the Buhari presidency?
My father was an associate professor of philosophy and political science. Very few people do have that kind of combination presently. His ability to read politics and it’s trends, would have benefited Buhari and the nation greatly. I think that he would have created a saner administration and a saner opposition. One thing l like about president Buhari is his ability to use the right political language in politics and not this type of abuses you see today’s politicians throw anyhow. All these period, President Buhari never abused any opponent in the name of politics. So if you have a vice president who has debt in politics and who understands politics practically as well as the theoretical aspect of it, there is nothing in governance you will not be able to achieve. I think that is what my father, Chuba Okadigbo would have brought to the table.

You and your father have been known to share President style and ideological vision, what do you think are those things Buhari has done in the past 100 days which you will commend?
I think l like the maturity of the man. President Buhari has learnt a lot from 2003 till date. He carries on as the real President of Nigeria and not as president of APC. Governance is different from politics. Ever since the unfortunate trial of our Senate President, President Buhari has never made a comment. When the opposition and individual make wild comment. It’s maturity.