By Paul Onomuakpokpo
It is not
that we have ever doubted the thespian talents of President Muhammadu Buhari
that render him eligible to assume the role of an actor before any audience. We
have always known that he is like any other wily politician, especially in
these climes, who can fit into any dramatic role before a given audience.
Remember, in 2015 when Buhari had before him citizens who were desirous of a
leader with democratic credentials, he offered himself as perfectly fitting
that role. He regaled them about his mutation into a democrat since he was
forced by Ibrahim Babangida and his co-travellers to pull off his military
uniform and jackboots.
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| *President Buhari addressing UNGA 2017 |
Again, before a south-east
audience, he identified with them by dressing like an Igbo man. Still, before
the general population as his audience, Buhari played the role of a charmer,
the man with a magic wand to solve the nation’s problems and root out corruption
in a short time. He made the audience swoon over him. And he was rewarded with
the prime prize – the presidency – as the encore continued until it was
disrupted by the subsequent months of the reality of hardship.
Now, Buhari has taken these
dramatic skills onto the global stage. At the 72nd session of the United Nations
General Assembly, Buhari took on a role that was totally alien to his
personality. The meeting was about the wellbeing of people. It had the fitting
theme of “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a
Sustainable Planet.” Thus, Buhari played the role of an actor who wants to
improve the wellbeing of the people and make them to live in peace and live a
decent life.
