Nigerians are celebrating the first occasion in which a challenger has successfully used the ballot box to oust a sitting president. They see no irony in the fact that the man who triumphed over Goodluck Jonathan, Muhammadu Buhari, was president once before, but seized power in a military coup. Indeed it could be argued that Buhari's democratic credentials have been hard won since he also challenged Jonathan for the presidency in 2011 and lost. This time, however, there was little doubt about his win. Nigerians are fed up with the lackluster Jonathan whose five-year term has been one of almost utter disappointment. The man who came to power promising to root out corruption and payola, instead presided over a considerable expansion of the venality which has distorted public life. And when central bank governor Lamido Sanusi delivered extensive evidence of bribery and kickbacks, Jonathan not only ignored the file but exceeded his constitutional powers to force Sanusi from office. Widespread dishonesty among public officials and politicians has long corroded the Nigerian economy. A country which ought to be one of the most prosperous and developed in Africa has seen its oil revenues stolen and squandered. The outgoing president broke every one of his promises to clean up public life and the voters have not forgiven him. Buhari's 1983 seizure of power led to what the then general described as “a war on indiscipline”. Acting with soldierly logic, drugs dealers were executed and businessmen and officials jailed for corruption. The hope is that the new president will resume his tough stance toward wrongdoing and begin a massive clean up of officialdom and politics. Yet it was not simply Jonathan's indulgence of and very probable participation in the ripping off of the Nigerian treasury that swung voters against him. His five years in power have been notable for their sheer incompetence. The failure of the armed forces to check the advance of Boko Haram terrorists in the north was spectacular. Ill-disciplined, ill-trained and ill-equipped, time and again troops melted away in the face of attacks by the terrorists. Jonathan raged at his generals and fired a bunch of them. But the military situation did not improve. Instead came the horrific news last April that 200 girls had been kidnapped by the Boko Haram thugs. For almost a fortnight Jonathan refused to comment on this crime, as if he hoped that by ignoring it, it might somehow go away. His reaction was contemptible. When it became clear that the troubles of the army stemmed from a lack of financial resources and the appointment of cronies and placemen to senior command positions, the disgust at the president's shortcomings became widespread. The recent military reverses suffered by Boko Haram in no way restored Jonathan's reputation. This was because the fightback has involved the use of mercenaries. It must be hoped that the 72-year-old Buhari will make the rebuilding of the armed forces a prime concern. Boko Haram have to be destroyed and peace returned to the north of the country. But the new president's main task must be the issue of corruption. He might well turn to Lamido Senusi, now the emir of Kano, as one of his team which will hopefully end, once and for all, the institutional dishonesty that has crippled Nigeria and prevented it from assuming its place as Africa's leading economy.
