Though there is no perfect or flawless leadership when it comes to presidency in my country, I just had to consider my options very well whether to choose to write on the good presidents or those who really traumatized the citizens. But above all, I have decided to write on just one, as said by the prompt, not because he was dramatic or loud, but because the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s character and humanity were ranked high and how he decided to carry power. And I must also say that I have not seen or heard anyone who talked bad about him.
Even though his reign was as far back as 2007, I was still very young then, but I could remember how good some talked about him; some even said he did everything with the fear of God in him. Though a lot of presidents usually ignore the aspect of saying the truth, he was the only president who publicly declared that the election that gave him power was flawed, and this alone stayed in the minds of a lot of Nigerians because most leaders will not admit their mistakes, but he did, that honesty alone gained the trust of people…it looks so unbelievable.
Years after his demise, I decided to read about him and even watch some videos, and I realized how that man talked about rules of law. At first it all looked like political propaganda, but he upheld everything he believed in. He solved a lot of issues within his small time, and how he brought down the tension that was going on in the Niger Delta was part of it by granting amnesty. From what I read, it was stated that most of those militants surrendered by dropping their weapons, and I thought to myself at that moment that everything is not by force because dialogue can be more peaceful. Even though this man did not stay long enough to carry out all his plans because of the health issues he was faced with, he still tried his best despite the fact that his absence from office was surrounded with rumors and people being anxious that the president of the country was away and receiving treatment due to his health, and this shows how easily broken our system could be when a lot of uncertainty and confusion surrounds it.
Like I said earlier, no leadership is flawless, and his tenure was not one hundred percent perfect. But what I really admired about him is the contrast. And like I said in one of my posts two weeks ago on how power usually corrupts and changes even some innocent people, this man refused to bow to that pressure, and he put humanity above all he did. Though some said that his short tenure did not give him the privilege to do his best. Others said his health failed him to show his true intentions.
As I have grown, I know now that leadership is more than showing strength, it is not about propaganda nor numbers of projects and speeches delivered, it is about serving the people, it's about character and knowing when to show restraint. The late president Yar’Adua is a vivid example that people can still show empathy and humility no matter the position that they are holding, even if it's for a short term.
Whenever I want to believe that power corrupts and it makes people drift from their senses, I usually remember him, not that he is a saint because there is no saint, not for his failures because no one is free from that, but for how he showed some of us to always put integrity, character, and humility ahead always.
Thank you for reading.
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