Garba Shehu, former presidential aide, advises Nigerians to lower their expectations regarding the performance of political leaders, including President Bola Tinubu.
Shehu, who previously served as media aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, emphasizes that unrealistic expectations can be burdensome for leaders and suggests a more pragmatic approach to evaluating their effectiveness in office.
Highlighting the challenges faced by Buhari due to the unrealistic expectations placed upon him, Shehu stated, “President Muhammadu Buhari is a victim of the crisis of expectations. And I think that the lesson for Nigerians from what I saw during the Buhari period and even Tinubu is, Nigerians should begin to lower their expectations on political leaders.”
Shehu went on to argue that the expectations imposed on leaders are often inhuman, acknowledging that while leaders can achieve significant feats, they cannot accomplish everything. Drawing on the Buhari era, Shehu pointed out the improvements in travel time to the Eastern Region, attributing it to massive infrastructure investments. He noted, “During the time of Buhari, travellers to the Eastern Region used to spend about three days on the road, but after massive investment in infrastructure by Buhari, the travel time has reduced to about six hours.”
Additionally, Shehu highlighted the impact of the government’s decision to ban the importation of rice. According to him, this policy led to increased productivity among local farmers, resulting in a surge in rice production. “After that, our farmers became so productive that production of rice skyrocketed, and we were even feeding the whole of West Africa,” he explained.
In essence, Shehu’s call for managing expectations serves as a reminder of the complexities of governance and the need for a balanced perspective when evaluating the performance of political leaders.
