Professor of Economics and Noble Laureate, John K. Galbraith, once observed that a man who makes his entrance by breaking down the front door of the house deserves some criticism for excessive violence; but, something also needs to be said about the condition of the door. Saraki’s emergence as Senate President, against the wishes of the leaders of the All Progressive Congress, APC, is a classic case of a weak door meeting an individual determined to gain entrance – even if it means breaking down the door.

The Seventh National Assembly, NASS, ended on a disgraceful note when it passed forty six(46) bills, on which they have been seating, in ten minutes. Some of the jesters, called Senators even tried to add insult upon injury by defending the absolutely indefensible. The former Senators probably never heard that “it is better to keep quiet and be considered a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.” If the 7th Assembly ended in disaster, the 8th had started in chaos which might have doomed it from the start. Yet, these possibilities were pointed out in 2013 – when the APC first got started. In August 2013, the following columns were published on these pages.

Call it a plea for equity or an appeal for consideration, Jonathan’s published advice to Buhari was one few people, this time last year, would have imagined likely. It has never happened in Africa for an incumbent President to be clearly defeated in an election.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, your departure from the exalted office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, on May 29, 2015, was a landmark in many respects – few of which can be regarded as credits to your five years in office. In fact, if future historians, who must base some of their conclusions on today’s media records, are to judge you, as you proclaimed a few weeks before your departure, they will judge you a failure.

Arnold did not put a question mark in the statement above. I introduced it because it seems appropriate for our current situation in Nigeria.