THE POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY OF YAR’ADUA IN GOVERNMENT: 2007- 2010

Abstract

This article aims at an analysis of the radical political ideology of this president who, within a short time, changed the narratives in government towards meaningful projects for the development of the nation. We look at his ideology on the rule of law, the electoral process, the oil and gas industry and the economy at large. Our method is a critical analysis of some of Yar’adua’s policies that shaped his government. He aggressively focused on translucent democracy, education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, and banking and finance. It is found that at a time when the nation needed a President who could take quick, strong, and decisive action his health problems ensured a hindrance. While he pursued his striking ideas, his fragile health became a serious distraction. He died on 5 May, 2010. Former Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’adua (2007-2010) started his political career during the Second Republic (1979–83) when he joined the leftist People’s Redemption Party (PRP), due to his revolutionary ideology, while his father was a member of the conservative National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In 1990 Yar’adua was one of the foundation members of the Peoples Front. He contested the 1991 Governorship election in Katsina state as Social Democratic Party (SDP) flag bearer but lost to the candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC). Significantly, this article shows that a careful nursing of radical political ideology and putting it into practice at the slightest opportunity is a step towards the achievement of determined goals