The Ruling Political Party in Nigeria (All Progressives Congress – APC) unanimously chose the incumbent President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has its Presidential candidate in the coming Presidential Elections in February, 2019. While many people felt the party should have made the choice carefully, in order not to upset the emotions or orientations of many Nigerians; the party still went ahead with the consensus on the Presidential ticket, which resulted in the emergence of the incumbent as their Presidential flag-bearer.
While that decision must have painstakingly done by them; many Nigerians have struggled to accept their decision, going by the reality of the age, performance, understanding and principles of the incumbent President. According to Wikipedia, President Buhari was born in 1942, at the time he became the President in 2015, he was already 73 years of age. By 2019, when the “eligible” – perhaps, privileged citizens of Nigeria would go the ballot to make their choice, President Buhari would be 77 years old. If my Mathematics is correct, by 2023, he would be 81 years of age. Should the voting Nigerians (which largely a minute fraction of the Nigerian populace) decide to make President Buhari their choice candidate among the numerous candidates vying for the highest office in the country – then, Nigeria will be ruled (perhaps, reigned over) by a man who would be closer to his earthly departure than any time since he was born.
While I am not a Medical Doctor, I understand that there are numerous sicknesses or diseases associated with old age. In fact, at a time, God said that the time of a man on earth would be 70 years (and 80 years if privileged):
We live for 70 years, or 80 years if we’re healthy, yet even in the prime years there are troubles and sorrow. They pass by quickly and we fly away.
Psalms 90:10
Understanding the manner of timing of every man or woman on earth; should (some) Nigerians, then hand over the destiny of a nation to a man who is leaving us? We all have the elders in our families, villages, cities, and states; are we saying that our Grandmas and Grandpas perform optimally in their 70s and 80s as they do in their earlier years? Do we say that President Buhari will be different from the rest of the aged ones? Have we forgotten how many days (Months) he spent in London in 2018 alone? Don’t we remember his age and allow him to rest at old age?
See what I found out about old age recently:
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Dementia is a collection of symptoms that can occur due to a variety of possible diseases. Dementia symptoms include impairments in thought, communication, and memory.
Dementia is more common in people over the age of 65, but it can also affect younger people. Early onset of the disease can begin when people are in their 30s, 40s, or 50s. With treatment and early diagnosis, you can slow the progression of the disease and maintain mental function. The treatments may include medications, cognitive training, and therapy.
If you or your loved one is experiencing memory problems, don’t immediately conclude that it’s dementia. A person needs to have at least two types of impairment that significantly interfere with everyday life to receive a dementia diagnosis.
In addition to difficulty remembering, the person may also experience impairments in:
- language
- communication
- focus
- reasoning
1. Subtle short-term memory changes
Trouble with memory can be an early symptom of dementia. The changes are often subtle and tend to involve short-term memory. An older person may be able to remember events that took place years ago but not what they had for breakfast.
Other symptoms of changes in short-term memory include forgetting where they left an item, struggling to remember why they entered a particular room, or forgetting what they were supposed to do on any given day.
2. Difficulty finding the right words
Another early symptom of dementia is struggling to communicate thoughts. A person with dementia may have difficulty explaining something or finding the right words to express themselves. Having a conversation with a person who has dementia can be difficult, and it may take longer than usual to conclude.
3. Changes in mood
A change in mood is also common with dementia. If you have dementia, it isn’t always easy to recognize this in yourself, but you may notice this change in someone else. Depression, for instance, is typical of early dementia.
Along with mood changes, you might also see a shift in personality. One typical type of personality change seen with dementia is a shift from being shy to outgoing. This is because the condition often affects judgment.
4. Apathy
Apathy, or listlessness, commonly occurs in early dementia. A person with symptoms could lose interest in hobbies or activities. They may not want to go out anymore or do anything fun. They may lose interest in spending time with friends and family, and they may seem emotionally flat.
5. Difficulty completing normal tasks
A subtle shift in the ability to complete normal tasks may indicate that someone has early dementia. This usually starts with difficulty doing more complex tasks like balancing a checkbook or playing games that have a lot of rules.
Along with the struggle to complete familiar tasks, they may struggle to learn how to do new things or follow new routines.
6. Confusion
Someone in the early stages of dementia may often become confused. When memory, thinking, or judgment lapses, confusion may arise as they can no longer remember faces, find the right words, or interact with people normally.
Confusion can occur for a number of reasons and apply to different situations. For example, they may misplace their car keys, forget what comes next in the day, or have difficulty remembering someone they’ve met before.
7. Difficulty following storylines
Difficulty following storylines may occur due to early dementia. This is a classic early symptom.
Just as finding and using the right words becomes difficult, people with dementia sometimes forget the meanings of words they hear or struggle to follow along with conversations or TV programs.
8. A failing sense of direction
The sense of direction and spatial orientation commonly starts to deteriorate with the onset of dementia. This can mean not recognizing once-familiar landmarks and forgetting regularly used directions. It also becomes more difficult to follow a series of directions and step-by-step instructions.
9. Being repetitive
Repetition is common in dementia because of memory loss and general behavioral changes. The person may repeat daily tasks, such as shaving, or they may collect items obsessively.
They also may repeat the same questions in a conversation after they’ve been answered.
10. Struggling to adapt to change
For someone in the early stages of dementia, the experience can cause fear. Suddenly, they can’t remember people they know or follow what others are saying. They can’t remember why they went to the store, and they get lost on the way home.
Because of this, they might crave routine and be afraid to try new experiences. Difficulty adapting to change is also a typical symptom of early dementia.
While I do not claim that President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t mean well on assumption of office; if what many people who knew him before his Presidency said about him is anything to go by; then he has changed. In 2014, he promised CHANGE; and I believe that many Nigerians have seen that CHANGE – primarily, his own change from “the man he used to be” to the man he is today!
What then is the implication of voting Mr President again for another term? – I believe, more CHANGES! If you want to see a completely CHANGED man at the helm of affairs in Nigeria, vote General Buhari as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Granted, he won’t be the one to drive his own car, nor iron his own clothes; neither will he have to do all the Presidential tasks himself. I however want you to think about it, won’t he have to make decisions himself? Won’t he have to travel for trips across cities or states or nations himself in his capacity as President? That is why we can’t afford to have Grandpa continue as the President of Nigeria beyond May 29, 2019. May God Almighty bless Nigeria! Amen!!!
1 Comment
I believe the Voting population of Nigeria are reading this. It is a misnormal to think Buhari would perform better in his old age than when he was much more younger. We need young Nigerians to move this nation forward, and not some grandpas. Great piece!