45.⁠ ⁠Presidential Amnesia in the Information Age

The Nigerian Scam

As we all delve deeper into the neoliberal vortex, a common coping mechanism is the tendency to look back nostalgically at the “good old days" — wishing for a return of bygone eras when more ‘competent’, ‘kind hearted’ or ‘decisive’ leaders held the reins.

While romanticizing past presidents appears to be a global phenomenon, there is a particular version in Nigeria that is especially sickening — insofar as the leaders in question (those that held power during the 4th Republic [1999 — present]) were among the architects of the current madness. All this begs the question: why are we so quick to forgive and forget with past presidents?

Why the sudden pining for the return of Goodluck Jonathan?

We examined the habit of romanticizing past tenures and why people struggle to situate bygone leaders within a policy and ideological trajectory. We also try to understand why presidents loom so large in Nigerian public discourse relative to, say, finance ministers… And then finally, after all our grammar, we succumb to the stupid game and each reveal our own rankings of the worst presidents in the 4th Republic. Stick around to the end to find out who is Mege’s least favorite, and let us know what you think/if you agree.