by Adedayo Ademuwagun

It’s true many of us were not happy when the elections were moved to March 28, but maybe we needed more time to really look at our candidates and see if they do have what it takes to lead the nation forward and make life better for the Nigerian people.

The president is going to have a lot to deal with after May 29. That’s for sure. The economy is in trouble and our army is struggling to beat the jihadists in the north for example. Nevertheless we want to be able to let the next president know that we have real expectations and that this election wasn’t just a chore for us.

So here are six important tips for the next president. These are things people universally expect from their heads.

1. Dress like a president.

Jonathan constantly wore a hat and a long shirt according to his culture when he first became president, and then later he began to wear other clothes native to other tribes in the country. But he still rarely wears a suit.

Presidents and other heads of state wear a suit as a standard even in countries like China and Japan that aren’t Western countries. It’s just the standard.

But our presidents have historically chosen to contradict this standard. When Obasanjo was president and posed for group photos with world leaders at summits, he used to look incongruent with his agbada while everyone else wore a suit. It’s like he loved to be the odd man out.

Some people may say our president shouldn’t wear a suit since we’re not Americans or Britons and it’s not our culture as Africans. However, are we the only Africans in Africa?

Kenyatta wears a suit. Zuma wears a suit. Mahama wears a suit. Sisi wears a suit. Even Mugabe wears a suit. All these presidents are Africans like us and they’ve got their own native clothes. But they still dress to fit their office. Our next president should look into that.

2. Cultivate a following.

One thing all our past leaders from Balewa to Jonathan have failed to do is build a following nationwide. What we’ve had are leaders who were regionally popular and whose following was limited to their ethnic group. Ojukwu barely had any following other than among the Igbos. Awolowo is a legend in the west only. Ahmadu Bello wouldn’t pull a small crowd outside the north. We haven’t had leaders who were truly charismatic on a national level, except perhaps Abiola.

What we want now is a president we can follow no matter where we come from or where (s)he comes from. We want someone whose appeal crosses the limits of ethnicity and religion. We want someone whom we can truly admire and refer to as our president, not just because he’s the boss but because he really inspires.

3. Be a model to our young people.

Olamide recently said Obasanjo and Abacha are his role models. But that’s Olamide.

Now how many young people today want to be like Jonathan, Buhari, Babangida or Ironsi?

It’s time for us to have a president who will be a model to our young people and to our society — someone who is upright, respectable and who will set the right examples for our young people not just through his presidency but also through his personal life. We want the sort of person that young people can look up to for inspiration and direction. We want a model.

4. Learn a little public speaking.

Presidents have to give speeches all the time. It’s just that kind of job. So anyone who wants to be president should know some public speaking.

We probably haven’t had an eloquent head of state since Balewa. We haven’t had someone whose speech draws applause, someone people want to listen to and who knows how to communicate in a way that touches people and instils confidence in them.

Unfortunately none of the leading candidates right now has that quality. So any of them who wants to be president should make sure to hire some really good speechwriters and make sure they’re always on top of their game. They should also learn a little public speaking.

We know politicians are busy people and presidents work like a million hours a day, but putting in a little time to improve your speech is a good way to invest your time into being a president that will be remembered for a long time

A tuxedo is not enough.

5. When you talk, talk sense.

We don’t want our next president to be saying corruption is not stealing or all corrupt people will be sent to Kirikiri. This is not 1984. We want our next president to talk sense.

Presidents don’t have to be a genius or know quantum physics. They just have to demonstrate that they’re knowledgeable and have good sense. They need to surround themselves with people who will help them get the right messages out there and not humiliate themselves and our country. They need to show that they know what’s up and that they can apply it to solve problems. That’s what we’re talking about.

6. Show some love.

Come on, Mr President. Kiss babies. Rap with the man on the street. Ride the bus. Take a selfie with a schoolchild. Visit a campus. Share a kola nut with elders. Talk to young people about the real problems they’re facing. Bond with your people.

Show the people that you really care about them and that they’re at the centre of your policymaking. Think about how your policies will affect your people and how you can make life better for them. Really, that’s basically what the presidency is for.