Mohammadu Buhari - APC Presidential hopeful
Over the past months, I have been keenly observing the
political scenario as it unfolds in Nigeria. The interest the 2015 general
election is creating is not for any other thing, but the words of war between
the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress
(APC) – the new kid on the block! The Nigerian political landscape has changed
since the emergence of the APC, which is an amalgam of several political
parties who could not muster enough strength to wrestle the ruling party from
power. The axiom that there is strength in numbers is gradually playing itself
out in the political turf. APC without an iota of doubt is emerging as the
second political party that has the capacity to challenge the monopoly of the
PDP in ruling a big country like Nigeria. However, the party has many minuses
to cross-out in order to register itself in the hearts and minds of many
electorates across the country.
The party must rid itself of the image of a collection of
renegades that are desperate to occupy the presidential villa. As a growing
democracy, the need to have a functional opposition party is vital in
checkmating the excesses of the party in power. Nigeria has more than thirty
million educated citizens some of whom have transverse the world and have seen
democracy in action. Most of the utterances credited to former PDP members who
have cross carpeted to the new mega Party, APC, because of acrimony leaves much
to be desired of the party. The founding fathers of the All Progressive Congress
should sanction its former PDP members whose real intentions will one day be
revealed. Recollecting a prophetic utterance of renown tele-evangelist and
prophet, TB Joshua in his 2010 prophesy concerning the emergence of a mega
party to challenge the ruling People’s Democratic Party in Nigeria. He
cautioned that some members of the PDP would jump camp into the new party in
body and not in spirit! The words of the Prophet are playing themselves out in
the forthcoming 2015 general election. If the words spoken by the serving Governor
of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, a former PDP member turned APC Presidential
Campaign Coordinator, is anything to go by, then many would be voters for the
new mega party will shy away in disgust. Governor Amaechi in one of his rage
against his former party had said “if the PDP are declared the winners of this
2015 Presidential election instead of APC, the new party will form a parallel
government!” This is the highest level of irresponsibility of any leader, who
should always put the lives of the electorate and the safety of the nation first
before political bickering. Since that televised statement by Governor Ameachi
and echoed by the APC spokesman, Lai Mohammed, it exposed the rascality of a
man who should be a new generation advocate for leadership in Nigeria. His move
to the APC was to spite the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan and his
wife. I expected a more matured approach for a fellow of the just fifties confraternity
of whom am one!
Adopting an elder statesman like General Mohammadu Buhari, as
the APC’s Presidential flag bearer is a big misnomer. For one, the 71 year
grandfather is way past what his children and present grandchildren will be up
to! The Nigeria of today is way past the general’s era and requires a sharp and
innovative ruler who will be adaptive to the dynamics of a digital touch screen
global environment. What I expected from the Kaura General, is to be a mentor
for young leaders, whom he could have pushed to the political front to occupy
the prime position of Nigeria. With mentoring from such a pedigree as General
Mohammadu Buhari, such leaders would display the much revered qualities being
flaunted by his teeming Muslim and non-Muslim admirers. But for reasons best
known to him, the General has nurtured a secret ambition of occupying the
Presidential Villa through the same democratic process he truncated thirty-two
years ago. If my memory serves me well and am to use that as a yardstick to
assess the uprightness of Buhari, then I would be campaigning against the
General from Kaura. I was fortunate to be schooling in England and was about to
complete my A’levels in order to enter into University before the overthrow of
Shehu Shagari’s government. My journey to England was like being dropped at the
deep end of the waters and having to swim out to the shores as a fatherless
orphan. So I struggled to pay my fees and was able to visit Nigeria to process
the remaining portion of my foreign exchange approval. Assured of completing
the A’ Levels after the telegraphic payment hits the London Bank, I returned to
England. Shortly afterwards, the government of General Buhari that overthrew
Shagari, placed a ban on all those who were sent to the UK for either O’levels
or A’ levels studies. My remittance got stocked in Nigeria and this singular
action shattered my dreams. And the money I borrowed from friends got me into
trouble that took two years to resolve. I was aged 20 years old then.
The equity contribution of General Buhari to the APC project
is the massive following he commands in the Northern part of Nigeria, majority
of whom are Muslims. His support based is traceable to core Muslim youths with
average or no education at all, the poor, truck pushers, Okada and Keke Nepep
riders, water vendors and mechanics. These are people who on provocation or
instigation can wreck havoc without butting an eyelid. The response of these group
during his failed 2011 Presidential bid is indicative of the likely outcome
should he fail in the 2015 Presidential election bid again. Mohammadu Buhari
enjoys a cult-like following amongst Muslim youths in the core North of
Nigeria. His ego under APC has further been boosted by the likes of Ahmed Tinubu,
former governor of Lagos State and a fellow
Muslim; he commands a sizeable Yoruba ethnic group following from the South
West of Nigeria. Over the years he has accumulated massive financial war chest
out of which he is bankrolling the APC campaign. Mohammadu Buhari’s
Vice-Presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a Christian, can best be
described as a political stooge without national relevance who was handpicked
by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to balance the equation of a Muslim-Christian Presidential
ticket for the APC. In all sincerity, Buhari does not know this man and in more
than five different occasions during their presidential campaign tour, he could
not pronounce his number two man’s name! Theirs is like a horridly packed sandwich with the sausage sticking out!This election is going to be one of the narrowest marginal win in the history of politics in Nigeria. It will no doubt establish the All progressive Congress (APC) as the second choice party and help in the democratic growth of Nigeria. God help Nigeria and save our lovely nation from Satanists, in Jesus name. Amen
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