BUHARI AS NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY WORST ENEMY

 April 26 2020 | The Biafran Restoration Voice 

  

In the year 2015, Gen Mohammadu Buhari (Rtd.) as presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress candidate (APC), won the presidential election against the incumbent president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). This was on the account of the fact that everything appeared to work in favour of the APC, by reason of the massive media hype, which the South western Nigeria (the stronghold of APC), naturally provided.

However, it is pertinent, at this point, to explore some of the factors, that made the feat (Buhari's victory), possible.

Firstly, the APC, under whose banner Buhari ran, hinged its campaign on CHANGE. The APC, as a party, promised Eldorado, implying, to a large extent, that it would run a government aimed at shifting from the "business-as-usual" type of leadership, which Nigeria was/is known for.

The APC as a party also promised that it would manage our scarce resources prudently, etc. It will not be out of place to think that all the CHANGE being bandied about by the APC was possible, with Buhari as the flag bearer, because the impression created in the minds of Nigerians of his past life, tended to fit the bill of a moderately living person, given the positions, he had occupied in the past.

Secondly, the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, appointed a credible Nigerian, Prof Attahiru Jega to head the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and GAVE HIM FREEHAND and all logistics to succeed. The Jonathan led administration, in a show of transparency, campaigned vigorously that the electorate's votes would count, and meant it. President Jonathan, in order to drive home his determination to ensure electoral transparency, almost sang on daily basis that his political ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Thirdly, some of the PDP stalwarts in the various northern States felt "betrayed" by the then, President Jonathan, who had had a purported "gentleman agreement" with them, that, he wouldn't go for a second term, at the end of his first 4-year term, having also done a minimum 2 years clear of the late President Yar’Adua tenure.

When therefore 2015 presidential election came, the above factor, especially, with the free hand given to INEC by the incumbent President Jonathan, made a lot of the so-called PDP stalwarts to work for PDP by the day, and for APC by night.

On the basis of the above stipulated factors, Nigeria witness a reasonably free and fair presidential election, won by Mohammadu Buhari of APC.

No sooner was Buhari sworn in as president of Nigeria for his first four year-tenure, then President Buhari began to exhibit very dangerous signs of a bad politician, which confirmed to all discerning minds, that there was a gulf between him and the 2015 APC campaign promises, the wings of which he flew to power.

Some of the early dangerous signs, shown by President Buhari include, but not limited to these;

(A) In a response to a question at one of his usual overseas interactions with the press, shortly after he was sworn in as president, the Nigerian leader said that "one should not sincerely expect that people that gave him 97% should get the same thing with people that gave him only 5%”.

(B) All the key national security positions, except one, were given to persons from one part of the country.

(C) As soon as Buhari took over the office of the President of Nigeria, the Fulani herdsmen (Miyetti Allah terrorists) opened their campaign of terrorism, including killing, pillaging, abduction, raping, destruction of farmlands, sacking and occupation of communities, etc. But it was never heard that President Buhari, personally disapproved, condemned, nor came down hard on the Fulani herdsmen, who continue to do a lot of damage to farmers' efforts and the lives of Nigerians.

(D) Presidential responses to urgent national issues had been everything, but swift. This is to say that President Buhari's snail speed approach to yearning national issues has everything, but been taken to the NEXT LEVEL.

(E) The Buhari government that came to power, promising to fight corruption, has turned out to be very selective in anything that has a semblance of the battle against corruption, as only opposition elements were/are targeted, leaving out major and many glaring cases in his own Party, the APC.

Cases abound of the witch hunt directed against the members of the opposition party in the federal legislature, whose crimes ranged from pointing out the lopsidedness of appointments, to nepotistic approach in handling national affairs.

(F) The Electoral Act sent to him for assent by the Senate, that would have facilitated and accelerated the required positive change in the delivery of the 2019 elections modus operandi, was not signed by him.

(G) The questionable manner in which the former Chief Justice of the federation, Justice Walter Onnoghen was removed without recourse to National Judiciary Commission (NJC), left a sour taste in the mouths of many a discerning Nigerian.

Moving on, the 2019 presidential election came

Nigerians came out in their numbers and voted as was in 2015, hoping their votes would count.

Alas, the 'social contract' was flagrantly abused, violated, and raped, as INEC, which did, reasonably, well in 2015 under President Jonathan, failed, ROUNDLY this time around. Initially, they claimed that they didn't have server.

Later, they changed the story to "we have server but didn't use it for 2019 election". INEC failed to deliver a free and fair election, which from all indications (based on random sampling), the APC as a party would ordinarily have woefully lost.

If INEC had delivered a free and fair in 2019, Nigeria and Nigerians would have been better off for it for one simple reason: If any successor fails to do a good job, in 2023, the masses would hinge on the assurance of their accessibility and capability to vote him out, as a precedent established by previous administrations. The cycle would then continue like that until one day, a good leader will get to the exalted position and clean up Nigeria.

All this hope appears to have been lost with the recently concluded presidential election, which majority of Nigerians, (if not the world), believed, INEC rigged in favour of the incumbent.

This sour impression was not helped by the verdict of the Presidential electoral Tribunal, which was again believed to be under Buhari's orders, as it affirmed by unanimity, the disappointing and distasteful ruling which held that the electoral body was right.

Because Buhari did not curtail his clear desperation, and then forced the Supreme Court, as feared, into upholding the lower Court's judgement, then, Buhari's inglorious stay in office has continued.

Is it still difficult to now see why the caption reads "Buhari As Nigeria's Democracy Worst Enemy"?

With his continuation in office, our democracy has been dealt, what James Hadley Chase, in one of his classical novels, called a "sucker punch".

Very unfortunate.

Mr Ken Echekwube follows contemporary and political issues around the world.

Written by:

Ken Echekwube

For: The Biafran Restoration Voice - TBRV

Edited by:

Okwunna Okongwu

For: The Biafran Restoration Voice - TBRV

Published by:

Chibuike John Nebeokike

For: The Biafra Restoration Voice - TBRV

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