10K and other monies.

Some intelligent people say Buhari and Osinbajo are buying votes with 10K to traders across the country. They add some spice to this narrative by saying Permanent voter's cards are also collected by the government before the recipients get their money. Some who are more intelligent have told us that only the PVC numbers were collected.

I don't know who can help me with some answers. Please how does collecting a PVC from a bought or potential APC voter guarantee APC votes in February 2019? Is it that the APC took these cards or the numbers as hostages? Do these voters not need these cards on election days to get accredited before the actual voting starts?

Can a potential voter simply walk to his polling unit on election morning without a card and expect to be accredited because his name is on the register? Are these intelligent people suggesting that some APC agents would be at each polling center all over the nation where voters have been allegedly bought with 10k to ensure that INEC officials allow them to get accredited to vote? Perhaps the APC is collecting cards now so that they can redistribute them across the country to all those who got 10k just before the election.

I don't understand how some Nigerians reason anymore especially those who got some education. It is these same folks who persist with this Sudan theory as well as other inanities. 

Nigeria overtook India as the country with the highest number of poor people and they rejoiced. They complain that people are hungry and jobs have been lost but when they hear about relatively small amounts given or loaned to young graduates, petty traders or vulnerable old people, they begin to convulse and abuse the government. These same people probably didn't complain when far fewer individuals were each awarded millions of Naira as part of Jonathan's YouWin program.

They insist that it's vote buying; some ask what ordinary ten thousand can buy or do. How many of them can readily dash another 10k without flinching? How many of them can borrow a small scale trader or artisan 10K and not suffer a nervous breakdown if the fellow is unable to pay or absconds? 

Some brainy folks try to avoid questioning the program directly, they instead question the timing. "Why didn't they start since 2015 or 2016, why now?" There is nothing that can impress these folks. Should the program have been delayed and be made a campaign promise for the next election? These brains would have mocked them silly. 

If 10K to traders is vote buying, then school feeding is vote buying. N-Power is definitely purchasing votes, so is the pensions and arrears paid to laid off workers like those from the defunct Nigerian airways, those from Biafra and any other group that had previously been forgotten. 

Unfortunately for some of our elites, there won't be any ONSA-Dasuki funds to share to the Afeniferes of this world and to religious mercenaries. Just 10K each is available if they don't mind. Osinbajo will be in a market near them, they can join the queue with their PVCs in hand if they don't think 10K is too small.

GOOD OVER EVIL.

President Muhammadu Buhari [PMB] was recently in Poland where he participated in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice. Some intellectual Nigerians have made it a habit of insulting the president and they would have done same if he did not show up in Poland. They would have called him an analog president oblivious of global trends and asked what he was doing when other world leaders were gathered in one place.

One cannot deny Buhari’s antagonizers their fix; a few of them used social media to express their rage at one of the activities performed by Mr. President while in Poland. PMB met with the leaders of Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Netherlands and Estonia; discussions were largely about Trade, Investment and Agriculture. His meeting with the Dutch Prime minister was a follow-up meeting while it was about Global Politics with the PM of Estonia. Stuff like these did not resonate with certain Nigerians, it was his visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum where he laid a wreath in tribute to Holocaust Victims that irked them.

One fellow explained her disapproval by linking the Holocaust to Biafra while another was angry that he could visit a memorial but not states plagued by Boko Haram. I am still trying to find out which states she referred to. I confronted a friend on Facebook who had shared the post about Buhari’s wreath and the states hit by Boko Haram; I wanted to know the justification for criticizing the President for doing something that political leaders and diplomats do all over the world. I informed those pushing these stories that President Jonathan laid a wreath five years ago at the Yad Vashern Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem and I asked them if they had posts on social media condemning the man.

My friend decided to justify himself when I told him his activities on social media against PMB were borne out of hate for the man. He claimed it was not hate but that he could not trust the man who visited Qatar, a nation that has open channels with Hamas. He said Buhari’s wreath laying was dishonest.

How does one discern honesty by looking at photographs of a diplomatic activity? What does honesty have to do with anything? Was Theresa May being honest when she danced on her recent tour of some African countries? Should anyone really care if she danced with or without honesty? Queen Elizabeth II visited the United Arab Emirates in November 2010. She visited a tomb and the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi where she donned a scarf and took off her shoes. The Supreme Governor of the Church of England wore a scarf and went without shoes into a Mosque. 

Elizabeth II without shoes in Abu Dhabi

What if that happened in Nigeria? Our super-religious folks would have had plenty to trend with on social media. I am a ‘religious’ person and I arrived at my position almost 25 years ago without any parental guidance or societal coercion. I have observed [based on their expressed thoughts] the political ideology of many who have the same faith as I do, and I have found it difficult to explain. I refuse to believe that the shameless expression of hate towards a certain human being comes from truly spiritual people.

Some prayed death his way and one fellow earned plenty retweets when he announced that he was exiting the Redeemed Christian Church of God because he could not fathom how Vice President Osinbajo who is a Professor and a Pastor could be in Buhari’s camp. What wrong did Buhari or Osinbajo do to them? Most of the things they reel out as evidence against the men are flimsy and just broadcasts of what some paid anarchists pushed out to earn political advantage. Those who ridiculed an entire ethnicity, region or religion because of the man they have been trained to despise have now openly or ‘codedly’ declared for someone who is like him because their revered spiritual leaders have tilted in that direction. They have quickly forgotten all their profiling and curses; they now lay claim to divine backing to end slavery and poverty in the land. One court jester who happens to be a senator was recently recorded dancing and singing in front of an exotic car parked in what appears to be part of his living room. The irony of his action is that he was singing about poverty and hunger in the land and how Buhari was the cause.

How does someone despise PMB because he met with Qatar and voted against Israel with respect to Palestine? Is there a written code somewhere that Nigeria must support Israel in whatever that nation does? Is Israel backed by every nation in the world? Does voting against Israel in some issues mean we cannot still have diplomatic ties with them? Canada have diplomatic relations with Qatar just like many others do. The Clinton Foundation got $1million from Qatar when Hilary was US Secretary of State, do the Clintons not know that Qatar has ties with Hamas? The United States and Britain use an air-base in Qatar for some of their military operations in the region. The people we think are ‘defenders of the faith’ have their hands soiled and cover up matters from time to time. The world is evil and yet good; atrocities have happened and will continue to happen. Crimes do not have any unique religious, national or racial coloration, even those we look up to are imperfect with many neck-deep in committing, aiding or covering up crime against fellow men.

The United States of America have Saudi Arabia as a strong ally and not even the recent gruesome murder and dismembering of Jamal Khashoggi is able to affect this romance. What is the difference between what happened to Khashoggi and the many atrocities that have been linked to the USA? Was the CIA not involved in toppling Nkrumah? What about the execution of Fabrice Lumumba or the events that preceded the Vietnam war? Should we talk about the Iran-Contra affair? What about the Slave Trade and the atrocities that accompanied colonization which has left the previously colonized still suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? In the mid-1980s, Ronald Reagan and some top officials in his government were caught in a mess that involved money and weapons in Nicaragua, Iran, Israel and Lebanon. USA supplied military hardware to Iran prior to the Revolution there. An arms embargo followed which President Reagan supported and continued when he assumed office. Reagan was also in support of the move by the Contras to topple the Socialist government in Nicaragua.

Weapons were sold to Iran despite the embargo and the money obtained was used to fund rebel activities in the South American nation. When some American citizens got taken in Lebanon by Hezbollah, the narrative was directed to involve Israel and a move to source for Iranians to help rescue the kidnapped. It appears Israel related with Iran on America’s behalf and this hostage situation was what Reagan used to explain his actions to sell arms. An Israeli adviser to the Israeli Prime Minister at the time, Amiram Nir played a role in this affair. He was apparently hung out to dry and was going to sell his story about the scandal to the press. One name was mentioned, George H. W. Bush who was said to have been briefed by Nir. Bush denied knowledge, Reagan’s rating had dropped, and Bush was busy running for president in late 1988. Nir died in December 1988 following a plane crash in Mexico but his death remains controversial with more than a few conspiracy theories. These are some of the evils that accompany politics and power.

Religious folks are not spared from these types of situations even though such should not happen. Should we act as if some of the Nigerian religious leaders haven’t erred alongside politicians? Some have helped to launder images and monies to foreign lands, should we deny these? As much as people insist that these leaders must be respected, and their actions or inaction not questioned, I find it rather weird to keep quiet when these people in vantage positions speak untruths about Nigeria, her people and her politics. Some of the things that have been said are worse than what set some nations alight and cannot be proved to me to be words from a deity. I might ignore heresies but half-truths or full-lies about Nigeria and utterances which are of the supremacist nature are some of the things that irritate me. We should be the ones pushing for transparency and demanding restitution instead of the cover-ups that we now assume is the godly thing to do. Let us not act like the Australian pastor who knew about his father's crimes but failed to act for many years despite being in the position to only for the matter to return now when his father is long gone. 

It is dangerous politics that is being played in some Nigerian states and Benue is one of such. It seems everything is all about ‘militia herdsmen’ there. The governor as reported in a September 1 2018 story published by Punch Newspapers told the state Chapter of the Christian association of Nigeria that the people of the state should arm themselves by obtaining their Permanent Voter’s Cards in order to resist further invasion of Benue land by herdsmen under the guise of grazing. How will voting for him ensure ‘herdsmen’ are resisted? He takes every opportunity he gets to talk about the state’s enemies and how some other parties that favor herdsmen are conniving to take over the state. There is also the case of Jimi Agbaje in Lagos who took to Twitter to express the same rhetoric about Igbos in Lagos which failed him in 2015. He or whoever is responsible for his social media platforms described the situation as antisemitism. I don’t understand these people anymore.

What is Good over Evil? There is a tussle within many people, to do good or allow oneself to drift with evil currents. The urge to constantly spread lies about Muhammadu Buhari knowingly or otherwise cannot be termed as good. You mock a man for having a modest number of cattle, but you celebrate those whose resources you cannot justify because it aligns with your sentiments. You profile entire groups and you are convinced you are expressing faith? Before you utter the next word or share that jaundiced post, ask yourself if you fact-checked and if what you are going to release will build-up or destroy. Don’t let arrogance or ignorance bring embarrassment your way, let it end in 2018. One fellow who described himself as a physician tweeted that certain anti-hypertensive medications had been recalled and urged people not to take them. He soon had over 5,000 retweets and 2000 likes but the problem was that he followed up the main tweet with information about a specific brand of the drug. Trust Nigerians to activate panic and WhatsApp sharing modes. It was clear that many ran with the root tweet which had no specifics. Other Twitter users noticed the problem and advised the young man to delete the first tweet which had caused confusion for many. Many Nigerians do not look beyond the superficial and those who read the first tweet ran with it as gospel. The problem was not that this man tweeted something misleading, he categorically said that he was not responsible for people failing to read his follow-up tweets. Despite the pleas from others to realize the danger his tweet had caused, he remained defiant.

Please do not think your actions or inaction are without consequence. There is life beyond social media and your supporters club. Do not let religiosity cripple you so badly that you endorse untruth and fiction as truth. Do not let evil cause you to hate your fellow man because society, history or your name tell you to. There is good in you, let it triumph over the evil that lurks. The President of the UAE owns significant real estate in Seychelles and gets to transfuse that nation with monetary fluids from time to time, I wonder if our people would refuse such gestures if we had the chance. 

NO TIME FOR JOKES.

I got to watch a lot of British television shows as a child courtesy of the Nigerian Television Authority. We got a steady dose of shows like Pigeon Street, Terrahawks, Tom Grattan’s War, The Prince and the Pauper, Yes Prime Minister, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Jane Eyre, Dempsey and Makepeace, Rentaghost and many others. One show was a source of science fiction entertainment and it starred Tom Baker as the fourth Doctor Who. The 13^th series of this show aired in 1975 and it had ‘Terror of the Zygons’ as its first serial.

Zygons were an alien race capable of shape-shifting; they captured humans and used them as templates to take up human forms in order to infiltrate and conquer earth. Another serial from this season of Doctor Who was ‘The Android Invasion’ where another alien race [Kraals] attempted to use 'androids' to take the place of humans.

Zygon (wikipedia)

Nigeria has recently become a source of comic material for some TV show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Trevor Noah, with both men making time to talk about Mr. President being a clone. This kite was first flown by the secession advocate and Jew, Nnamdi Kanu who had previously promised to deliver the head of Muhammadu Buhari to his followers. Mr. President was sick and away for a while prompting many to wish and pray death for him. Kanu said the real Buhari wasn’t the one who returned after his convalescence; a doppelgänger deployed from Sudan returned in his place.

It makes a lot of sense that thousands of Kanu’s acolytes believe this theory; they made sense of his directives “to burn down the zoo” and found nothing wrong with his requests for financial aid to buy weapons to ensure Biafra’s sun rose again. They have used laterally inverted images of Buhari writing with both hands and his seemingly defective left ear lobe as evidence. They have also claimed his palm and finger prints have changed. These people cannot be helped; I am tempted to infer that it is not the country that failed them, I do not know what or who did. Kanu soliciting for funds

There are those intellectual ones on social media who are delighted that Buhari has become the butt of the joke on the international scene; they have posted about how his ‘failure’ to respond to suggestions that he was either cloned or replaced by a body double has brought embarrassment to the country. These individuals are probably fans of the orange-tanned tweeting president but they expect their president to respond to an inane subject the way they want to hear it. It is these technology savvy people who have been broadcasting daft theories about cloning and Jubril from Sudan while tagging international news media outfits, developed nations and the United Nations to their posts but it is the man who doesn’t bother about kindergarten matters raised by a certain Jew who has caused us embarrassment. There are also those who try to sound brainy regarding this matter. They say stuff like, “the stories are most likely not true but Buhari should speak to dispel the rumours.” It is either one believes that the President is the original or a double; there are no buts. What is apparent is that certain individuals have found it difficult to separate their reasoning from their prejudices; their attempt to mask their bigotry with grammar fools no one.

I could publish a fictional article in a newspaper tomorrow and title it “Aliens from Pluto take Aisha hostage, Replace Buhari in Aso rock” and I will rest assured that some preachers will in no time use the manuscript to preach sermons to tens of thousands. This is what present day Nigeria has become where certain men will tell tales of how Zygons and Kraals are involved in plundering Nigeria, striking fear and sowing seeds of discord in the hearts of the people. We have heard calls to Christians to spill blood, offer heads to God as offerings and open Hades but some people want us to embrace the bearers of these messages and continue to lift holy hands. No sir/ ma! No one is perfect, but I don’t subscribe to any brand of supremacist ideology or stereotyping of any group. Fake news thrives in the land and even the more established media outfits are not spared. How does one explain a Channels TV news editor inserting an unrelated image of Ibrahim Magu into a story about an APC event which was broadcast across the country? The owner issued an apology and Premium times that ran a story based on this news report retracted their hurriedly written tale about Magu attending a party event he was no where near. Are we supposed to believe that what the Channels TV editor did was simply an error like his boss explained?  Channels and Magu

Some Nigerians want us to be like developed countries. They want our politics to be about issues, but they become febrile when they hear campaign is about roads, rail, primary health care, empowering small business etc. They always demand that we step up to the global terrain but what they forget is that these so-called developed countries didn’t become what they are now overnight. Their past politicians once campaigned to build roads and provide basic healthcare, things modern Nigerians scoff at now. Do we have the infrastructure required to move on to greater talking points?

Some Nigerians have ridiculed the government’s policies to grant loans to small business; the People’s Democratic Party have termed it vote buying for 2019. Which one did the PDP give to the poorest Nigerians from 1999 to 2015? They have a problem with N10,000 to traders, school feeding and stipends for vulnerable people but they didn’t find any issue with fewer people benefiting from the YouWin program initiated by President Jonathan. They have called PMB a dictator and attacked all his attempts to ensure that those who had not benefited anything significant from past governments now do so. They somehow prefer elitist private sector-controlled ventures. Saraki was heard in an audio recording assuring his supporters in Ilorin that an Atiku presidency would restore their fortunes. He lamented that he could not get his people juicy appointments where contracts of N1 or 2 million could have been signed for them to be able to get benefits to buy lands, build houses and buy cars. These are the people complaining that there is no food in the land and angry that APC is buying votes with TraderMoni. These same individuals have a certain Dino Melaye in their camp, a fellow with many exotic vehicles in his garage and they are egging on a man who moved about $40,000,000 dollars to the United States of America through his wife. They have even said that he is more Fulani than Muhammadu Buhari who cannot speak Fulfude. Atiku more Fulani

Atiku tweeted that Nigeria was better off under PDP from 1999 to 2015. This is a party he left twice after throwing many jabs at them. Nigeria was so good in early 2007 that he had a knee surgery in London; he had it so great that Obasanjo withdrew the presidential jet that was supposed to fly him to USA in December 2006 because of their rift. I must have lost at least two years to Academic Staff Union of Universities [ASUU] strikes during the PDP years. I travelled back and forth on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway for seven years as a student of the University of Ibadan and that road was not fixed; that is how good we had it then. If we mention Yelwa, Langtang North, Jos, Ajegunle, Odi, Warri, Zaki Biam, Dogo Nahawa, Tim-Tim, Kuru Karama, Zonkwa, Kafanchan, Matsirga etc, they will ask if we are in a mortality census competition, so I won’t mention them. They say more Nigerians have died in the past three years than ever before but that is a fat lie.  Human Rights Watch reported that over 15,700 people were killed in just Kaduna state from inter-communal, political and sectarian violence from 1999 to 2011. Should we mention the bomb blasts or talk about what happened in Buni Yadi? Why do some people think they can rewrite history and get away with it? In any case, Atiku Abubakar and his Dubai squad are playing their politics, let us see if they will have the aces come February. Human Rights Watch 2011

Some of our religious leaders have joined politicians to help announce hunger in the land. I wonder how some of them know and what they have done to truly help the people. What I have observed is mostly eye-service and self-preservation, the breeze of poverty and hardship hardly blows in their direction. This is the reason why gossip and newspaper satirical articles have now become scripture to announce freedom from slavery. I am open to anyone joining politics and I think everyone should be educated on this irrespective of religious or educational backgrounds. I think one or two religious leaders should take the plunge into full-blown politics, at least to show good and godly example. The least most should do is to preach unity and encourage their people to aspire for political offices in order to serve. There are a few church leaders that were part of parliament in the First Republic so let’s not be too quick to disapprove. The love of money has corrupted the landscape, perhaps we need to encourage more men and women with updated self-control to help turn things around.

We say we want Nigeria to be like America, Canada, UK, Scandinavia etc. but we don’t want to count the cost and pay the price. We want to keep papering over our cracks and exploiting our weaknesses. Perhaps Nigerians, especially our church leaders and politicians can learn a thing or two from the man who was voted in a 2004 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation poll as the Greatest Canadian.

Thomas (Tommy) Douglas [1904-1986] was Premier of Saskatchewan from 1944-1961. He was a Baptist preacher who ventured into politics in 1935 after witnessing firsthand what Canadians had to face during the Great depression of the 1930s. The nation had economic trouble, the people lacked but there was money to fund a war. He buried young people who died because of causes that could have been prevented and he didn’t complete his Sociology PhD program because of the painful realities before him. He embraced a Socialist ideology and joined a party with same. He started with the House of Commons before leading his party to defy all odds and take control of the province. He was opposed by the top capitalists of that era; those from the Oil and Mining industries were against him, the top retail business also did. Some likened his ideology to Hitler’s and the people were warned that he would become dictatorial. Mortgage companies threatened farmers with foreclosures because he promised to protect them. The media also turned against him all to prevent his party’s win.

Tommy Douglas

Douglas pushed for free medical and Hospital care for pensioners, cancer patients and those who were on government support. Although his Masters thesis favored eugenics and how only mentally certified people alone should be permitted to marry, his time as premier contrasted his younger years. He protected the physically and mentally challenged instead. He pressed for Universal medical insurance to remove the divide between the healthcare providers and the people. This was met with resistance especially from the doctors who thought they would be financially shortchanged. A strike ensued but the program became reality in 1962 after he had stepped down. In other words, Douglas’ proposal on healthcare is a template that spread across Canada and got copied across the globe. The man is credited with many other feats such as Employment Insurance, Paid Vacation, Minimum Wage, Pensions and the Charter of Rights which was a first in North America. Electricity and paved roads were some of the things he did to stimulate agriculture in his province and improve the economy. If we want to be like these developed countries, should be not adopt some of the things they did and still do? These countries have all sorts of benefits for the elderly, children, indigenous people and immigrants. They ensure taxes are collected and nobody shouts, “witch hunt.” Douglas ran for the Country’s top job; he was not successful but his perseverance and authenticity reverberated through a country he adopted as his home and he was deemed worthy to be crowned the greatest Canadian ever edging out people like Alexander Graham Bell [telephone], Terry Fox [ran across Canada with one leg], David Suzuki [Professor of Genetics], Frederick Banting [ensured Insulin is not beyond the reach of those who need it after co-discovering it] and Pierre Trudeau [15th Prime Minister] among others. He may not have any National monument or heavyweight title in his honor, but the man lived and did his best. We may not be too familiar with the name Tommy Douglas but I’m certain we know his grandson, President Thomas Kirkman of the Netflix series ‘Designated Survivor’ a.k.a Jack Bauer [Kiefer Sutherland].

Pierre Trudeau

Pierre Trudeau had to deal with what can be regarded as one of the toughest periods in Canada’s existence. He was Prime Minister at a time Quebec which was also his province of origin threatened to break away from the Union because of carried over animosity from the French-British war. By 1970, The Quebec Liberation Front [FLQ] had already morphed into a terrorism group to force the issue. A British diplomat and Pierre Laporte [the Minister of Labour in Quebec] were kidnapped with Laporte getting killed days later. Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act and the Police had powers to arrest and detain without bail while soldiers were deployed. When people tell you, certain things cannot happen in developed climes, please pay no attention to them. No serious government will watch on as arsonists destroy the land. I think the interests of the majority on certain issues such as security, healthcare and economy should be protected despite what the fat cats think.

There are those who secretly support those who divide us as Nigerians because of their pride or selfish interests. There are those who previously hated any old Fulani Muslim man but who now dance to the tunes of one who fits this profile. There are those who still run with the cloning theory, 'Islamization' agenda and no WAEC certificate theories because they think they know better. You all are entitled to your positions but all I am interested in is the final retirement of those whose wealth we cannot explain and the silencing of their diviners. If you insist on believing tales by moonlight like Doctor Who fighting against androids and shape-shifting aliens that have replaced humans, against sound logic and commonsense, your religion and your background have failed you. I believe the decluttering process is yet to be complete after which the playing field will be made level for serious folks to lead us from where Buhari stops. If there is a major wound with dead tissue and all sorts of foreign bodies, a debridement is required before any type of dressing or management can progress. We are in the final debridement phase, it’s not going to be by sorcery but sheer hard work.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and all Nigerians. Don't let hate and bigotry destroy the humanity in you.

What is your genuine reason for hating this man?

MY CHOICE, YOUR CHOICE.

"Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once...." I have actually said some of these before but I will repeat some parts again.

2007: Umaru was hardly around so Aremu dragged Ebele across Nigeria campaigning for Shehu’s kid brother.

In 2003, we recorded a ~70% voters' turnout and Aremu took the largest portion of the cake. Over 24 million votes went to him while Zara’s daddy got 12.7 million. That was my man’s first taste of electioneering in Nigeria. Aremu was under cifia pressure from within his party and had to go through a primary election to defeat about 5 others to carry his party’s umblerra. Tom Ikimi’s voice from that night can still be heard beyond eagle square till now: “Obasanjo, Obasanjo, Obasanjo ... and Obasanjo- Ekwueme, Obasanjo....Rimi.. and Obasanjo...” The party chairman then Barnabas Germade had 17 votes to his name.

Aremu was ruthless that year. Bola Ige had been assassinated in 2001 and one of the main opposition parties from 1999, the Alliance for Democracy AD appeared to be in disarray. The men who had stood clearly opposed to Obasanjo began to sing a different tune towards 2003. They had been sold a Yoruba agenda and they bought it without collecting change. They were not going to field a presidential candidate but would support the PDP at the center to ensure a Yoruba man got another term.

I remember watching the Late Adesanya telling reporters that he had looked through the list of candidates and didn’t find any better than Aremu. I don’t know if this diagnosis was the reason Adesanya’s daughter became a minister of state in Aremu’s government after the 2003 election.

I couldn’t vote that year because Aremu didn’t listen to what ASUU had to say so schools were shut conveniently from January to June. We lost Six months just like that and also missed out on the use of our polling units on campus. During that strike period, I attended an event at Canaan land in Otta. Bishop Oyedepo had many guests in attendance and one was Governor Olusegun Osoba. I remember him getting the microphone and making some political statements. He was sure that he would get his second term. I shook my head where I was, the man who like the other Southwest governors went about campaigning and saying “vote for us at the state level but vote Obasanjo at the center” didn’t know they were butter dancing in the sun.

Obasanjo didn’t reciprocate that campaign equation but mocked the AD and asked his supporters to vote PDP at all levels. Osoba, Adebayo, Akande, Adesina and Adefarati all fell like a damaged ceiling. Aremu had duped them and got his goons in using ‘mago-mago’ tactics. The only man who survived was Tinubu in Lagos and that was a hard fought battle in the rain; 1+million to over 900,000 was how Bola shaded the late Williams. Such a vote count has not been seen in Lagos since that time.

Aremu broke the backs of Afenifere and the old men began their trips to political oblivion. Broda Bola soldiered on even when denied lawful allocation by Aremu. Those governors from 1999 practiced federalism. They either had ambitious projects like Duke’s TINAPA or religious ones like establishing Sharia. Local government chairmen functioned then and things were still normal. Clashes and conflicts also spread through the land.

Back to 2007:  Aremu’s template from 2003 was utilized but this time they overdid it and everything was clearly a mess with ~58% voters’ turnout. Umaru who couldn’t campaign for himself got 24+ million votes with Buhari coming a distant second with a 19 points gap sorry 6+million votes. Atiku oko Titi had fled the PDP and found refuge under broda Bola’s makeshift tent the Action Congress AC. He came in third with about 2.7 million votes after Aremu had blocked him from inheriting his stool probably due to the William Jefferson bribery affair in the US of A. 2007 was so flawed that Ojukwu who had 1.27million votes in 2003 could only muster just over 155,000 votes in an election in which Shehu’s brother got the majority of the votes in what was supposed to be Ojukwu’s stronghold. How did Aremu achieve this feat? I guess I was a full blown idealist in 2007, grammar and cerebral gymnastics were enough to woo me then.

It got to the Supreme Court but one judge decided to uphold the 2007 election when the right thing to do should have been an annulment. Umaru admitted the flawed election and promised to make things right but his body began to fail. We saw less and less of him and things were clearly not fine. Aondoakaa said all sorts of jargon and Dora looked stunned most times. They said Turai was the one running things but Ebele was just looking. The struggle to get him acting began but he didn’t seem to have the requisite ambition. I don’t know how much power Turai wielded but she was in charge. Dambazau got in a supposedly very ill Umaru, an event which Ebele didn’t know about and the rest is history.

2011: I was convinced Jonathan didn’t do enough to continue as president. I was also convinced that Nigerians would vote for Buhari/ Bakare instead. Buhari won in the Northeast and Northwest despite having a party that started out late. Total votes were about 12.2 million while Jonathan won all the Southern states except Osun (won by ACN’s Ribadu) with 22+ million votes. 11 million of these votes were from the Southeast and South-South put together. I couldn’t explain how Jonathan still earned such amount of votes but he continued.

I figured that I couldn’t reason for all Nigerians and expect them to understand idealism. I began to take politics serious.

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I figured out after the 2011 elections that I needed to understand Nigeria, Nigerians and why the elections went as it did. Let us not forget the post-election violence which the PDP managed to blame on Buhari through their tool Reuben Abati. Abati got sued for slander and he alongside The Guardian newspapers had to apologize and retract what was concocted but the seed had already been sown. Abati had been a regular on Channels TV in the buildup to the 2011 election posing as a neutral. He eventually got rewarded with an appointment as a special adviser to Jonathan; the Presidency then had to beg Buhari in 2013 to settle the suit out of court. People said Buhari was behind the violence as he did not issue any condemnation. However, there are stories of issued press statements and an audio recording of an interview he granted condemning the violence and asking for peace. These didn’t dominate the headlines. It’s not in 2014/15 that they began smearing Buhari and turning the people against him.

Permit me to get back to writing about my education which is still ongoing. I studied our political and military history as well as examining our election patterns and associated dynamics. I will not give any opinion here about our founding fathers, the external forces or our military interrupters. There is transmitted animosity and as a people, we are general easily distracted by superficiality and glamour. This is the reason why it is relatively easy to manipulate people along the path of primitive ethnic, pseudo-intellectual or religious sentiments. Tell some people that they are better than others because of where they come from or what a religion suggests and you will produce arrogant and ignorant followers. Anybody can become a celebrity by simply brandishing academic certifications on social media and gaining followers. Another way is to ‘blow big grammar’ like Nnamdi Kanu or Femi Fani-Kayode and you are guaranteed disciples and worship. Fake news spread like wildfire and even when confronted with the truth, most peddlers will never acknowledge their error. Having money goes a long way just as a sprinkling of political power or religious authority also helps. There is nothing that cannot be abused by Nigerians.

The aforementioned indicates to me that there are very intelligent Nigerians who misuse their privileged positions to get ahead at the expense of the vulnerable. There are also very intelligent people who are either too timid to resist the manipulators or unconcerned about taking responsibility. It is this void that the manipulators have exploited over the years to remain relevant while leaving devastation in their wake. One would be regarded as a fool if one returned from serving the country without unexplainable wealth. Resources have been mined from the lands and waters for many decades and only a few detribalized Nigerians have regularly smiled to the bank while the rest who have been taught to exalt tribe and God over others are left with decay and poison. Bandits have mutilated our systems so badly that we will require a few decades to become ‘normal’ people again. In summary, we do not have enough good people standing up to speak and act. Do we abandon what we have and let the plunderers continue to have their way? This was the point I realized that before we could finally get on the path to recovery, we needed to snatch the reins first and the fellow who could get that done was a certain retired general.

There are different pathways to getting ahead in politics and most will require active participation. Considering the system of democracy we practice, one could follow the Macron pathway; get busy, learn the ropes, serve and then break away to start your own thing. I think this path is quite risky and dreams could easily fall through if one’s methods are not acceptable by the electorate. Another way is the Fashola pathway; serve under a leader in a critical position and impress with your work, then the leader uses his/ her influence to put you forward to succeed him/ her. One may say this is ‘godfatherism’ but technically it isn’t if it only involves getting introduced. The Obama pathway is a good one. Participate in local politics, ascend to congress and then shoot for Uranus. If one fails, one can always fall back to status quo, recoil and try again. One other way is when political stakeholders seek someone who they think is right for a particular season or situation. Dwight Eisenhower was sought out like this to become POTUS when America was confronted with the Cold War. President Truman tried to woo him to run as a democrat, even offering to be his running mate. This five-star general opted to run as a republican and won two landslide elections despite having limited political experience. He only retired less than eight months before he was sworn in as the 34^th POTUS.

It was clear to me that a fusion between Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the resurgent Southwest party, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led by the highly controversial Uncle Bola was the way to deliver Nigeria from the grip of the PDP machinery. Obasanjo had initiated a system where a goat could defeat a strong man in his own polling unit and nothing would happen but the fellow who was in charge at the time was engrossed with going against some internal agreements within his party which he had agreed with. Jonathan was vulnerable and the All Progressives Congress was born with input from the likes of Rotimi Amaechi who initially left the PDP after being constantly harassed by Mother Superior Patience Lazarus Jonathan (Bipi’s godmother). The likes of Atiku realized that they wouldn’t get the chance to challenge Jonathan within the PDP to probably reclaim the Northern mandate so he decamped a 2^nd time in early 2014. Egbon Bukky on the other hand most likely moved because EFCC slammed eight cases of fraud on him in August 2013. By and large, the reality was that 'Buharimania' was sweeping the country and those who knew let the waves sweep them along. Some may ask why I am opposed to Atiku Abubakar who was once within the fold of the APC; a certain Fani-Kayode was also once in the APC. The United States and the United Kingdom partnered with the Soviet Union and China to defeat Germany and Japan during WWII; these are political realities.

The emergence of Buhari did not however come easy. I held on to my support for the APC until that happened. I wrote about meeting Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the Dubai International airport in November 2014 and pleaded with him to ensure that they [the genuine APC members] ensured that no imposter got the party’s ticket to challenge Jonathan. Buhari’s win at that primary was the sign I required to be certain that the reign of the PDP would be ended. I had examined the numbers and knew that the Southwest swinging to Buhari’s corner was the rate determining step. What I did not expect was victory in Plateau state. I was confident of victory and told everyone I met so but some sneered and opined that Atiku or Kwankwaso ought to have been the opponents to engage Jonathan. These ones were actually sympathetic to Jonathan’s reelection and were clearly made uncomfortable by Buhari’s emergence. Fast forward to October 2018; some are convinced that Buhari supporters are jittery because of Atiku and I can only laugh. The difference here is that no one has suggested that Saraki, Tambuwal or David Mark ought to have emerged. I didn’t care about who (from amongst the four returning prodigal children) was going to win the PDP primary. PDP became uncomfortable for these men in 2014 and they jumped ship. APC became too toxic for their growth and development and they bailed again. Should this not give the electorate a glimpse into the true nature of these men? The alignment of these individuals with their vomit informs me that my candidate is on track in his assignment to help hold off these bandits and plunderers.

Campaigning began and Buhari headed for the Southeast via the South-South. He didn’t speak much but held his right fist up. Jonathan and Patience also set out and we got serenaded with words and phrases like ‘born throwey’ and brain-dead. Ayo ‘cifiapains’ Fayose was busy taking out front page ads predicting how Buhari was going to die in office like Murtala and Umaru before him; he was also vocal about details of Buhari’s medical history. Okonjo-Iweala was busy signing memos of approval for Abacha returned loot money to be released to Major Sambo from the Central Bank. The media geniuses were busy with Cambridge Analytica releasing graphic material to scare the people about Buhari. They even had a documentary to demonize Buhari which NTA and AIT aired multiple times. Channels TV in particular did not stick their necks out for Jonathan like they did in 2011. Pastors and Bishops also got involved. Some opened the gates of hades and others simply helped to rally the brethren against an ‘Islamization’ agenda. All these happened but it is Buhari that divided Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines like never before.

Buhari won despite uncle Orubebe’s antics to distract the umpire. I expected a far wider margin but 3 million was still good enough. The hostility since March 2015 did not subside. The hate and vitriol directed at Buhari since then even from supposedly anointed lips is unimaginable. Every move gets criticized. He talk o, he no talk o na complain. When he stayed home, they mocked him asking why he was missing meetings where global players were in attendance; when he travelled they complained that he travelled too many times. He got sick and told Nigerians he was sick but some wished him death; even educated and sanctified folks did. I made up my mind very early not to join in stabbing my candidate for his errors like some were doing just to please others and lay claim to objectivity. I chose to defend him but some thought I was getting paid for it. Some people cannot comprehend how someone who doesn’t get a kobo sits and writes to defend someone they have been programmed or conditioned to hate, and this gives me joy.

Buhari hinted at merging ministries but some Nigerians raised the issue of federal character and balancing equations. Those who clearly rejected him at the polls became monitoring spirits demanding appointments. Young folks who I thought would see Buhari as the shield they needed to press through and hijack the existing structures became opportunists very early (I mean like a few months after May 2015) and began to exploit social media to undermine Buhari. Some thought that rubbishing Buhari who they had supported to overpower the PDP would cause Nigerians to see them as the cerebral leaders for 2019. PDP was in disarray but my people were too holy to invade that space. They opted to bake fresh loaves of bread instead and got a potpourri of the idealistic, the fence sitters, the pseudo-intellectuals and the pessimists into their camps as members. They remained on the sidelines criticizing and some tried their luck at a few elections. It’s best to describe their performances since then as marginally lackluster.

It is true that many who supported PMB in 2015 have shifted base but this does not bother me. Some moved on because they reverted to idealism while others did not probably understand the real challenges Nigeria faced and still faces. There are those ones who expected some dividends and didn’t get them and those who got angry at being overlooked for undeserving people. This is the basis of a series of outbursts from the chambers of the wife of the president. She suggested that they were people who worked for the electoral victory who got overlooked for those she didn’t even know. My opinion on this was that she was not on the ballot in 2015. I wouldn’t want my candidate to have to deal with a powerful first lady considering what Jonathan had to contend with. I am convinced that Mr. President still has a significant support base across the country consisting of people who are not necessarily Social media citizens who can ensure victory in 2019. I know religion will be a major issue in the Southeast and states like Plateau but I am not discouraged.

Under ideal temperature and pressure conditions, I would pick Raji Fashola as president of Nigeria if it was solely up to me. However, I am not ignorant of the nature of our politics. We are not yet at the point of being compared to Macron’s France or Obama’s America. It is my opinion that Nigeria should not be allowed to be returned to the custody of those who shared oil blocs like pizza slices and who took money from the Central Bank whenever they liked. The days when barrel bellied military officers presided over our security while stashing funds all over the place. I am not sure someone who clearly had criminal dealings with a convicted American Congressman William Jefferson ought to be honored with our nation’s highest office. He is now the toast of the town though; his age, ethnicity, religion and political history have all become irrelevant talking points for some youthful intellectuals who have either overtly or covertly backed him to dislodge the common enemy. Does he have a chance? We use the phrase “never say never” but in my opinion, I do not see Atiku defeating Buhari but please be free to support him and compete well to get him elected.

There are other aspirants in this race as usual, some of whom are thought to have realistic chances come February. You are also free to choose from among them if you haven’t yet decided like I have done.

Kingsley Moghalu is one of two former Central Bank officials in the race. His supporters have described him as well spoken and the type of intellectual we need in this century. I agree but honestly, I don’t see how he will make the grade.

Omoyele Sowore is too abrasive to appeal to the majority of Nigerians. He wants to take Nigeria back and has promised to jail people like Bukola Saraki and scrap the senate. This one sounds like a dictator in waiting. I don’t believe he has a chance.

Donald Duke the saxophonist has been kind of distant since he left CrossRiver government house. I think he was one of those who benefitted from being put forward in 1999 and should have been a better choice to run alongside Umaru than Goodluck. He is no doubt a very brilliant and ambitious man and got to take Sowore to the cleaners when they clashed at a function a few months ago. I do not think he has the right vehicle to make the much needed impression in 2019. Could he be enticed to fuse with the PDP? I think he will disrespect himself at this time if he became a running mate. He has been out of the limelight for too long and seems to be in the ring this time because someone else wants him there.

Oby Ezekwesili the FIFA referee has morphed into a HOPE selling candidate overnight. I think it’s too late to think that there are millions of angered voters who would gravitate towards her to spite the two towers. I don’t think she has a chance.

Fela Durotoye has great charm and packaging. I attended one of his meetings about two years ago with mostly young people who were and are still politically active. Presiding over a country as dynamic as Nigeria is not exactly private sector. In my opinion, he doesn’t have the requisite experience like a Donald Duke to withstand the pressure. As impressive as he appears, I think Nigerians need more than motivational talks. A graduate of Hogswart is who I think Nigerians demand. If a new President emerges in 2019, two years is all I think Nigerians will allow for radical progress to be seen before they turn on him/ her.

Are there others? I am not sure I know their names. Is KOWA going to feature again?

I have made my choice and it is Muhammadu Buhari because I believe the wrecking job required to incapacitate and permanently retire the real oppressors of this country is yet to be concluded. You may be convinced I am talking bollocks but one thing I can’t be accused of is basing my support on ethnic and religious sentiments or on financial inducements. I won’t curse or abuse you if you are for Atiku or any of the other youthful athletes, I will only debate you if you are not into fake news. The ball is in your court, make your choice and don’t be ashamed about it. Awolowo opined in 1961 that Politics is not a dirty game, how it is played is what can be termed clean or dirty. Don’t let any anointed screw with your head and ask you to behead anyone or open hades. It will be a game of numbers and a winner must emerge. If your choice wins then I will congratulate you and hope for the best for Nigeria.

PMB.

Cheers.

8/9-10-18

ENLIST, SUPPORT OR HUSH.

Nigerians watched a video of a Policeman rapping in response to a Falz Challenge on Instagram and some were surprised that someone with such skill enlisted as an olópá.

What did they expect to see? A bland human devoid of communication skills? I do not really blame those who were surprised as well as those who have a completely negative impression about the Nigerian Police Force and the Military services. The bad eggs have provided far more scenes than the good ones. Unfortunately, this won’t change until those who think they are too good for police or military service realize that they have the responsibility of either enlisting to repopulate the forces or supporting structures that ensure quality recruitment and administration.

You cannot be in your comfort zone and wish evil upon those trained to defend us irrespective of whatever injustices some of their members may have carried out in the past. We shouldn’t be mocking their efforts and rejoicing when they suffer losses. The army and police are currently conducting investigations in certain parts of Plateau state where the vehicle of a missing retired Brigadier was found alongside other previously reported missing vehicles in an abandoned mining pit that had become a pond. Some individuals have spent time and effort hurling abuse at them for this instead of supporting them. The incumbent government has been accused of using the forces to trample on the people. This cannot be fair or can it?

The Nigerian Airforce lost a young Squadron leader and two jets a few days ago. He was part of a rehearsal for the October 1st celebrations when the jets collided. Unfortunately, some members of the social media constituency of Nigeria decided to mock the country and the deceased. “This is what you get when you buy second hand jet from America” one cerebral male tweeted. Some others asked why wouldn’t the plane crash when the pilot was an aboki. I mention these things because there is a pattern to how some Nigerians respond to issues. These individuals usually adopt ethnic or religious means of responding when all they need to do is just be humans. It is the same way that some people were vocal and called on the army to wipe out the inhabitants of the land where the missing vehicles were found. This is very sad.

Why are many Nigerians so toxic and negative? Why do they feel everything has to be a tussle? Some of these reactions are a result of transmitted traits while others just do so because of perverse religious and/or political influences. Why will a human being be comfortable with those who ask others to commit arson, murder or other criminal acts? Some of these calls are even made in religious places. Why hate on the land when there is so much good therein? Why the hate for other people simply because of superficial differences?

I have seen one Facebook post declaring that the Berom are peaceful people and I believe this is in response to the discovery of the pond cemetery in Jos South. Some of us have always opposed the speed and ease certain ethnic groups stereotype others and pass judgment. The Fulani have been at the receiving end of most of this vitriol and the entire race has been blacklisted because of the atrocities which have been attributed to herdsmen. I have always cautioned that herdsmen are not always guilty of what they are accused of but our efficient people declare them so even without police investigations. Suggestions that we have a two or multisided conflict; especially in the Middle Belt is usually met with abuse or accusations of lacking human feelings. They even go further to accuse the Fulani president of funding and enabling his kinsmen to kill on his behalf. Isn’t it baffling that a people who have largely been declared as victims live in a region where the vehicles of missing people are found in a pond?

There is nothing that the police or military can say to convince some people that their activities are fair and just. Their press releases are mocked and certain influential people and politicians are able to turn the people against them. The people are also turned against other ethnicities and religious groups with relative ease. Someone says a certain ethnic group is evil with a born to rule mentality and people reverberate it. Another says another group can never be trusted because they are ‘betrayals' and it becomes their truth. It is not uncommon to hear that one group is dishonest and another is backward and undeserving of anything. It is this reason someone can assume that people from a certain region are not teachable and must always be helped to progress through the ranks in whatever industry.

I watched the October 1st Military parade which had the Military, Police, NSCDC, Customs, Immigration, Prisons services, Legions and NYSC perform. There were commentaries during the Airforce display and when the Army and Navy rolled out some of their gear. One thing I observed was that the armed forces were more dynamic than I thought and I’m certain there is room for more. They narrated how grounded planes were revived and how locally made vehicles or modifications were produced. All these were done by Nigerians. The army also showcased its information technology team against terrorism while the Navy had divers in the parade. All I see is potential and how more people on the sidelines should push to get into these establishments to serve the country and make her better.

I know there are issues when it comes to recruitment in Nigeria. The ‘man-know-man’ variable gets introduced from time to time and quota system doesn’t help either. I doubt if the military or police go out of their way to recruit specialists in certain fields. I once travelled from Abuja to Lagos by road about 10 years ago in a bus loaded with young people. There was this lady who talked and talked throughout the journey. She was going to resume for secret service training after her aunt who was a legislator pushed her name into the list since she was part of a certain committee. I was shocked that someone who was that unrestrained was about to try out for a job she didn’t apply for. We should continue to expose illegal recruitments and disenfranchisements; some issues are beyond politicking, it’s about structure. The IG of Police and Chief of Defence Staff for example are not political appointments and should not be addressed as belonging to any political party. Tukur Buratai is the chief of Army staff of Nigeria not of APC or PDP. We can’t continue to blackmail these people when they carry out their duties.

Locally built drones were commissioned a while back and it became an opportunity to throw jabs all over the place. Some claimed the glory ought to have gone to the past president Goodluck Jonathan instead of Buhari while some belittled the milestone. These same individuals vehemently rejected the attribution of inability of states to pay salaries to Jonathan but they insisted on having the good. They didn’t care about the Airforce engineer who led the project and how her training outside Nigeria equipped her to do exploits. The ones who mocked the country when two jets crashed didn’t care if they may have known those involved. There are those who rejoice when they hear bad news about soldiers getting ambushed or losing ground in a previously recaptured town. How did people develop this hardening of their hearts? I have relatives, classmates and colleagues in the military that get deployed to hotspots from time to time. Should I not constantly wish them well? I think the National service should be upgraded for those who are physically able to non-combat full military service. We’ll probably have more people who will decide on a career path in the military or police but more importantly, there will many with respect for the forces.

Military service should not be a contraindication for taking part in politics. Some rejected Buhari because of this but they didn’t realize that the likes of David Mark, Jonah Jang and Jerry Useni were also generals. Uneducated people don’t become senior officers in the military. Many people struggled with Geography and science in school. These are some of the courses which guide the careers of these men and women for years. They are taught administrative courses and get to learn with international officers. In developed countries that some of our Social media PhD elites like to point to, military service adds value to any political sojourner. Mr. Donald Trump will never stop hearing about dodging the draft in the 60s. There are several recently retired young female Airforce officers running for Congress in the US; one a fighter jet pilot retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. We should encourage our Vets to take their military discipline into our political arena instead of joining politicians while in service to amass unexplainable wealth like some of our past service chiefs, Inspectors and Comptrollers have done. A certain ex-customs officer who is now very wealthy is jostling for office. Many have become very wealthy over the years by dealing with government and they ensure they maintain the relationship. I am not certain they have found it smooth in recent years but what do I know.

the late Squadron Leader Baba-Ari (32). RIP

8-10-18

THIS IS MY CANDIDATE.

From time to time, I like to surf through cyberspace to gauge what Nigerians are talking about and measure the level of toxicity with respect to our politics.

Those who spent 2014 till now spreading hate messages about my candidate haven’t exactly stopped. One fellow today was preaching to me on Facebook to give myself over to anger and display my independent thought process by declaring radical support for Atiku to dislodge the incumbent. The guy found out that I passed through medical school and told me that I must remember the pain I went through to emerge from there. I don’t know where some people get this impression that medical school must always be about pain for all and sundry. It was about boredom for me, a lot of us had several activities we indulged in and the friendships surely weren’t painful. I digress.

Now back to those with the hate agenda. You read or hear stuff like APC=PDP, “Nigeria has never been this divided” and “Buhari is a tyrant destroying our democracy.” I wonder when Buhari divided Nigeria. I have and will never be of the school of thought that APC=PDP. If both parties were exactly similar, the APC would have been suitable habitat for the growth and development of the likes of Saraki. I am not sure that members can leave APC for say three years and return with about three months to party primaries to almost claim a presidential ticket.

It was Patience Jonathan who went to campaign towards the 2015 election and said derogatory things about certain impoverished northern ‘born throwey’ children. She is the one who asked her supporters to stone supporters of the other camp and called my candidate braindead. It was certain elements in the PDP who produced an almost one hour documentary full of fiction which encouraged supporters to imbibe distrust and hatred towards Buhari. They mentioned names like Ekwueme, Olabisi Onabanjo, Awolowo, Aper Aku, Ambrose Alli and many others just to get people angry at him. They said he never smiled and that he was a bigot with extremist leanings like modern day terrorist groups. The narrator and producers of the video couldn’t even attach their names to the video credits because they knew they lied.

They brought his family into the mix and accused him of all sorts. Buhari didn’t respond in all of these, he only kept his campaign going. He went to the South-South and Southeast first where he recorded 49,978 and 20,335 votes respectively in 2011. Folks said he had such low readings then because he hardly visited the states involved to campaign. He did all he could but still got awarded about 7% of votes cast in the 5 southeastern states in 2015. Some people somehow blamed him for the atrocities during the civil war while some just voted according to their religious and political convictions.

At a meeting in the United States of America after his inauguration, he attempted to answer a question about inclusive governance. That was where he mentioned that based on political realities; there were constituencies that gave 97% of their total cast votes to him while others gave him 5%. These figures are not exactly accurate but he was trying to explain to the largely foreign audience what the voting pattern of that election produced. He went further to say that he was obligated by the constitution he swore to; to ensure that every constituency got what was due to them. Even if he felt a need to reward those who voted massively for him at the expense of those who rejected him (again), he couldn’t because of what the constitution dictates. Although the question asked was related to the Niger Delta and the prevailing situation there at that time, he tried to answer as best as he could or understood it. There was clearly nothing wrong with his remark but some cerebral Nigerians decided to run with the less than two minutes portion where he mentioned those percentages to preach their gospel to their illiterate fan base and brethren that what Buhari meant was that the Southeast constituted 5% and hence would get 5% even when they knew that 97+5=102. It fit into their prejudices and they still run with this till now.

The ‘wicked, blood sucking’ man like some religious folks opt to call Buhari met a situation where more than a handful of State governors couldn’t pay salaries and pensions. Some hadn’t done so for months. The wicked man helped these governors with bailout funds. There was the Paris club refund which he gave then when they rushed to Abuja cap in hand for help but some did not settle these backlogs. I watched the military display from the Independence Day celebrations and the military had many things to be thankful to Buhari for. Despite these, I won’t say the Buhari administration has performed excellently but I’m not idealistic. The fact that the Lagos-Ibadan highway is still uncompleted is enough for me to withhold any accolades. However, it is clear that the man isn’t the devil many including supposed church leaders have painted him to be. Will a tyrant watch on and allow his wife freely tweet whatever she likes on social media? Perhaps we should ask Idi-Amin for his opinion.

It has not been perfect with respect to human rights issues, in fact there have been many lives lost but I won’t agree that security is worse and this is my opinion. We had bomb blasts, insurgency, ethnic clashes etc. before Buhari got in the saddle but some cerebral folks would have us believe these unfortunate events commenced in June 2015. Prior to that time, we had superstars like Boyloaf, Tompolo and the OPC crew who got juicy contracts from government to supply hardware and secure pipelines as the case may be. Some of them were speakers on campaign grounds and moved around with mobile police escorts. This was a time when they moved money out of the central bank when they liked to swing elections. A time when celebrity priests rolled with politicians like rims roll with tires. A time when soldiers seized printed newspapers meant for distribution and when Pastor Tunde Bakare’s 2015 New Year message got yanked off Channels TV after a few minutes because those concerned were uncomfortable with his content. A time when the First Lady trampled on a state governor, worked at a ministry in her state and operated bank accounts loaded with inheritance money via proxies. A time when a president selectively released refunded ecological money to only states with PDP governors but that heroic fellow was the best we ever had.

They were sure Buhari would spend his term hounding people but the man had said he was more concerned about recovery because of time constraint. These same people are the ones who ask where recovered money is or why certain people aren’t in court. The same people will sing redemption song if any of their (s)heroes gets touched. They want peace but don’t mind the ramblings of fraudulent secessionists. Someone promised his acolytes that he would burn our land and give them my president’s head and they clapped but when the beat changed for a serpentine dance; they remembered the rule of law. They’re always quick to alert developed countries to come and observe, perhaps they should go and read about what Pierre Trudeau did as Prime minister of Canada when a certain group from his own province wanted to break away from Canada.

I saw some people on social media attacking the president because new campaign photos were released. They were angry he wore their traditional outfit which he rarely wore but I wonder why they are angry. 

It’s politics, it’s what politicians do. They dress up, have photo sessions, shoot ads, and carry babies and all sorts. In 2014, some were angry that he attended an interdenominational service in Lagos wearing his hat. Some were angry that his wife didn’t attend that ceremony with him. He was in Ebonyi last year and got adorned in a similar outfit some are angry he took a photograph in for 2019. I’m not sure they knew about that. Atiku will have to wear it too but I suspect some people will not mind and won’t be bothered about the last time he did dress up.

Muhammadu Buhari is my candidate and he is far from perfect. Don’t continue with that silly point about his WAEC certificate like you don’t know he attended secondary school. We are talking about people who got sensible jobs with just primary school leaving certificate in their time. A man trained by the British and later by the American system is who you think is illiterate because you somehow have certificates now? Get serious.

Buhari is not perfect but I have seen this end game long before now. The fact that certain movements happened convinced me that he is doing things right, enough to destabilize the status quo. I like and respect those who boldly identify with their candidates even if we don’t agree like my namesake who is for Jimi Agbaje in Lagos. One group I don’t like is the elitists/ idealists on the streets of social media who think folks like them are the bulk of the voters. They understand politics more than others but they don’t chase their voters’ cards neither do they vote. The funniest group is made up of the pretenders and hypocrites; the ones who shout ‘yoots’ but secretly endorse ‘non-yoots.’ Come out of the closet and declare where you stand. It’s not war and no one will spank you for your choice.

Play the game right. No lies, no fabrications and no cursing. There is room for all to campaign so do so and we will see in February if ‘cifia’ pains will continue.

8-10-2018