SAI BUHARI: THE
EISENHOWER EFFECT
Many Nigerians will readily agree that the brand of democracy we
practice now was “photoshopped” from the American system but without true federalism
and separation of powers. This distorted form of democracy has allowed for the
enthronement of a dynasty which is focused on earning another bite of the
cherry when all their teeth are already decayed and with little or no
achievements to show for nearly 6 years on the throne.
It is no doubt that the
fault lines which suture Nigeria together have become apparent and exploited
now more than ever before. The rage harbored since 1970 in some quarters has
flared up and most times disguised as wisdom. The conflicts that occur daily on
social media clearly reveal how fractured the nation is with many degenerating
to name calling and derogatory terms to describe those from other tribes or
religions. A lot of assumption occurs and it highlights the primitive and
elementary nature of many Nigerians. People no longer take time to read what
others write; even when they do read, they either fail to understand what is
written or choose to deliberately misinterpret or resist the truth because of
preexisting prejudices.
I had to take up someone on Facebook recently who saw my display picture and assumed I was female. He went on and on ranting chauvinistic comments at me with vulgar words because I countered whatever he had posted in support of the incumbent president. It is very worrisome when supposedly educated young people in particular hide behind their native and chronic sentiments to queue behind gross incompetence and mammoth failure. The worst groups of people in my opinion are those who do not do anything to vote and those who claim to desire change but publicly condemn and categorize all the political parties as the same and unworthy whilst remaining closet supporters of the failed incumbent.
I had to take up someone on Facebook recently who saw my display picture and assumed I was female. He went on and on ranting chauvinistic comments at me with vulgar words because I countered whatever he had posted in support of the incumbent president. It is very worrisome when supposedly educated young people in particular hide behind their native and chronic sentiments to queue behind gross incompetence and mammoth failure. The worst groups of people in my opinion are those who do not do anything to vote and those who claim to desire change but publicly condemn and categorize all the political parties as the same and unworthy whilst remaining closet supporters of the failed incumbent.
I had the good pleasure of attending one of the secondary schools
established after the civil war to help mend the wounds of the conflict and
build bridges destroyed by blackmail and vengeance. It was thought that
aggregating a cross-section of young minds from diverse cultural and religious
backgrounds would help eliminate suspicion and build trusts and lasting
friendships. I would be a liar if I said it did not work because it worked for
those of us who had the chance. The flaw in this approach is that it was just
like a drum of paint in the Atlantic. The military persisted and the several attempts
at democratic rule were total train wrecks. The educational system in the
country became sadly paralyzed most especially at the state levels. The higher
institutions were plagued by cultism, strikes and gross underfunding. Whatever
was achieved from the unification process at the secondary school level could
not be effectively translated unto the institutions of higher learning many of
which subsequently became incubators to brood ethnic and religious animosity.
I remember a northern friend a few years back who once said to me that my University in the South was mainly for admitting “Yoruba” students and I vigorous challenged that misconception. I attended secondary school with the sons and daughters of prominent people at the time and to some extent; we saw ourselves as equals and interacted largely based on common interests such as sports, clubs and societies, academics with less emphasis on ethnicity or religion. The students had a huge role in the choice of school prefects and it had next to nothing to do with tribe or God. Nigerian schools at secondary and tertiary levels have now become unattractive to many Nigerians with even those directly benefitting from the governments leading the way in extracting their children out of our shores to other climes for their education.
I remember a northern friend a few years back who once said to me that my University in the South was mainly for admitting “Yoruba” students and I vigorous challenged that misconception. I attended secondary school with the sons and daughters of prominent people at the time and to some extent; we saw ourselves as equals and interacted largely based on common interests such as sports, clubs and societies, academics with less emphasis on ethnicity or religion. The students had a huge role in the choice of school prefects and it had next to nothing to do with tribe or God. Nigerian schools at secondary and tertiary levels have now become unattractive to many Nigerians with even those directly benefitting from the governments leading the way in extracting their children out of our shores to other climes for their education.
Some of the sentiments currently being employed by the ruling
party’s spokespersons regarding the forthcoming election are geared to
discredit the opposition candidate Major General Muhammadu Buhari. They have
decided not to inform Nigerians about how the incumbent president plans to
tackle corruption and put a permanent stop to power outages in the coming 4
years but constantly pick on mundane issues regarding the age of the General,
his academic achievements, his military background and the fact that he has no
oil blocs despite occupying the roles of Federal Commissioner of Petroleum and
the Head of the Supreme Military Council after the ouster of the Shagari-led
government.
Many Nigerians particularly those of a certain ethnic group confuse the events of the civil war with his 20 month reign and pour out their venom of the civil war on him because he is a Northern Muslim. Key players from that era are Christian and are still alive. General Yakubu Gowon is from Plateau state and Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo is from Ogun; both are alive and well but they hardly get any stick for whatever roles they played in that infamous and avoidable war. A few people attempted to have a go at the running mate of the opposition candidate; Prof. Osinbajo by questioning his pastoral call and one comic went ahead to ask why he was in support of someone who allegedly ordered the harassment of the late grandfather of his wife and former Premiere of the old Western region Obafemi Awolowo. The quicksand that some people have chosen to dip into is mindboggling. The PDP chairman Mu’azu currently has something similar on his Facebook page.
Many Nigerians particularly those of a certain ethnic group confuse the events of the civil war with his 20 month reign and pour out their venom of the civil war on him because he is a Northern Muslim. Key players from that era are Christian and are still alive. General Yakubu Gowon is from Plateau state and Lieutenant General Olusegun Obasanjo is from Ogun; both are alive and well but they hardly get any stick for whatever roles they played in that infamous and avoidable war. A few people attempted to have a go at the running mate of the opposition candidate; Prof. Osinbajo by questioning his pastoral call and one comic went ahead to ask why he was in support of someone who allegedly ordered the harassment of the late grandfather of his wife and former Premiere of the old Western region Obafemi Awolowo. The quicksand that some people have chosen to dip into is mindboggling. The PDP chairman Mu’azu currently has something similar on his Facebook page.
Those who question his age forget that the great Awo and Zik were
70 and 75 respectively when they contested for presidency in 1979. Can we say
that Awo would have been unable to preside over Nigeria if he had won in 1979?
Let us not forget that the 2 men contested again four years later in 1983 with
Aminu Kano and Waziri. The great South African Nelson Mandela was almost 76
when he became president and the only thing that I believe qualified him for
such honor was his proposal to help salvage his very unstable nation and ensure
peace. It was not the 27 years spent in jail as he was not the only man who had
prison experience. What he proposed and executed is what still holds that
fragile nation together and sane.
The most silly of all jabs shot at Buhari remains the issue of his Military credentials. To suggest that a soldier who rose up the ranks by passing through highly rated military training establishments in various countries is semi-literate is plain stupid and laughable. When a supposed professor opts to stereotype the general because of his demeanor and characteristic speech pattern, we would need to verify if such a professor is truly one indeed. There is a reason why there are Non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers cadres in the Nigerian military. It requires a lot of training and experience to attain the rank of general or its equivalent; such ranks are not meant for semi-literate and illiterate men or women except such people ordained themselves.
The most silly of all jabs shot at Buhari remains the issue of his Military credentials. To suggest that a soldier who rose up the ranks by passing through highly rated military training establishments in various countries is semi-literate is plain stupid and laughable. When a supposed professor opts to stereotype the general because of his demeanor and characteristic speech pattern, we would need to verify if such a professor is truly one indeed. There is a reason why there are Non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers cadres in the Nigerian military. It requires a lot of training and experience to attain the rank of general or its equivalent; such ranks are not meant for semi-literate and illiterate men or women except such people ordained themselves.
Many have canvassed for younger people to hold sway over the affairs
of Nigeria suggesting that the younger Goodluck Jonathan who is already 57 fits
the profile of what we need. They continue to point at 30+ years ago when
Buhari occupied certain offices with many wondering why he is still the center
piece at 72. I have repeatedly mentioned it on several platforms that the young
people of Nigeria as we stand are already severely compromised, blighted by
primitive sentiments and propelled by greed and lust for luxury. I do not want
to go into how the young men of the mid and late sixties caused so much
agitation and provoked an unnecessary civil war which could have been ended
much earlier than it actually did but for pride and the desire for vain glory.
The youth of our day are actively involved in the scams, illegalities and “get-rich-quick” schemes perpetrated in the civil service, banking sector and even in churches. They are the ones who patrol social media invoking the gods of thunder, iron and brimstone to destroy any perceived opponent to their feasting and festivities. These are not the people to entrust the navigation of a very unstable nation into their hands. Our definition of what corruption is has been altered; we cannot accurately define patriotism to save our lives. Some have redefined patriotism to mean a blind support of individuals above the overall interest especially when tribal, religious or social parameters are involved. Mediocrity has become our new word for excellence and incompetence is a ready substitute for merit and ability.
The youth of our day are actively involved in the scams, illegalities and “get-rich-quick” schemes perpetrated in the civil service, banking sector and even in churches. They are the ones who patrol social media invoking the gods of thunder, iron and brimstone to destroy any perceived opponent to their feasting and festivities. These are not the people to entrust the navigation of a very unstable nation into their hands. Our definition of what corruption is has been altered; we cannot accurately define patriotism to save our lives. Some have redefined patriotism to mean a blind support of individuals above the overall interest especially when tribal, religious or social parameters are involved. Mediocrity has become our new word for excellence and incompetence is a ready substitute for merit and ability.
The dynamics involved during the overthrow of the Shagari
government remains distorted in the minds of prejudiced or ignorant Nigerians
despite the availability of information to alter such perception. The Military
collectively overthrew the democratic government they had only 4 years earlier
handed over to without compulsion. This was very similar to what occurred in
Ghana when Flight Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings took over power from the same group
of civilians he had handed over to following his first coup in 1979. Rawlings
was seen as a no nonsense officer, a top professional who graduated top of his
class in flight school. His initial coup failed and he was apprehended and
faced a death sentence. He gave a speech at his trial which spurred the public
to support him and motivated other soldiers to break him out of jail. What
happened next were the conclusion of the coup and a purge of some of the top
officers in the Ghanaian military.
Rawlings went on to rule Ghana from the start of 1982 to January 2001 inclusive of 8 years as a civilian president. Buhari has not ceased to proclaim what actually are the problems retarding the development of Nigeria; he worked as he deemed fit in 1984-1985 to eradicate the problems but this process was halted by the very same soldiers who had installed him above all other contenders to provide the legitimacy and public understanding they needed after halting the democratic government at that time. The events from August 1985 to August 1993 clearly vindicate the hard stance maintained by the Buhari-Idiagbon led junta; corruption became full-blown and the economy crashed to the abyss but we regained the affection of the Queen and her prime minister.
Rawlings went on to rule Ghana from the start of 1982 to January 2001 inclusive of 8 years as a civilian president. Buhari has not ceased to proclaim what actually are the problems retarding the development of Nigeria; he worked as he deemed fit in 1984-1985 to eradicate the problems but this process was halted by the very same soldiers who had installed him above all other contenders to provide the legitimacy and public understanding they needed after halting the democratic government at that time. The events from August 1985 to August 1993 clearly vindicate the hard stance maintained by the Buhari-Idiagbon led junta; corruption became full-blown and the economy crashed to the abyss but we regained the affection of the Queen and her prime minister.
The charges of imprisonments, executions and muzzling of the press
although not acceptable are not idiosyncratic of the Buhari government. Similar
events happened during other military regimes but to varying degrees. Where
Buhari stopped the press from publishing certain types of news report,
Babaginda was friendly with them and one of those jailed by the decree 4 of
1984 became Babaginda’s press secretary and happened to handle the document
that announced the annulment of the June 12 elections in 1993. When much is
said about the enactment of a retroactive law to ensure that 3 men were
executed for drug trafficking, I look at the first decree passed by Olusegun
Obasanjo on the 27th of February 1976 to ensure that civilians
involved in the February 13th abortive coup were tried by the same military
tribunal set up just like the soldiers who were clearly involved or suspected.
General Jack Gowon’s brother-in-law was executed in like manner to the soldiers
sentenced. Obasanjo later passed another decree called the “Public officers
(protection against false accusation) Decree 1976” on the 17th of
March 1976 which was backdated to take effect on the 29th of July
1975.
Public officers in this case were defined as members of the Supreme Military Council, members of the National Council of States or Federal Executive Council, military governors, Federal and state commissioners, military and police officers; public office holders in the Federal or state public services and in any corporate body or company established under a federal or state law or any in which the governments had controlling interests. Seven armed robbers were sentenced to death on the 7th of September 1977 for conspiracy and robbing a man (also injuring him) of a Mercedes Benz lorry and 492 cartons of sardine along the Ikorodu/ Sagamu road about 3 months earlier. Two of the men were brothers and the other 5 included a driver, an applicant, a fisherman and a labourer. These issues occurred when Obasanjo was military head of state but we hardly get to hear about them as loudly as the events that occurred when Buhari reigned. If these issues among others were not deemed heavyweight enough to discredit an Obasanjo presidency; why do certain individuals suddenly become undertakers every four years to exhume dirt that ought to be buried eternally? What are they really afraid of? Would we ever get to hear about such things if Buhari was a PDP man?
Public officers in this case were defined as members of the Supreme Military Council, members of the National Council of States or Federal Executive Council, military governors, Federal and state commissioners, military and police officers; public office holders in the Federal or state public services and in any corporate body or company established under a federal or state law or any in which the governments had controlling interests. Seven armed robbers were sentenced to death on the 7th of September 1977 for conspiracy and robbing a man (also injuring him) of a Mercedes Benz lorry and 492 cartons of sardine along the Ikorodu/ Sagamu road about 3 months earlier. Two of the men were brothers and the other 5 included a driver, an applicant, a fisherman and a labourer. These issues occurred when Obasanjo was military head of state but we hardly get to hear about them as loudly as the events that occurred when Buhari reigned. If these issues among others were not deemed heavyweight enough to discredit an Obasanjo presidency; why do certain individuals suddenly become undertakers every four years to exhume dirt that ought to be buried eternally? What are they really afraid of? Would we ever get to hear about such things if Buhari was a PDP man?
Another dirty pool constantly stirred up to bash the general is the
issue of the right to rule. I understand the sentiments surrounding the role
played by the colonial rulers to grant the North an undue advantage over the
South to serve their personal interests and to ensure that the infant nation
failed to thrive. Someone once asked a very important question; he asked if a
region rendered less academically exposed by the British could have been termed
as having an advantage over the more dynamic and exposed Southerners. The
structures left behind after the British withdrawal can be described as
unstable but workable. Sadly, the regional Premiers failed to draw on their
strengths to enable each region thrive at the same or near equal pace. The
colonialist or supremacist attributes learned from the British to varying
degrees drove wedges between entire regions and between some of the smaller
nations inherent within the larger Nigeria. Discontent and agitations were
neutralized with force and the infant military was exposed to the ills of
democratic rule. Bloody and palace coups, mutinies as well as a costly civil
war have ravaged governments since independence and any semblance to what was
the initial framework for a lasting nation is long gone.
The regions were divided and now even the people cannot accurately discern where the landmarks of the old regions were sited. The Hausa/Fulani who many Southerners accuse of having a “birthright” mentality have only had one of theirs spend just over two years since 1999 in the highest office in the land. When we do count the number of years from 1960, a good number of years have been occupied by Northern officers of the present day middle-belt or North-central region. I ask those who raise this point at times if their grouse is actually with the Hausa/Fulani tribes or the entire Northern region itself. They say Buhari is desperate; is Goodluck who has spent almost 6years at the helms in a classic rags to riches tale not desperate to hang on for another 4 years he does not merit and openly agreed not to contest for?
The regions were divided and now even the people cannot accurately discern where the landmarks of the old regions were sited. The Hausa/Fulani who many Southerners accuse of having a “birthright” mentality have only had one of theirs spend just over two years since 1999 in the highest office in the land. When we do count the number of years from 1960, a good number of years have been occupied by Northern officers of the present day middle-belt or North-central region. I ask those who raise this point at times if their grouse is actually with the Hausa/Fulani tribes or the entire Northern region itself. They say Buhari is desperate; is Goodluck who has spent almost 6years at the helms in a classic rags to riches tale not desperate to hang on for another 4 years he does not merit and openly agreed not to contest for?
It is very funny when people say that a Buhari presidency would
mean a return to military dictatorship even if this is almost 30 years after
the man was deposed and retired from the Army. Obasanjo was a military man and
although he exhibited traces of frank dictatorship, one cannot say he was not a
civilian president. The present senate president was retired as a Brigadier
General and some current and past governors and senators were top military
officers. Why is it that it only becomes a subject of discussion when Buhari’s
name is involved? Babaginda and Ike Nwachukwu are ex-Generals and have at one
time or the other vied for the presidency albeit unsuccessfully. Do Nigerians
expect their erstwhile military officers to be ashamed of their past? Do we
just regard them as mindless cyborgs simply because of the unpleasant history
we have had with a few notable military juntas especially the Babaginda and
Abacha led governments?
Buhari would most likely have certain regrets about his military career but his 20months as the head of state however blighted by mixed reviews should not obliterate whatever successes he had as a commander in the Northeast of Nigeria and as commander of garrisons. That conflict seems to have metamorphosed into a more malignant form of warfare and someone with a previous exposure to what now threatens to tear up our nation ought to be considered at this time for a rescue mission. Many have said he is a patron of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and nurtures an Islamization agenda for Nigeria. This is very inconsistent with an individual who had absolute powers as a military head of state but did not deem it fit to enroll Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries. The man who sanctioned that move has also been severally linked to the destructive sect and he belongs to the ruling party; he was recently referred to by a grinning President Jonathan as his father. If Buhari was on the same page as Babaginda with respect to funding Boko Haram, would it not make good sense if they were on the same party platform? What better way for Buhari to achieve any religious and fundamentalist agenda by ridding on the election rigging machinery of the ruling People’s Democratic Party and getting bankrolled by the possessor of the Gulf war oil windfall.
Buhari would most likely have certain regrets about his military career but his 20months as the head of state however blighted by mixed reviews should not obliterate whatever successes he had as a commander in the Northeast of Nigeria and as commander of garrisons. That conflict seems to have metamorphosed into a more malignant form of warfare and someone with a previous exposure to what now threatens to tear up our nation ought to be considered at this time for a rescue mission. Many have said he is a patron of the dreaded Boko Haram sect and nurtures an Islamization agenda for Nigeria. This is very inconsistent with an individual who had absolute powers as a military head of state but did not deem it fit to enroll Nigeria as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries. The man who sanctioned that move has also been severally linked to the destructive sect and he belongs to the ruling party; he was recently referred to by a grinning President Jonathan as his father. If Buhari was on the same page as Babaginda with respect to funding Boko Haram, would it not make good sense if they were on the same party platform? What better way for Buhari to achieve any religious and fundamentalist agenda by ridding on the election rigging machinery of the ruling People’s Democratic Party and getting bankrolled by the possessor of the Gulf war oil windfall.
Is the Islamization of Nigeria a reasonable fear to have? Is it
even possible to render the thousands of churches and camp grounds that dot the
Nigerian landscape desolate in 4 or 8 years? Would Buhari threaten Christians with
nuclear arsenal if they refused to pray facing east like Nebuchadnezzar
threatened the Hebrew boys? Many “Christians” apparently have a crossover of
the neurons from the religious and ethnic cortices of their brains and
therefore are unable to differentiate stimuli that trigger either center. A
personal testimony of Buhari’s conversion to democracy after witnessing the
demise and disintegration of the Soviet Union without lead propelled from a
barrel does not suffice for many Christians. I am certain these ones would have
stoned Apostle Paul to death for supervising the persecution of the early
church and execution of some of the early church leaders.
The choice of an ordained pastor who doubles as a Law professor still does not cut it for these bigoted lot; they will rather opt to sink with their tribesman who frequently tours Jerusalem with a high powered delegation of assorted clergy and who recently was likened to Jesus Christ for his ability to bear the burdens of Nigeria. They ask “who is Osinbajo” like they knew who Goodluck Jonathan was in 2007, many do not even know the name of the current vice president or if we have one at all. Many Christians who contest the age of Buhari readily forget that some leading pastors in the land are also advanced in years. Pastor Enoch Adeboye is 72 and Pastor Kumuyi is 73 for examples; I do not think I have ever heard any clamor for them to relinquish their portfolios for younger, more vibrant and modern men.
The choice of an ordained pastor who doubles as a Law professor still does not cut it for these bigoted lot; they will rather opt to sink with their tribesman who frequently tours Jerusalem with a high powered delegation of assorted clergy and who recently was likened to Jesus Christ for his ability to bear the burdens of Nigeria. They ask “who is Osinbajo” like they knew who Goodluck Jonathan was in 2007, many do not even know the name of the current vice president or if we have one at all. Many Christians who contest the age of Buhari readily forget that some leading pastors in the land are also advanced in years. Pastor Enoch Adeboye is 72 and Pastor Kumuyi is 73 for examples; I do not think I have ever heard any clamor for them to relinquish their portfolios for younger, more vibrant and modern men.
Although the American democracy cannot be compared in any way to
Nigeria’s; it is still important to state that 12 past American presidents were
Generals, 5 were Colonels, 2 were Navy Commanders and 12 others of lower ranks
with most having significant and successful military careers. Many aspirants as
well were equally well decorated officers and those who did not have such
history were most likely not drafted, deferred deployment or served in other
capacities as private officials during conflict periods. Two of the 12 Generals
actually attained the highest rank possible in the US Army: General of the
Army. They were the first President George Washington and the 34th
president Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower was born in 1890 and attended the US
Military Academy at WestPoint because he could not afford fees for college. He was
responsible for planning and executing many battles during the Second World War
and rose to become a 5-star general in 1944.
The 33rd president Harry Truman who was a democrat thought he would be a good president and he tried to urge him to contest the 1948 elections on the platform of the Democratic Party with Truman running as deputy. General Eisenhower had never contested for any public office before and only entered the race for the 1952 elections as a Republican when he gained sufficient support from within the Republican fold. His only major role that was not military based was serving as the president of Columbia University from 1948-1952 which was interjected by a spell as the first commander of NATO forces. Eisenhower retired from the army just in time to get into full-time campaigning in May 1952 and the political novice won a landslide election by 442 to 89 electoral votes over the democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson because the people thought he was the man for that season.
The 33rd president Harry Truman who was a democrat thought he would be a good president and he tried to urge him to contest the 1948 elections on the platform of the Democratic Party with Truman running as deputy. General Eisenhower had never contested for any public office before and only entered the race for the 1952 elections as a Republican when he gained sufficient support from within the Republican fold. His only major role that was not military based was serving as the president of Columbia University from 1948-1952 which was interjected by a spell as the first commander of NATO forces. Eisenhower retired from the army just in time to get into full-time campaigning in May 1952 and the political novice won a landslide election by 442 to 89 electoral votes over the democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson because the people thought he was the man for that season.
Eisenhower was said to have been persuaded to enter the race
because his main Republican rival was poised to maintain a Non-interventionist
stance if elected especially with the perceived threat of communism spreading
across Central America and Southeast Asia. The cold war with Russia intensified;
he helped to halt the Korean War by making appropriate threats with nuclear
attacks and dipped his hands in Iran, Egypt, Lebanon, China, Jordan and Vietnam
amongst other nations. He was not perfect but his two terms were marked with
relative peace and prosperity; he has been rated by some sources as one of the
best American presidents ever despite beginning his term at 62 and ending at 70
without any previous democratic experience.
I have not attempted to draw any personality similarities between
Eisenhower and Buhari. I was only struck that a through and through military
man could make a good president; he seemed to have a mission and dealt
reasonably well with the prominent issues at the time. I am not sure if Buhari
can win by a landslide because of the peculiarities of our electoral process
and the sharp divide that holds our various ethnicities apart. I am optimistic
because the incumbent has not performed and he would need to reproduce an
outright simple majority win he will not be able to defend to guarantee a
second term. The voting projections clearly do not favor the incumbent as
Buhari seems poised to get the minimum 25% ratio required and most probably the
overall majority count. It is only those who have opted not to take a closer
look at the breakdown of the last election and previous ones that would
disagree. All the Southeastern (SE) and South-south (SS) states all won by the
PDP in 2011 with over 95% of total votes cast were all amongst the top 15
states with the highest percentage voters turnout of registered voters except
Ebonyi (23rd). 8 out of the top 10 with respect to voters’ turnout
were either SE or SS with the other 2 being Kaduna (Sambo’s state) and Bauchi
(lost to Buhari). The bottom 5 were all Southwest states with Ogun taking the
bottom place with 28.01% turnout and Lagos 3rd from bottom with
31.84% despite having 6,108,069 registered voters; the highest in the country.
Some of the states won by the PDP in 2011 have since changed color
and dumped umbrellas for brooms, the North East and Northwest seem poised to
vote massively for Buhari again and the Southwest appears ready to fully
participate this time around. I am not sure if the magic formula that secured a
more than 95% of SE and SS votes can be reenacted without raising any eyebrows.
Jonathan obtained over 10million of his total votes of 22,495,187 votes in 2011
from just the top 10 states with the highest voters’ turnout. His 2,789,417
Southwest votes despite winning in all SW states except Osun will surely not
remain the same come February especially when compared with the 4,918,651 SE
and 4,952,979 SS (including Edo) votes he was awarded in 2011 having won over
95% of the votes cast in the SE and SS states and 87.28% of Edo votes. Jonathan
will have to relive the 1964 elections which was concluded in 1965 due to
violence in two Western region states or he could simple do what Shagari and
FEDECO did in 1983 when his ratings and percentage votes obtained shot up from
33.77% in 1979 to 47.5% in 1983 despite intense corruption and poor ratings
overall.
He could also try the 2003 trick which saw a 69.1% overall voters’ turnout and a 61.94% (24,456,140) of the votes for Obasanjo and 32.19% (12,710,022) for Buhari despite the heavy rainfall that day and the widely broadcast low voters turnout nationwide following the disappointing events of the parliamentary elections the previous week. The one he should not even dare to try is the deeply flawed and widely acclaimed “worst ever election” in Nigeria’s history: the 2007 Yar’adua landslide. Yar’adua was basically away on health grounds and campaigned for by Obasanjo who had Jonathan as his sidekick. Yar’adua was awarded 69.6% of total votes while the closest candidate to him was Buhari who was awarded 18.66% (6,605,299) despite being from the same state and region as Yar’adua. The third on that ballot was Atiku who polled 2,637,848 votes (7.45%) while Odumegwu Ojukwu who had polled 1,297,445 votes 4 years earlier to come third was awarded a miserly 155,947 votes in 2007.
An election meant to have been quashed by the Supreme Court was allowed to stand and this has directly led to the unfortunate situation we find ourselves as a nation. How was it possible for the icon of the Biafran struggle to gain only 155,947 votes in 2007 and yet have the same people who remember their days by the River of Babylon vote massively for Yar’adua in the same election and contribute almost 5million votes for Goodluck Azikwe Jonathan in 2011; someone who belongs to the same ethnicity as the legendary Major Isaac Adaka Boro of the Federal army who led many onslaughts in the 3Marine Commando sector of the civil war to quench the desires of the Biafran Army? Do people really vote or is everything just about permutations and code generation?
He could also try the 2003 trick which saw a 69.1% overall voters’ turnout and a 61.94% (24,456,140) of the votes for Obasanjo and 32.19% (12,710,022) for Buhari despite the heavy rainfall that day and the widely broadcast low voters turnout nationwide following the disappointing events of the parliamentary elections the previous week. The one he should not even dare to try is the deeply flawed and widely acclaimed “worst ever election” in Nigeria’s history: the 2007 Yar’adua landslide. Yar’adua was basically away on health grounds and campaigned for by Obasanjo who had Jonathan as his sidekick. Yar’adua was awarded 69.6% of total votes while the closest candidate to him was Buhari who was awarded 18.66% (6,605,299) despite being from the same state and region as Yar’adua. The third on that ballot was Atiku who polled 2,637,848 votes (7.45%) while Odumegwu Ojukwu who had polled 1,297,445 votes 4 years earlier to come third was awarded a miserly 155,947 votes in 2007.
An election meant to have been quashed by the Supreme Court was allowed to stand and this has directly led to the unfortunate situation we find ourselves as a nation. How was it possible for the icon of the Biafran struggle to gain only 155,947 votes in 2007 and yet have the same people who remember their days by the River of Babylon vote massively for Yar’adua in the same election and contribute almost 5million votes for Goodluck Azikwe Jonathan in 2011; someone who belongs to the same ethnicity as the legendary Major Isaac Adaka Boro of the Federal army who led many onslaughts in the 3Marine Commando sector of the civil war to quench the desires of the Biafran Army? Do people really vote or is everything just about permutations and code generation?
2015 is a rate limiting step for Nigeria in my opinion; it is
either going to build up or destroy. For me, this is all that matters for now. It
is a Queen Esther situation for me, one I feel I was born a Nigerian for. It goes
beyond General Buhari; it is all about the people waking up to their
responsible to put out this fire and working towards ensuring that this nation
thrives and fulfils every ounce of her potential. It is a call for change, to realize
we can change our situation at any given time for the benefit of all and sundry
instead of a few bandits and vandals.
Nigeria is in need of someone who is ready to fight the status quo,
there is a man who has maintained his cry since 2003 without opting to join in
at the PDP dining table like Ribadu and Shekarau have recently done. He has
more or less been a lone voice crying in the wilderness but he is now riding in
an imperfect vehicle to get to his destination.
Let us help him get there, that way we help ourselves and break the
yoke of our oppressors. We may not survive as a nation beyond 2015 if we do not
do what is right and vote for change.
SAI BUHARI and HAPPY NEW YEAR.
J’olee Akeju
31/12/2014
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