FORGIVE MY INTRUSION
A few individuals have accused me of being too aggressive
with regards to my published opinions on Nigeria and the forth coming
presidential elections. They have accused me of assuming my opinions are
superior to others who do not share them and must be regarded as sacrosanct. A good
proportion of my accusers are either outright supporters of the incumbent or “pseudo-federal
lawmakers” who remain perched on the gate and refuse to fall to any side.
I have explained in the past the reason(s) why I am vocal and
in a way very loud in support of the opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari. The
major reason is because I campaigned aggressively for him in 2011 against the
other candidate who I was too sure was incapable of doing the job. Four years
on; it should be clear to all and sundry now that those of us who campaigned
against a man who was devoid of any zeal to fight for what was right and
sensible against the Yar’adua cabal have been vindicated. The shutting down of
the Abuja airport and deployment of soldiers without the knowledge of Goodluck
Jonathan during the landing of the former president from Saudi Arabia convinced
me that a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) victory in 2011 was going to be a
mighty step backwards for Nigeria.
I was denied the opportunity to vote in 2003 because of the
prolonged University strike and subsequent evacuation of the campuses
nationwide. The strike miraculously ended shortly after Olusegun Obasanjo was
sworn in for a second term and we were back in school by June. I voted in 2007
for Chris Okotie because I was really impressed at the time that a “young” man could
demonstrate remarkable intelligence and eloquence; I imagined such a fine
speaker and celebrity addressing the United Nations on behalf of Nigeria. At
that time, I reasoned like many Jonathan supporters reason now. I did not like
Obasanjo and the PDP but I also did not entertain the idea of voting for
Buhari. Buhari to me was that coup plotter who set Nigeria back in time to the
dark ages. I only saw him as a sectional aspirant unable to have such vision
highlighted by the likes of Pat Utomi.
What changed? I started to take Buhari really serious when he
selected Pastor Tunde Bakare as his running mate for the 2011 poll. Apart from
that, I decided to do away with my idealism and join the resistance against the
emergence of the clearly unfit Jonathan. I was very optimistic that Buhari
would win in 2011 and this was based on the impression that Nigerians would see
clearly through the fog of the “I had no shoes” campaign. I was indeed very
disappointed when the results were announced and those I thought were tired of
the stagnation started to confess that they voted for the man and not the
party. I thought they were insane and essentially gave up on Nigeria. The
figures generated from that election were clearly rigged; a careful analysis of
the voting pattern from 2011 highlights that and the approximately 10million votes
margin certainly exaggerated.
There was a chance for a late alliance in 2011 between the
Action congress of Nigeria led by Bola Tinubu and the CPC led by General Buhari
which did not materialize. Many said after the 2011 election that Buhari would
have done better if only that alliance worked out. Many thought his chances
prior to the election were already bleak so they opted to hold on to their
votes while some wiser ones never believe that their votes would ever count in
any election carried out in Nigeria so they find more beneficial things to do
on election day. The major opposition parties have since fused and brought
forward what I consider to be the most practical pairing and the best chance to
sweep the polls in February. I believe they represent a step in the right
direction to manage the complications that have rendered this colossus moribund
and on life support.
I believe a vote for Buhari is a vote for common sense; a
vote that puts an end to rewarding outright failure and incompetence. Someone asked
me to inform people of what Buhari would bring to the table that is different
from the incumbent. The thought of having predominantly competent people around
a Buhari presidency excites me. The chance of better transparency and
accountability works very well for me; instead of the daily revelations of
missing dollar bills that only America knows about. We are a people now
accustomed to irregularity and abnormality. We apparently thrive under chaotic
conditions as long as we are benefitting financially big time. We need a strong
figure to show example and liberate the Judiciary and law enforcement agencies to
carry out their default functions. There will surely be an end to the culture
of waste and extravagance; there will a restoration of work ethic and dignity
of labour. A Buhari presidency would no doubt be adorned by a beautiful and
highly dignified first lady as well as a sound and very useful wife of the
vice-president. These two alone would help to liberate women and young girls in
the entire country. What kind of fable would service chiefs be able to tell in
order to deceive a General if they fail in their duties? We will not be having
a president who visits Maiduguri today and after leaving with his heavy
security detail renders the town vulnerable to sporadic attacks after only a
few hours.
I do not apologize for taking on those who insist on
rewarding a failed system. Many of these folks will shout “sack Wenger” or
something related to the soccer clubs they support if they perceive or
experience untold failure suffered by their favorite team. Those who hide their
native sentiments behind a veil of intelligence are more likely to be
confronted by me mainly because they directly mislead others and encourage them
to nurture hate in their hearts particularly those who feel they have an axe to
grind with Buhari for his 20 month military rule. The issues raised against the
man would prompt a foreigner to assume that Buhari committed atrocities in the
realm of the likes of Idi Amin, Pinochet or Charles Taylor. I have read quite a
bit to realize that a failure to understand the actual dynamics of the Shagari
government up to the reign of Ibrahim Babaginda would cause those who do not care
to read to arrive at severely jaundiced conclusions about the man Buhari. Many
have clutched tightly to largely misunderstood events of thirty years ago but
cheerfully ignore the incompetence which threatens to engulf the nation. An
incumbent president who gloats about diesel trains at a few routes and curbing
corruption in the distribution of fertilizers has abandoned these seemingly
lofty achievements to hinge his campaign entirely on smearing the image of the
opposition candidate I believe they hardly know.
It is understandable if apprehensive candidates use porous
logic and outright falsehood to run their campaigns; it become really pathetic
when those who ought to be young and better enlightened also ride on this road with
even more venom and without regard for posterity. I announce once again that I
will barge in on your space if you deliberate deceive others for selfish gain.
I do not think I am smarter than the fellow who remains astride on the fence;
that fellow who wants to donate his vote to KOWA or to Eldorado where his dream
and ideal candidate exists. I am not sure that Buhari would not “fall my hand”
but I have chosen not to surrender to fear or cowardice. If my gamble fails;
guilt would not plague my senses, I will simply arise and try again. To the fellow
planning to stay indoors to analyse events without doing anything to alter the
status quo they hope and pray will vanish; be informed that Tompolo and Boy
Loaf are regrouping and safety may not be in that visa and ticket you are ready
to deploy to reunite with your loved ones as long as you have a conscience.
My apologies again, I will however still be in your face till
shortly after Febuhari. I have decided to vote for Buhari and Osinbajo; it is a
risk I am willing to take, a Change I will not be sentimental to change if it
fails woefully. 2015 is about Nigeria; it is about rescuing the soul of a
nation. Jonathan may genuinely feel he is doing right for Nigeria; I am
convinced he is not and we deserve much better. 2015 is perhaps the last chance
I am willing to take on a Nation I believe is now ready for change; who knows?
Vote wisely, vote for change.
Joa
25115
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