WHAT IF BUHARI DIDN'T WIN?

WHAT IF BUHARI DIDN'T WIN? 

I have mentioned before that my passion for Nigeria was initially planted and watered by my father.  He never stopped talking about the nation and what he thought were the solutions to her problems. I guess I got interested in reading about Nigerian history pretty early and the opportunity to attend secondary school with many great minds of diverse origins helped to mould me into whatever I am now. 

Interacting with my mates back in secondary school taught me respect and how to reason beyond every default setting; it taught me to recognize and accept competence in others ahead of self interest. That foundation remained throughout university and the desire to always learn anew or relearn has not diminished.

I was never impressed by the peoples democratic party PDP and most especially by their first president who is meant to be from the same tribe as myself.  I felt his manipulation of the 2003 electoral process must have been achieved by obtaining potions from Merlin. He succeeded in convincing the likes of the late Abraham Adesanya and most of the Alliance for democracy governors then to queue dangerously behind a Yoruba agenda to win a second term whilst effectively crippling a major part of the opposition in the process.  The only survivor of that deception was the then governor of Lagos state,  Bola Tinubu.

I subsequently hoped for a situation that would be run by an idealistic ideology and practically supported anyone who I deemed sophisticated and uncorrupted by the status quo.  The elections which brought in the Yar’adua administration ought to have been annulled because of several obvious irregularities.  The ruling PDP had succeeded in establishing a well controlled electoral process that would have guaranteed victory for their candidates at the centre just like a rigged coin that would land on a fixed side irrespective of the number of times it was tossed or loaded dice. That system ensured that Yar'adua who was actively campaigned for by General Obasanjo due to his absence as a result of ill heath ended up defeating his closest challenger Muhammadu Buhari by nearly 18 million votes. 

That contraption unfortunately made room for a seemingly unambitious man like Jonathan who could not show any initiative to wrest Nigeria from the hands of the "cabal" which decreed from Riyadh. At that time,  I was convinced that Nigerians had already seen enough of the man to know he was "bad market". I will say that I was more that convinced that Buhari could oust him or at worst force a rerun. A 10 million popular votes difference was too disappointing to handle and I wondered how an obviously inept candidate could have earned 22 million votes winning 4 out of 6 regions and gaining the requisite 25% of cast votes in 32 states. 

I was bewildered but not paranoid to go about hunting down and insulting those who I knew campaigned for Jonathan.  My level of disappointment increased when I got to learn from some friends and colleagues that they in fact cast their votes for the "learned" one instead of my choice for president. It was extremely shocking to read "Christians" lead the onslaught against the candidacy of the running mate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Pastor Tunde Bakare.  For some it was about his being overly critical of the Nigerian church especially if their beloved "Daddies" had at one time or the other been on his radar while for others it was simply being narrow minded about the role of the clergy in nation building. 

I went out of my way ever since then to unravel the real reasons why Nigerians remained stuck in stereotypes and controlled by primitive sentiments.  It became lucid to me that the ruling class had the greater share of the blame for allowing Nigeria wade in the streams of corruption and abject clueless leadership. It was the duty of those who claim to be learned and cerebral to arouse the people from their sedated state to fight to regain the soul of their nation from the bandits who were posing as leaders.

Another important point that became apparent was the utilisation of supposedly well educated and respected individuals by the rulers to use their vantage position to invent and propagate propaganda; a venture which blossomed when it was clear that general Buhari was going to run for a fourth time.  I braced myself to wage battles especially in "Cyberia" to contest and disprove every fallacy and lie from the pit of hell with facts,  figures and common sense. 

I was convinced in late 2014 after a series of articles I researched and wrote that president Jonathan would be defeated by Buhari.  I was certain that professor Osinbajo was the perfect choice as running mate and I deployed every ounce of strength and drop of cerebrospinal fluid to solicit support for Buhari. 

While discussing with a few colleagues last week,  I mentioned to them that this year's election was the last chance I was giving Nigeria and Nigerians to get it right otherwise the country would be stunted and desolate for ever.  I made this statement without wavering that Nigerians would triumph this time around but peradventure Buhari failed again;  I was prepared to sign the death certificate of the nation as cause of death: "Chronic and irreversible stupidity". 

Thankfully Nigerians won but the withdrawal symptoms amongst Jonathan lovers are a source of great concern. 

POST-ELECTORAL GEJITIS

Many Jonathan supporters have found solace in joining the recent clamor for international recognition for the president's heroism. A few have done what I would have done i.e. go into hibernation for intensive introspection. Sadly,  more sinister developments such as failure to revert to truth settings have been manifested but more unfortunate is the overt strategy to assault the senses of any perceived enemy and inhibitor in the pathway of the ill fated reelection bid of their principal. It is just like translating what elder Godswill Orubebe did in the physical unto social media platforms. 

I stumbled on such an anger management (more like reactivation) group this afternoon and the barrage of insults and cursing directed by a male figure on a female personality beggars belief. The fellow was soon joined by his friends to further rain insults on the lady, accusing her of vices they could not realise they were exhibiting full blown and they continued to rage citing an article she had written marking the defeat of Jonathan as well as speculating the reasons for same.  Part of this condition is hallucination and inability to comprehend even the simplest of matters.  

This is the unfortunate situation we have found ourselves especially amongst young people who ought to be building bridges our parents and elders either demolished or failed to reconstruct.  

If Buhari did not win,  I would have moved on to find my Eutopia and resigned Nigeria to the choices of those glad that vandals and bandits were going to be in charge.  Goodluck Jonathan has lost unfortunately;  I will remain loyal to the integrity of Nigeria just like those who have lost this election should and desist from irrational utterances and behavior unbecoming of the custodians of Nigeria's present and future. Those who share their sentiments should understand that they are as guilty if not more guilty if they watch on in silence or subtle indulgence as ethnicity,  nepotism,  tribalism with religious fundamentalism and  supremacy gets expressed from their vantage positions.

General Buhari is not perfect neither is he a magician. Some have already started mocking him even before he lifts a finger. If he falls short,  we are not going to mince words when we call for and effect his return back to Daura.

The cure for PEG is a large dose of intra-cerebral reality and truth. Let us help spread it. 

We shall overcome! !!!!!!