NIGERIA POLITICS: BUHARI
AND HIS LUDICROUS AMBITION
A man who does not know where he is going can never make any
headway in life. He will always be carried away by every wind that blows;
meaning that such one is less dense than air. This cannot be disputed as it is
applicable in every area of human endeavour.
Buhari was the military Head of State between 1983 and 1986,
after which he was ousted by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida in a coup d’état
that occurred in 1986.
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| Mohammadu Buhari |
Buhari formally declared his intention to contest for the
presidency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday
15th October, 2014, having obtained his presidential form for a
whooping sum of ₦27.5 million.
To him, Nigerians have been under the shackles of the PDP,
and as such, he has promised to be the Moses who will bring Nigeria out of
bondage. The retired General said if elected into office, he would tackle issues
of insecurity, corruption, unemployment and power generation.
He was the minister of petroleum and natural resources
during General Obasanjo’s regime in 1976, after which he became the helmsman of
the NNPC in 1977. During Abacha’s regime, he also served as the PTF chairman.
Yes, antecedents may speak for him that he is an upright
man, a man of integrity, but to me, a man who is able to obtain a presidential
nomination form of such an outrageous amount, is invariably telling the public
that if he assumes office, he will recoup all he expended on his presidential
campaign.
In no doubt, this man is pretentious. Can he publicly tell
Nigerians what happened to the $2.8 billion that got missing during
his tenure as the NNPC boss? Why did he refuse to appear before the Oputa Panel
set up by General Obasanjo’s administration concerning the matter if were
indeed an incorruptible man?
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| Buhari in a rally |
What would he say about the billions of naira stolen under
his watch while he was the PTF chairman? Would you say Buhari is incorruptible? How
then does he want to fight corruption?
There are lots of corrupt politicians in the APC, and how is
he going to tame them? Will he probe them if in the event he becomes the
President?
If he really wants to fight corruption, he doesn’t need to
blow the trumpet to his colleagues and admirers, lest, they turn their backs on
him.
I think he should have been able to fight for a reduction in
the cost of obtaining the Presidential nomination form of his party. This is bizarre!
Buhari had contested for the Presidential seat in 2003, 2007
and 2011 but was unsuccessful. I love his ambition as he appears to be the
Abraham Lincoln of our time, but this is indeed ludicrous, as he may likely
emerge the runner-up candidate in the 2015 Presidential election.
President Jonathan’s critics assert he is clueless, but I see
Buhari as myopic and clueless in actualizing his presidential dream, having
lost three times to his opponents. No doubt, he will again meet his waterloo at
the polls.
Let him go home, take care of his family, contribute
meaningfully to the development of our great nation and be a true elder statesman.
