Buhari’s Right Moves

By

Peter Opara

Peter_O'Para@tufts-health.com

 

 

 

July 1, 2005 is yet another opportunity for Nigerians to show the world that they have a judiciary that is beholden to no one, and most important, that something akin to democracy exists in the place called Nigeria……

 

Muhammadu Buhari shook…say Wow-ed Nigerians at home and abroad, in his recent outing in Lagos, the AD and Afenifere terrain. His political friends and foes were no less shook up…say Wow-ed. When Nigerian journals reported the line up of personalities attending the June 12 anniversary rally in Lagos that included Buhari and his compatriot in the struggle for real democracy in Nigeria, the APGA Ikemba Odumegwu-Ojukwu, not a few eye brows were raised. Such indignation towards these statesmen – Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Buhari, stems from misperception, misinformation and misreading of history or lack of knowledge of history.

 

For history to be a constructive guide for the future, it has to be understood correctly and applied correctly. In this sense, with the exception of Odumegwu-Ojukwu whose bona fides on citizens’ rights and enfranchisement are unassailable, yet dubiously controversial, the other is Buhari, whose history must be read correctly and understood, in order to accord him his rightful place in history - even in the current Nigeria’s attempt at democracy.“Buhari’s Principled Tenacity” was my note of the man’s relentless pursuit of legal remedy for the 2003 stolen peoples franchise. It is historic that none in Nigeria has ever pursued a cause within the limits of the law, with such zeal and focus. Buhari’s tenacity is thus a mark of discipline that is not found among Nigerians, not at the top, not at the bottom. Indeed, lack of discipline is worse at the head, the proverbial beginning point of fish rot.

 

Discipline is Buhari’s mark. It is such that when the coup d’etat of 1984 took place, the original planners caucused for a whole day almost in desperate search for one to put a face of discipline on their act. They settled on Buhari; but not without a sense of concern or fear, I believe, that this brook- no-nonsense Buhari was certain to whip everyone in line, and in shape. The original coup plotters had no choice, as their stated goal was to rein in socio-political chaos, and only a man of Buhari’s caliber could lead the charge.

 

As history is sure to be kind to Buhari now and going forward, it had not been unusual, dating back to the year of the first coup d’etat in Nigeria, 1966, for one to serve in the capacity and in the dispensation in which one found oneself – a national duty of sorts – over which one had no control – in a perversely unstable terrain. Thus did the phrase coup d’etat find its way into Buhari’s curriculum vitae; a man that brooks no indiscipline, and worse mutiny of sorts by the army over a commander-in-chief, military or civilian Buhari, thus situated as head of state, a country that appeared politically chaotic to many, had to be fixed. Seconded by yet another no-indiscipline-brooking icon, Tunde Idiagbon, Nigerians were to experience a rare commitment to national renewal.

 

Yes, many including this writer were adversely affected by the so-called Buahri coup. First, I had been flushed out of my job, and all of my future plans shattered – that was 1984 – about 22 years ago. I watched my friend, Nduka Irabor embark and alight from the Black Maria, again and again; numerous politicians escorted to Kirikiri where they cooled off.

 

Then Nigerians all became careful what they did and how they did what they did. There were clearly stated and eminently enforceable rules and regulations. War Against Indiscipline, the bane of Nigeria, had begun. On the financial side, who could forget that Easter Monday Eve that bore the totally unforeseen, unpredicted announcement of naira currency change, following which any deposit in the bank in the amount of 5000 Naira and above was to be reported to authorities, along with sources of the fund. Within three months in office, Buhari had Money Laundering pegged and routed; Buhari had Bunkering - illegal oil deal that siphoned millions of oil revenue to local and international crooks pegged and routed; Buhari had a sense of citizen and official accountability pegged and established; Buhari had pegged and established norms on social conduct, fiscal conduct and general behavior. Thus established - social discipline, economic discipline and fiscal discipline, Nigeria did not need much more to trudge to the next level of national development and making a success at it. Not so fast!

 

In came the gap toothed, evil one – Ibrahim Babangida. Only military and civilian crooks and fools comprehended the reason for the coming of the gap-toothed evil one. He came to save his neck, we were to learn later, and save his criminal neck, he did, taking the future of every man, woman and children of Nigerian nations with him. And what do you know, all that Buhari reined in and pegged, the gap toothed one let loose – assorted crimes and social delinquencies – corruption, thievery; and brand new crimes hitherto unknown to Nigerians – assassination, drug peddling, drug pushing and drug ingesting – you name it. And so did Nigerians lose Nigeria. Public morality, the bond that binds a nation was thrown to the dogs; and so during the reign of the gap-toothed one and since following his reign of total ruin, Nigeria remains a nation of dogs eating dogs.

 

Say whatever you may, Sani Abacha, whose regime Buhari and Odumegwu-Ojukwu assisted in some capacities, was intent on returning Nigeria to an entity of social and economic sanity, by making best effort at salvaging what was left of Nigeria, following Ibrahim Babangida’s unmitigated criminal social, political and economic brigandage. Even the fiercest Abacha critics allows today that Abacha’s was a people Government, in comparison to the farce Obasanjo has around the neck of Nigerians today in the name of democracy.

 

Yes, Buhari and Idiagbon incarcerated sundry personalities for sundry crimes during their time – a key reason why some resent Buhari today. But each incarceration was preceded by open trial tribunals that were devoid of deceit and assorted shenanigans such as were and are natural to the gap toothed one that crept onto the helm pretending to be a harmless sheep.

 

One must remember Babangida’s shenanigan that preceded his execution of his childhood friend, Maman Vatsa. Whoever thought Babangida had not made up his mind to kill this man, before his deceit of a test of public opinion must have been a fool.

 

Barely months into the regime of the gap toothed one, a cloud of secrecy, hush, hush, descended on Nigeria. For the first time in its history, social settlement or duping by way of bribe to silence critics became the rule, baring which, in the case of Dele Giwa, the one’s body was shattered by a message - indeed bomb-bearing envelope that bore the seal of the “president”.

 

Secretly, the best and brightest Nigerian soldiers were eliminated. At a point these best and brightest numbering 69 were executed at once, for no reason other than the gap toothed one’s intent on perpetuating himself in power. Those that were not executed, were loaded in an airplane and blasted away in the sky….so did soldiers numbering in the hundreds perish. Sundry evil deeds hitherto unknown to Nigerians descended on Nigeria.

 

Meanwhile, Babangida had foreign security agents guarding him. The shenanigans of the gap toothed one ran its course when on June 12, 1993, following years of hocus-pocus induced hand over to civilian plan, he cancelled an election that was reported to be the fairest and freest in the history of the country; the anniversary of which was responsible for Buahri’s presence in Oduduwa land. None could have speculated before the June 12 anniversary that Buhari would be present at the event, and not only being present, but that he would seize the opportunity to assure Oduduwa sons and daughters that he Buhari is really a warm, friendly democrat – with a capital letter D.

 

It is the completion of a circle of sorts for Buhari, as the favorite son of the north and I dare say, a favorite of citizens of Nigerian nations that deems honor and integrity as requisites for occupying the Nigerian helm that has been so desecrated that it has been referred to as “a nest of killers” – Wole Soyinka. Buhari had last year at the World Igbo Congress (WIC) in New Jersey, USA, waxed in the “honor” and “privilege” he said, “of an opportunity to interact with my Igbo brothers and sisters…across the River Benue. It is a circle complete for an ex-soldier, Buhari, a shining armor, who makes no bones about his “unwavering commitment to true democratic norms”.

 

Indeed Buhari is the icon of free democratic franchise for the peoples of Nigerian nations – this he has demonstrated in his utterances and in the uphill legal battle he is engaged in still, to see to the redress of the people’s stolen mandate.

 

July 1, 2005 is yet another opportunity for Nigerians to show the world that they have a judiciary that is beholden to no one, and most important, that something akin to democracy exists in the place called Nigeria.

 

An observer of Nigerian politics stated the other day that there is no opposition in Nigeria, “we have not heard from Buhari.” Indeed, there are two standing opposition parties in Nigeria today – the APGA and the ANPP. The two prominent political duos that have kept Obasanjo and his PDP in some check are Buhari and Odemuegwu-Ojukwu. In the legal struggle to remedy the 2003 419 elections, the APGA leader, Odumegwu-Ojukwu did concede the major vote count that saw the APGA wining the former eastern region all the way to Bayelsa, to Buhari.

 

Odumegwu-Ojukwu reasons that Buhari possibly got more votes than him, and he more than Obasanjo. Any who doubts Ikemba must countenance the fact that APGA won in the entire east, while Buhari was the favorite in the north. Did not Obasanjo lose his home state – Ogun? The Odumegwu-Ojukw/Buhari post elections camaraderie remains a demonstration of principles of democratic fundamentals, where the robbed band together not in the exercise of thuggery, but in legal contest, which in this case had long been stifled by the vote thieving Obasanjo’s PDP.

 

In his current right moves, Buhari has sailed above the Supreme Court that denied him justice that is now pending on appeal to be heard on July 1. Buhari spoke for all Nigerian peoples from Gombe to Nembe, when he stated his belief “in the principles of democratic rule and a free system where Nigerians are given the opportunity to elect their leaders”. Nigerian peoples ask no more of democracy than to be allowed to vote for those they want to represent their interests and not be hindered by vote thieves, thugs and robbers that are sponsored by the government in power – the PDP in this instance.

 

With the exception of APGA’s Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Buhari is the next best positioned, morally and otherwise to challenge the powers that be today as he did during his Lagos outing. Thus his challenge to Obasanjo to expose Nigerians that have “a total of 170 Billion Dollars” lodged in foreign account, while he – Obasanjo trudges about seeking forgiveness for Nigeria’s debt of 35 Billion-Dollar. Buhari had allowed only days ago that whatever becomes of his appeal that is eagerly awaited on July 1, he is contesting the presidency, come 2007.

 

This should impress all men and women of honor and integrity that are left in all of Nigerian nations.  With his recent moves and great moves at that in Oduduwa land, Buhari’s political friends and foes alike, announced and unannounced candidates for the presidency are bound to go back to the drawing board, as Buhari is the one to beat! And when you thought Buhari was done, he went ahead and concluded his Lagos visit and participation in the June 12 anniversary with a tour de force speech that added to the long shadow he casts on the political landscape.

 

In his speech, Buhari addressed remedies to the criminal political practice in Nigeria today that the party in power, PDP calls democracy, democracy that has shown neither respect nor regard for citizens. Buhari spoke of democracy “based on social contract between the government and the governed”.  Ever the defender of the sanctity of the vote, Buhari affirmed in the negative to the question: “..can there be democracy and social justice without the people’s vote?” To forestall a repeat of June 12 and the criminal brigandage – vote rigging and robbery perpetrated by Obasanjo and his PDP in 2003, Buhari recommended what he termed “Open the Ballot Box” system, as against “Close the Ballot Box” system. That is to say, let there be light on people’s vote – the most sacred instrument of democracy. On the rule of law, Buhari reasoned thus: “As strong and robust economy helps to sustain democracy, so is sincere adherence to the rule of law. Obasanjo? The current executive makes mockery of democracy by flagrantly violating the judgment of the court, Buhari charged. He wondered, what protection was there for ordinary citizens, if the last arbiter for the defenseless, the courts were beholden to the executive. Buhari cited the Lagos State experience, where the executive continues to withhold funds from the state, over the ruling of the highest court in the land.

 

Not done, Buhari confronted headlong the charge bandied about that he is about Islamizing Nigeria, that he asked Muslims to vote for Muslims only. Said Buhari, “Let me take this opportunity for the umpteenth time to explain the falsehood credited to me. That I advised Muslim voters to vote only for Muslims. Never was a bigger lie perpetrated in Nigeria!” “What I said” he continued, “was that people should wake up, vote only for those who will protect their interests, their culture, their religion and their security. I spoke in Hausa, ex tempore, although mercifully the recording has been preserved. The reporter, who sent this falsehood to THISday was not present at the scene, did not speak Hausa and when confronted, he said he thought that was what I said!”

 

Cognizant of the lackadaisical attitude to due diligence by Nigerian press, I am on the side of Buhari, and have been since this no case of Buahri and him Islamizing Nigeria broke. How would the Buhari Islamization of Nigeria come to pass, by force?  Buhari would have to bring Salaudin back to life to fight to Islamize all peoples of Nigerian nations. What PDP 2003 criminal brigandage that netted the 419 Obasanjo presidency did was rob each and every Nigerian’s votes they cast for those that will protect, as Buhari sees it, their interest, their culture, their religion, their security. Which Nigerian is happy about the PDP robbery? None. That is where Buhari and true democrats come in. Come 2007, the choice should be obvious.

 

Now, if any thinks this fresh democrat, Buhari can be stopped by some sinister insinuation, the one better think again. I know a warrior when I see one. Not any warrior, but a warrior for truth, a warrior for principle, a warrior for the better part of humanity. Buhari is it. When the best of mankind is in a representative position, God’s children are all better for it. The reverse is the case, as we have seen in Nigeria today. Sadness is the lot of all God’s children. Obasanjo’s PDP robbed Nigerians of true, honest representation, and so are Nigerians paying dearly and Buhari continues to fight. With his recent right moves, hope is on the way, for those with however little faith in the British structure called Nigeria.

 

June 27, 2005

 

Peter Opara is a communications consultant and author of Understanding the Nigerian Nation Tribes – Why they Boil.