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I had wanted to write you this letter about a week earlier but I decided to wait until after your formal declaration. I also took my time to watch the declaration as aired live on NTA. That was necessary for me to know who and who would grace the occasion and they would say as part of their own ‘goodwill’ messages. My dear professor of Geography, what I would say in this letter may not be anything new to you, but please indulge me.
Many people are still questioning your moral stance to aspire to be the number one citizen of this country. They are quick to point at the ignominious role you played in the now buried third term ambition of the president, which would certainly have denied you, and many others, the level playing ground for you to realize this tall dream of yours. As for me, you are very much free to aspire to any position in the country. But your formal declaration was nothing but a charade.
I almost mistook it for a rally organized by the tired minds now seeking relevance by championing the cause of the area they have collectively ignored while in government. I still cannot understand their idea of a middle belt after we have North central as a geopolitical reality. The crowd was also a rented one, if Tony would declare tomorrow it is the same crowd that you would see. While making his own remark at the ceremony General T. Y. Danjuma did say that Nigerians would not tolerate people who have been taking them for granted. Whether he said it deliberately in order to spite you is something I cannot say but that is exactly what you have been doing for the entire time you have been in public office.
Then came General Salifu who tried hard to show how happy he was to be present as the declaration but unfortunately betrayed by his conscience. Through out the time he spoke I couldn’t pick any committed statement from what he said.
Paul Unongo, who said he is still a member of the ANPP but was at your declaration to show solidarity ended up dropping some bombshell that would certainly hunt you in the future. We now know that you are a member of the Soloman Lar led faction of the PDP, courtesy Unongo. Again there was no any serious person in the Ahmadu Ali led faction that was present. We are indeed in for an interesting future.
When you came up the rostrum to speak, it was indeed an eye opener for those who don’t know you. You talked about integrity as if it is a word you invented. Let me tell you this: if there is anything you have lost in the eyes of many Nigerians, then that thing, if any, is second to integrity.
And the education you are promising Nigerians may end up discouraging them rather that giving them encouragement. For God’s sake how do you reconcile the fact that you are a professor and a former teacher with the seeming lack of integrity that you are now famous for? What would you have taught Nigerians if you were still in class?
My only problem with your declaration which must have cost a fortune from your long spell around men in power is the fact that you need not bother to become something that all Nigerians know fully well that you are. You are sure to remain unopposed and unrivalled, you need not suffer seeking for another term because yours is a life presidency, and only death can change that. Or don’t Nigerians know that we have many presidents in the country like NLC president Adams Oshiomhole, NASS president, and many others. You are already a president of very powerful personalities in the country, young and old, strong and weak, men and women. You are the president of Any Government In Power (AGIP). Tony Anenih is your vice president, a loyal one not like Atiku, and Ojo Maduekwe is also part of your executive, so why bother?
You have a structure that you can oil and bring back to life. The structure I’m talking about is the one you built while trying to sell third term to Nigerians. By the faces of those present at your declaration at least we now know that most of them were the ones you contacted while running errand for your boss, Baba Iyabo.
I therefore urge you to relax and continue fro where you might have paused. To you beling all those whowould not know that their time is up. And to them you are a president any day any time. I rest my case your Excellency. Nasiru L. Abubakar lives in Abuja-Nigeria
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