General Muhammadu Buhari And Governor Attahiru Bafawa’s Misunderstanding Needs To Be Resolved Soon

By

Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad

General Muhammadu Buhari is a good man and although I have not been fortunate to know him face to face I will continue to hold on to this opinion about him by so many people and also because of his proven integrity and leadership qualities. By the same token I will hasten to say, subject to any contrary proven view, that Governor Attahiru Bafarawa is also a good man. Hence in my view the recent public statement credited to General Muhammadu Buhari, if true is indeed regrettable and certainly below the status of the well respected General. It was reported that the General had stated that the exit of Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and Governor Saminu Turaki from the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party ‘was a blessing in disguise’, and to which Governor Attahiru Bafarawa responded by expressing his shock over the statement purported to have been made by General Muhammadu Buhari. I am still at a loss what would have made the ex-army General to have made such a statement and would rather treat it like the infamous report that was hung around the General’s neck on his alleged appeal to Muslims not to vote for any politician unless he were a Muslim. Indeed in-spite of the General’s repeated denials the southern media still continues to ‘remind us’ of the malicious and fabricated statement supposedly made by General Muhammadu Buhari. This was  even as it was well known that General Buhari’s military junta was never an easy prey to any religious organization at the time he could have favored any such group of people had he chosen to: religious, regional, ethnic, and what have you. Indeed it was known then that General Muhammadu Buhari dared the Islamic establishment in the North, even as  a Muslim, by restricting the movements of the revered scholar and one of the symbols of the Muslim North, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmood Gummi [May Allaah forgive him all his faults, aamiin]. That is all the reason why I will continue to hold the reported statement of the General regarding Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and Governor Saminu Turaki with a grain of salt. A seasoned leader and democrat of General Buhari’s caliber must surely know, or at least accept the saying that in politics there is neither a permanent friend nor a permanent foe. And no where on the planet earth is this statement as true as in Nigeria where the politics of greed; you chop and I chop; and not the politics of principles and ideology carries the day. No one is saying General Muhammadu Buhari is faultless as a politician; neither is Governor Attahiru Bafarawa. That is not to exploit their faults to open up the political gulf between them and by definition between their supporters and admirers to risk whatever chances the General may have to make a victorious bid for the presidency as I happen to believe he is most eminently qualified to chase out of Asorock the current incumbent, Aremu Okikilo Olusegun Obasanjo, who has not only rampaged but has destroyed Nigeria in every sense of the word.

I will admit that Governor Attahiru Bafarawa is one of my chosen Governors from the northern part of the country for a number of reasons. He is outspoken and never shied to speak his mind on the northern interests that he claimed to represent. The Governor’s key note address at the Arewa House pending the elections of 2003 still remains his most profound political statement on behalf of his single constituency, the North. One may say so much water had of course run under the bridge to have watered down the remarkable speech for unity of the North but credit must be given to him for muscling through all odds at that time and venue to present a united North through the speech, Had the northern leadership took serious note of the elements of the speech by the Garkuwan Sakkwato, perhaps the North would not have found itself playing the second fiddle and to have allowed OBJ and his stealing cohorts, some of whom were northerners to take the presidential victory from General Muhmmadu Buhari. As it is today the North and Nigeria in general continue to pay dearly for that inglorious election that is better known as ‘419’. And that is why I find it hard to go with the allegation that Governor Attahiru Bafarawa was all along working for any other establishment but the North even as he was in the ANPP. His role in dismantling the purported Third Term for Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo is also well known and he stood shoulder to shoulder with General Muhammadu Buhari and other credible northern leaders along with some distinguished and Honorable members of the Senate and House of Representatives to disarm and kill the inglorious plot to extend the failed and confused presidency of OBJ. That was also at the time that the hunting dogs of Nuhu Ribadu were unleashed by OBJ and Ahmadu Ali as chairman of the diseased Peoples’ Depressed Party [PDP] to apprehend any politician, including the Governors, who were known to be the anti-Third Term agitators. Shouldn’t that time one would ask be the most opportune for Governor Attahiru Bafarwa to join the rank of the Third Termers if only to be in the ‘good books’ of OBJ?  

True I have read numerous write ups against the current government of Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, the most recent being about how the Governor and his new Democratic Peoples’ Party is misusing both power and state funds to promote the image of the new party and to work for its victory in the 2007 elections. Because such allegations have often not been followed by any concrete evidences, I for one, concerned as I am for good governance of my state by those in the corridors of power, decided not to contribute to the stories. Besides some allegations against the Bafarawa administration have been rebutted. I would also hope and pray what I have been reading about the alleged conscription of civil servants into the new party in Sokoto State is false and without any iota of truth. I would imagine in good sense that the Garkuwan Sakkwato cannot be the one to run away from the battle field of politics by not playing it clean and wholesome knowing what matters the most for him at this juncture is to leave a great legacy of achievement, integrity, political maturity and tolerance that the people of Sokoto are well known to have inherited from their leaders in those days of glory. This also urges me to advice my Governor for the sake of peace and posterity to make amends with his ex- Deputy Governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, so that the elections of 2007 will be less divisive and acrimonious in Sokoto State.

I am sorry I have digressed. The Buhari-Bafarawa misunderstanding must be nipped in the bud, in the interest of peace and for the interest of the North: that is if such misunderstanding is indeed real. The two leaders must face the true politics of give and take; politics without bitterness, as one of my past and esteemed political leaders, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri would say. In this connection I find Governor Attahiru Bafarawa’s letter to General Muhammadu Buhari to be most mature, humble and uncharacteristically courteous. For not only did His Excellency, the Governor of my state declare all the accusations against him to be without foundation, but he went on to tell the General how much he still respects him and look towards him as a leader. I am sorry whatever the truth about Governor Bafarawa’s alleged mischief was when he was in the ANPP, his own statement to utterly repute the allegations must inform the General there has been no love lost between him and his younger political friend and admirer, even as they now belong to two different political parties. I praise the Governor for his courage not to be vindictive over the alleged animosity and certainly the courteous tone of his letter to the General is worthy of emulation among many of our leaders who have become intoxicated with power and apparent invincibility to be seen as weak even  when they should simply say: ‘sorry’. How many people, including our leaders can be the Bafarawas in humility? I happen to think Governor Bafarawa made his letter public not so much to square even with the alleged statement of General Buhari but to wash him off publicly from such allegations. Otherwise, I would imagine the Governor going to General Muhammadu Buhari and talked the whole issue over. I think it is now left to the General to embrace his junior politician and brother again as they must bury the hatchet once and for all. And to do this is what the Islamic religion demands as Allaah [Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalah] has commanded: “The Believers are nothing else but brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allaah that you may receive Mercy.” [al-Hujuraat: 49:10]. In a hadeeth related by Abu Hurayrah [Radhiyal-Allaahu Anhu], the Holy Prophet [Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam] said: “The strong one is not he who knocks out his adversary; the strong one is he who keeps control over his temper.” [Bukhaariy and Muslim]. Alas! How often do we even as Muslims shy away from these noble directives of humility and tolerance?  All our leaders, North and South, must rise up and do what they expect their followers to do; that is to be tolerant and keep peace with each other. This is the only way to uphold peaceful co-existence, so that security, economic progress, and harmony may once again prevail in Nigeria. And I am optimistic the 2007 elections may usher in such peace and progress for all and sundry in our great United Nations of Nigeria. I rest my case.

Dr. Abubakar A. Muhammad writes from the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.