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If I Were Buhari… By Ahmed Dodo
“You can fool the people sometimes, but you can’t fool them all the time” Bob Nester Marley
The much expected and over propagated Nigeria 2007 general election has come and gone. And as expected enough of controversies are beginning to trail what many have now termed the most fraudulent of all election in the country political history, since the concept of democracy was first introduced to the country more than forty year ago.
Presently the country polity is so heat up, with many acclaimed winners, voters and international observers calling for the cancellation of what others have called one of the most peaceful conducted elections in the country.
Of all these calls and opinions so far expressed on the current most controversial issue in the country, one call that has remain surprising and at the same time embarrassing to me, was the call by some foreign observers with the support of some selfish Nigerians to canceled the elections, citing many cases of irregularities as reasons for their calls.
But given the fact that no man on earth is perfect, like wise no country on this same mother earth should be said to have the perfect democracy, nor elections. Political events in the past years over the world has proved that even the so called developed democracy i.e. the United state of America, British and others are not left out in election malpractices, rigging and other forms of electorates frauds and imposition. A good example of what I am talking about was the self imposition of Mr. Bush the current strongest rigged president on the American people. Keen followers of the democracy knows exactly what happened in 2000 during the America election, especially over the result in the key state of Florida, he and his running mate Cheney , where finally inaugurated as president and vice president, despite loosing the national popular vote by approximately 335,000 votes. Today the events have showed that President Bush and his vice were not the true leaders the American electorates really wanted or voted for. The mass protest daily witnessed across the globe condemning their blood thirsty policies and terrorists’ propagandas are just a dose of what fraudulent elections are all about, not only in our dear Nigeria, but all over the so called developed world.
Back to our own current political problems, mass action and canceling by opposition parties are daily shouted across our media, strong amongst this shout is the call by one of the respected candidate who lost General Buhari that his own kinsman and the purported winner of the election Alhaji Musa Yar’adua not to be inaugurated as the next president come may 29 2007. According to the straight forward general Yar’adua inauguration should be view as unconstitutional. This call by General Buhari is the basis of this write up. I felt if I were Buhari I will just close my eyes to the whole thing and leave everything in the hands of God the controller and giver of everything, including this perishable power. Honestly if I were this great general I will hold solace and pray that God show is might in the next few months, just as He did in America, Britain , Arab, Asian and other African countries that have tried to impose an unpopular candidate on the people. If I were this patriotic general I will ask God to judge between me and my adversaries who have done everything ,including Blackmail and media calumny to deprived me of my rights and my votes. I will take solace from my religion doctrine that power really comes from God and has rightly stated in verses of the Glorious Qur’an only Allah gives power to whom He wills and any position one find himself ,one should always thank Him and glorify Him for his wisdom. Truly if I was the one in the general shoes, I will not go to court to seek any redress nor fight for a mandate that might take many days, months or years to come, if it will come at all, having had an experience of our cumbersome judicial system. If I were this only Nigerian general whose hands are clean from corruption, I will open my eyes wider; carry a hidden grin and si down look, believing that the truth will always erode lies no matter how long it takes. I will closed my ears to the cheap calls by local and foreign observers, comprehending that what has happened in the country is not peculiar to us alone. Let the hyena cure itself of purging before looking elsewhere. These foreign observers and their local collaborators are still purging, looking for any simple opportunity to infiltrate our politics, economy and social lives. I will understand that enough of resources both human and financially have been lost in the concluded elections, and nothing would actually change if another one should be held, knowing the desperations of the running class. Why not push for better economy reforms for the already frustrated electorates, as a respected statesman, instead of listening to some selfish voices with selfish motives. If I were general Buhari I will forget about the April election and allow Yar'Adua to be inaugurated, extending my hands of friendship and congratulate him as my kinsman and a younger brother. Knowing that everything has it time and all must come to pass, as taught by our noble religion. Finally if I where this disciplined general I will go on a short holiday trip to the holy land to pray for God guidance in bringing the best for our dear country, having the strong conviction that the Nigerian electorates that matter most voted for me, but other forces made it not possible for me to be the number one man, believing that what will be, will sually be and no matter what nobody can change the fact that I was once the number one man in this country long ago and history will continue to judge me as such, to many generations of Nigerians now and in the future. Democracy I will once again comprehend is for the people and the people understand the truth: they can always fool the people sometimes, but they can’t fool them all the time
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