According to the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari [rtd] [GMB] is the ‘Change Agent’ that will turn the economy around, end insurgency and eliminate corruption if voted into office as president of Nigeria. Consequently, the APC had continued to use any available medium to inform Nigerians of GMB’s impressive achievements when he was the military Head of State. But if he was as competent as chorused by the APC, why did GMB object to being judged as an individual for those things he did as the military Head of State?
Why did the APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed say that nobody should ‘compare who Buhari was when he was a military ruler to a civilian that he is today’? It is encouraging to note that GMB had since declared his assets, 150,000 heads of cattle and less than N2 million in Bank accounts. However, since the declaration, his wife, Hajiya Aishatu Buhari had amassed so much within this short period that she was able to donate drugs worth N135 million to the IDPs in Adamawa state.
If she becomes the First Lady, at this rate, her loot will eclipse that of the incorruptible Ota Chief who had N20,000.00 only when he came to power in 1999 but left Aso Rock Villa in 2007 as a multi billionaire? In the APC, there is a small group of very powerful treasury looters known as the Tinubu Boys [TB]. The TB consists of past and present governors, law makers, government officials and contractors mainly from South West Geopolitical Zone [SWGZ]. They are very loyal to Senator Tinubu whom they look up to as a godfather. They are the heart beats of the APC and if they sneeze, the APC as presently constituted will definitely catch cool. The TB played a leading role in the emergence of GMB as the APC presidential candidate. They also contribute generously towards the successful prosecution of the ongoing APC’s presidential campaigns.
So, if GMB will actually fight corruption and jail treasury looters, why do these treasury looters support him? Why are the media, Civil Society Organizations [CSOs] and prominent social commentators based in the SWGZ now in support of GMB’s presidential ambition? Why did they clamour desperately for the presidential election to be held on 14 February 2015 in spite of the fact that over 40% of registered voters in the SWGZ were not given their PVCs as at the date the INEC postponed the presidential election?
The truth is that, while the Hausa Fulani Muslims [HFM] are clamoring for the return of power to them at any cost, the TB on the other hand are perfecting plans to reclaim power from the HFM as soon as possible if the APC wins the presidential election. The seed of this conspiracy was initially planted by Senator Tinubu. He believes that GMB will not be able to successfully complete even the first term in office due to poor health, hence he tried for six [6] days to nominate himself as GMB’s running mate so that he will take over whenever GMB becomes incapacitated. When he could not succeed because the APC did not want to present a Muslim-Muslim ticket, he nominated a Christian, Professor Osinbajo to fill the gap.
However, the conspiracy has now assumed a regional dimension due to surreptitious but effective campaigns by the TB in SWGZ. Consequently, most SWGZ-based media, CSOs, social commentators and even those who once described a possible GMB’s presidency as a ‘looming danger, have now keyed into the project. The First Phase of the project is to ensure that the presidential election is held with GMB as the APC presidential candidate. Accordingly, most social commentators, CSOs and media based in the SWGZ had been sufficiently mobilized by the conspirators to promote GMB’s candidacy as well as project the APC as a better alternative.
A very formidable legal team had also been assembled with the sole mandate to ensure that none of the pending disqualification cases in the Federal High Court and the Magistrate Court against GMB is conclusively resolved on or before 28 March 2015. However, if the APC wins the presidential election, the Phase Two of the conspiracy will be activated. In Phase Two, these same media, CSOs and social commentators in the SWGZ will spring to live and call for judicial interpretation of Section 131 and Section 31 of the 1999 Constitution [As Amended] and Electoral Act 2010[As Amended] respectively.
They will claim their cardinal objectives are to build strong institutions as well as strengthen our democracy. Well funded proxies will be used by the conspirators to ensure that the disqualification cases pending against GMB are not swept under the carpet. During the campaigns, the TB were delighted to observe that GMB could not walk, talk or stand for a long time and that he was always forgetful. However, since they need him as the APC’s presidential candidate at any cost, the TB prevailed on the APC to opt out of the presidential debate in order to save the APC from embarrassment.
But now, they will discourage him from going for medical check up, concerted efforts will be made to get GMB comprehensively engaged in governance so much that he will have very little or no time for himself. This is designed to quickly wear him down physically and further compound his health problems. The conspirators are very hopeful that either GMB’s ill health or the pending disqualification cases will cause him to vacate Aso Rock Villa prematurely thereby facilitating his replacement by the Vice president, an individual of Yoruba extraction.
For the HFM, while celebrating your romance with the conspirators, remember the Greek Gift from the incorruptible Ota Chief in 2007 and its consequences. An African proverb says ‘if a snake decides to behave like a rope, people will continue to use it to tie firewood’. God bless Nigeria.
Dr Deborah Nelson, Ilorin, Kwara State
NOTE: This platform does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of anything said in this essay.