18 September 2010 By Saka Raji
Audu The 2011 General election time
table is out. Presidential election is scheduled to
take place on 22nd January. As part of the
successful conduct of the general election, President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan signed the new electoral bill
into law and the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) led by Professor Attahiru Jega has
received huge sum of money towards successful conduct
of the election. Some prominent people have signified
their intention to contest in the 2011 presidential
election. Those that are still willing to come back
in spite of having tasted the position are General
Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), General Ibrahim Badamasi
Babangida (rtd), and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Other
Presidential hopefuls are General Aliyu Gusau (rtd),
Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau, the Governor of Kano
State (the first to publicly declare his aspiration),
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the former EFCC Boss, Alhaji
Bashir Uthman Tofa and the incumbent President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is billed to formerly
declare on 18th of this month. Let us
briefly look at the past activities of these
presidential hopefuls to ascertain who among them
should earn our mandate. General Muhammad Buhari (rtd) was
a former Head of state, Minister of Communication,
Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources and
Chairman of NNPC as well as the Chairman of the
scrapped Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). He came to power
through the barrel of gun on 31st December
1983 to upset the civil proceedings of the four years
old Shagari administration. Before the maradona boys
rudely checked him out, he had made some restorations
in the dignity of Nigeria in the area of indiscipline
and corrupt practices. In the course of executing what
he thought good for the country, he stepped on the
toes of individual and group of individuals. He
cajoled journalists through his decree 4 of 1984. His
government hurriedly executed three promising young
men in relation to cocaine pushing. He made the
democratically elected President Shehu Shagari to go
through the dark side of his life. Indeed, some people
have argued that whatever Buhari claimed to have
achieved in his short term in office was the handwork
of his able lieutenant - the late Major General Tunde
Idiagbon while according to Buhari critics, he as the
Head of state weakly sat down indecisive. His weakness
they say, informed why his government was toppled when
the late Idiagbon was away to perform pilgrimage at
the Holy land in Makah. Almost every second Republic
political office holders was imprisoned by Buhari
administrative cleansing. In addition, two prominent
traditional rulers in the country were reprimanded for
venting to travel abroad. In fact, one does not know
whether or not the like of Alhaji Umaru Dikko has
forgiven Buhari for smuggling him into a crate from
abroad to Nigeria. Even after Buhari had left
government house, most of his public comments were
highly inflammable. The comment he allegedly made at
Sokoto launching that Muslims should vote Muslims is
still very green in his oppositions’ mind. In 2003 and
2007, he sought to be elected as civilian President of
Nigeria under All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). But
he could not make it in the two separate elections.
Could all of the above be the reasons he was not
elected for two past elections? For the third time, he
is willing to try his luck again under a new political
platform known as Congress for Progressive Change
(CPC). We also have General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida, the same 'evil genius' who had put
ten years ban on old breed politicians and now wants
to tell us that the young breed politicians are not
capable of administering the country. The 'evil
genius' who knew very well how he appropriated the
1991 gulf war oil windfall is now telling us today
that he is not a thief simply because he has not been
sent to jail. In any case, it beats one's imagination
to hear from a man who became President through the
barrel of gun as not being a thief. Coup plotting is
dishonest and dishonesty breeds thievery. According to a report by the News
watch magazine of 6th January 1995, a total amount of
$571.78 million (N12.58billion) was realized from
crude oil sales during the Gulf crisis. This money was
realized as a result of the increase in demand and the
hike in the prices of oil following its scarcity in
the international market, a short falls of four
million barrels per day. This money also formed a part
of $12.4 billion (N272.8 billion) realized in oil
sales between September 1988 and June 1994 placed in
special accounts. The profit made by Nigeria during
the Gulf crisis was so encouraging to the extent that
Nsikak Essien, an editor with the then Concord press
satirically prayed in one of his writings that God
should never allow the Gulf crisis to end so that
Nigeria would continue to make the huge profits out of
her oil. But the 'evil genius' has not told us where
was the large sums Nigeria made during the Gulf
crisis? What was it used for and in whose interest?
This is not to talk about his inhuman policies, his
SAP that sapped Nigerians, his IMF loans that enslaved
Nigerians, his government policy of chop- chop that
brought about high level of corruption, which we are
still battling today and his painful annulment of June
12 that almost caused civil war in addition to his
other unfortunate incidences. So, what does IBB, the
evil genius want again? Is he still referring to
Nigerians as fools? This is appalling! To allow an evil genius as IBB
and his fellow travelers in PDP to clinch to power in
2011 is to call Nigerians fool and make Nigeria a
hopeless state where anarchy and lawlessness might
reign supreme. IBB would still have to explain to
Nigerians what happened to the country oil windfall
during the 1991 gulf war, his 1986 Structural
Adjustment Programme (SAP) that turned out to enslave
the common man, his 1989 IMF loan that enslaved the
Nigerian Students and his 1993 annulment of June 12,
Presidential election that led to loss of huge lives
and property. What about the 1986 Dele Giwa issue?
What about the Ogidi tragedy in Lagos where 150
Nigerian soldiers were bombed and the huge fall in the
value of our currency, leading to high level of
inflation where too much money chased too few goods at
the detriment of Nigerians? All these IBB refused to
explain to Nigerians in 2000 when he was called by the
then Oputa Panel to do so. Thus, whoever is engaged or
planning to eat from IBB spoils of office in
anticipation of getting him 'elected' in 2011 should
eat small as IBB has many loads up his sleeves. There is this man called Mallam
Nuhu Ribadu whose trouble started sometime in 2006
when the former President Obasanjo was nursing the
idea of going for third term in office as civilian
president of Nigeria. This dream was however later
shattered at the national assembly. This made Obasanjo
a wounded lion that he later vowed to take politics as
do and die affair. The way Obasanjo thought he could
go about it was to frustrate, intimidate and cowed
whoever refused to kowtow to his third term agenda.
One of the government agents Obasanjo could
conveniently use against his perceived political foes
was the EFCC under the leadership of Nuhu Ribadu. He
caused for the accelerated promotion of Ribadu,
putting his other mates in the Nigerian Police behind
him. He made Ribadu his dear queen of the time by
extending series of preferential treatments to him.
All these, made Ribadu a puppet to Obasanjo, to the
extent that whatever he pointed at, Ribadu would go
for it to satisfy his boss that had wanted every big
politician and governor to be in his party. In 2007
when the general election for presidential,
governorship, national and state assemblies were
approaching, Ribadu deviated from his moral crusade
and intensified his witch hunt for Obasanjo's
acclaimed political enemies, both the innocent and the
guilty ones. Guilty one like the former ANPP governor
of Jigawa State , Alhaji Saminu Turaki had to quickly
dump his party and went to take cover under Obasanjo's
ruling party. This evasive act could not still help
him even though he is still serving as senator in the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ribadu used the power conferred
on him as EFCC Chairman to endanger some people's
political future. If he meant well for the system and
was sincere and honest in his anti-graft crusade, why
did he include the former Vice-President Abubakar
Atiku in the list of corrupt politicians and left his
boss, Obasanjo as innocent whereas, he knows very well
that they are both in the same boat? While Ribadu was
being used to destroy people of integrity under the
guise of fighting corruption, some inconsiderate
people were busy elongating Ribadu for the hatched
job, not minding the fact that a coin has two faces.
We are told that Ribadu had never worn his police
uniform. We are told that Ribadu considered himself as
special because he was just appointed to look after a
federal government agency. People are still not happy
with the recruitment pattern of EFCC workers, which
was tilted to Ribadu's kith and kin. People are still
not comfortable with the fact that in spite of huge
sum of money recovered from the corrupt politicians,
the country is still groping in abject poverty. One needs not talk about the
allegations that the ex-corruption crusader, Ribadu
also has houses in Dubai, Leeds, Chelsea and Abuja.
This is because some people who are still in doubt
about the true Ribadu's character said it is a false
allegation. But when Ribadu was making the same
pent-up charges and allegations against political and
personal rivals of Obasanjo, the people did not doubt
Ribadu because in Nigeria, once one is in charge, one
becomes an angel. In view of the catalogue of
misdemeanors of Ribadu enumerated above, how can we
trust him again for leadership? Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is another
presidential aspirant that wants to be the number one
citizen after the January election. He is the former
Vice President who has also served this country with
his boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years.
Obasanjo/Atiku leadership cannot be exonerated from
the woes of the country. It is on record how this duo
manipulated the country to their advantage without the
fear of God. When they were later separated by greed
towards the end of their tenure, the country was
treated with disdain on how each tried to loot the
country with impunity. The crisis led Atiku Abubakar
to leave PDP and formed the Action Congress, AC now
Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. In spite of the heap
of public insults Atiku gave to Obasanjo and his PDP
during the sad days, the former is back again to PDP
to seek for its presidential nomination. These
inconsistencies of Atiku might not earn him trust and
integrity. For him to come back as President would
mean preparing ground for vengeful mission and this
will be at the detriment of socio-economic and
political development of the country. For now, neither
Obasanjo nor Atiku can be trusted again for
presidency. So, there is no reason why Nigerians
should waste their precious mandate for Atiku Abubakar
in the 2011 presidential election even if he has his
ways in PDP, which one doubts. The recent declaration of Alhaji
Bashir Uthman Tofa to vie again for President of this
country is a joke carried too far. The Tofa we know is
not a man that can make any difference in view of his
past political antecedent. Tofa was the presidential
candidate of the proscribed National Republican
Convention, NRC in the ill-fated June 12, 1993
presidential election. He is an economist but could
not successfully run his Century Merchant Bank, which
became one of the failed banks in Nigeria. In 1994,
Tofa sneaked out of the country to evade the wrath of
the late Sani Abacha's axe against failed bank chief
executives. He could not also sustain his Pen
Newspaper for months before it was packed up.
During the June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Bashir
Tofa could not win his Gandu Albasa ward as he clearly
lost the area to Abiola's SDP though he satirically
claimed to be the winner of the controversial June 12,
1993 presidential election annulled by Babangida
military regime. Since then, Tofa became obscured from
the political scene. He however gained momentum with
the launching of his eight Hausa books where he got
over N60M, with the highest donation coming from the
government of Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau, the man
Tofa now wants to challenge in the presidential
nomination of All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP). Apart
from been one time National Financial Secretary of the
banned NPN, there is nothing else for Tofa to convince
the people of his credibility required for President
of Nigeria. He is just merely being used against
Shekarau's presidential ambition by certain faction of
ANPP, In any case, Tofa is not Shekarau's match and
cannot even represent his house, what is more of
Nigeria. Any way, a dog destined to miss road does
not listen to the call of its owner. The present situation of the
country does not also favour the aspiration of the
incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who has
also signified his intention to announce his
presidential aspiration on 18th of this
month. With the death of the former President Umar
Yar'adua, it is only moral for Jonathan to complete
his late boss first tenure and nothing else.
Incidentally, his party, PDP had an agreement endorsed
in its constitution that after the eight years rule of
the south represented by Obasanjo, it would be the
turn of the north to produce the next President for
the country. It was based on this agreement that
Obasanjo was pardoned and released from prison in 1999
by Abubakar Abdulsalam Military administration to
contest that year's election. It is also based on this
agreement that on completion of his tenure in 2007 by
Obasanjo, Alhaji Umar Yar'adua was voted to take the
Northern slot. Unfortunately, he could not complete
the tenure before he gave up the ghost this year. Because power corrupts and
absolute power corrupts absolutely, President Jonathan
backed by Obasanjo refused to live up to the agreement
by saying that any body has the right to contest for
the presidency, thereby aborting the zoning agreement.
By this singular act, Mr. President and Obasanjo want
to see north as fool to have accepted the zoning
formula in 1999. Why those that are making noise
against zoning today did not tell us in 1999 and 2007
that zoning is not appropriate for the country? Were
they silent simply because they had not got power in
their hands? Incidentally too, these are the same
people who have been accusing north as "cabals"
because it held on to power. Now that the same power
has gone to them, they refuse to let it go because it
is 'sweet' to be 'cabal.' What surprised me in the
whole issue is that why are the so called leaders
practicing dishonesty? If for instance, Obasanjo who
ought to be a gentleman and a statesman for that
matter went against his words like chameleon changes
colour, how does he expect the youth to behave? What
moral rectitude do Obasanjo and his type get to tell
us any thing and expect us to believe them? This is
very unfortunate. It is time for the north to know
the implication of Obasanjo's metamorphosis over
zoning. Let us look at it this way. In 1993, June 12
Presidential election allegedly won by the late MKO
Abiola was annulled by the Military administration of
General Ibrahim Babangida. For whatever reason was the
annulment, the north was castigated for not allowing
power to shift from its base. The north was
blackmailed into accepting sin it has not committed,
dreaded with incessant fear. The same prominent
northerners that Obasanjo and his fellow travelers are
fighting today are the ones that rallied round for his
release from prison. If out of greed, dishonesty and
distrust, Obasanjo is now saying no way to the north,
the northerners should take it as a big challenge to
them. They should fight back by uniting to vote
against PDP that will likely produce Jonathan as its
candidate in the January 22 presidential election. If
they failed on this, the northerner should simply
forget about their future. Our future is in our hands,
we must not allow it to slip away no matter the
blackmail. In 1999 and 2003, the north claimed that it
is the region that paved the way for Obasanjo's
victory and true, it was the north that gave mass
support to Obasanjo at a time his people neglected
him. Having realized that feat, Obasanjo has now
turned his back against the north, perhaps, saying
that after all, the north can no longer be a deciding
factor, since in his abysmal thought, he has created
'disunity' among the ranks and files of the north.
This is why I said a challenge has been thrown into
the cot of the north and it is left to the region to
make or mar. Mr. President's insistence on
contesting the January 2011 presidential election
instead of being a neutral umpire and cashing on the
death of his boss should lead him to fall flat so that
it will teach others of such vaulting ambition some
lesson. This should be in addition to his
anti-people's government he has been running since the
death of his boss. Most importantly, we cannot see the
needed progress cum socio-economic and political
transformation in the Jonathan/Sambo ticket for 2011
in view of their poor performances so far. All what we
have seen is kidnapping, insecurity, unemployment,
corruption, insensitivity to the yearning and
aspiration of the people, failed promises,
desperation, greed, avarice, strikes in government
agencies that provide social services, jail breaking,
power/energy failure, etc. How can we continue like
this just because of one man's desperate ambition
based on opportunism? Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau is
the only presidential aspirant that should earn the
mandate of Nigerians because he is the only aspirant
that is detribalized, peaceful, dynamic, ethnically
and religiously unbiased, accommodating, progressive,
trusted, hard working, easygoing, composed, forgiving
and prudent. All these attributes are without
prejudice. His principle of one Nigeria, one destiny
is unshaken. He has always spoken of collective
interest. For a man in his capacity to hold Kano for
two consecutive terms as its Chief Executive is no
mean an achievement. Shekarau holds no grudges against
any body even if you offend him. It is on record that
his opponents are always comfortable criticizing him
than those they like because they know pretty well
that he only listens to one's opinion and take to
correction where necessary. Shekarau is tremendously
loved by whoever wants Nigeria to grow because they
know that Shekarau does not believe in vengeful
mission. It is normal for a hard working governor like
Malam (Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State to have
pocket of people who still see him from the negative
point of view but the fact remains that Shekarau is an
achiever and performer per excellence, ambassador of
peace, consistent, democratic, dependable, dedicated
and principled, impeccably transparent, intelligent,
nationalistic, security conscious, technology
personified and vibrant reconciler. The vision of Shekarau for
Nigeria is to see the country as a place where justice
and fairness is the practice, a country where all
forms of corrupt practices are reduced and curtailed,
and a country where people are engaged in meaningful
development, a country where smuggling is countered
and checked. Shekarau wants to build a virile nation
where every one will be proud to stay and work, a
country where kidnapping and other social vices are
tackled heads on and indeed where ethnic religious
crises and the naughty issue of citizenship,
indigeneship are nipped in the bud. The country has
the wherewithal to make all these changes possible.
Still, Shekarau is not happy that after 50 years of
the country's independence, her people are still
groaning in perpetual slavery because they could not
achieve their hope and aspiration. Today, politicking
has virtually taken over economic advancement and this
has made us a laughing stock of other developing
countries, which Shekarau hopes to correct. Virtually,
all other presidential contestants have had one
opportunity or the other to make change but they
squandered such opportunity and how dare they want to
come back again. This is why Governor Ibrahim Shekarau
is more qualified to get Nigerians' made in 2011
presidential election than the others. Already, majority of Nigerians
are of the strong view that those who have got the
opportunity to preside over the country in the past
should step aside for the new blood leaders to take
the country to the Promised Land. Here, persons like
Babangida, Buhari, and Atiku have been passionately
advised by men of wisdom to keep off and act as
statesmen. In any case, with the declaration of
President Jonathan to contest under PDP, Babangida and
Atiku are already out of the race because PDP might
not take either of the two as its presidential
candidate. The same fate would befall General Aliyu
Gusau, rtd who is also nursing the ambition to contest
the presidency under PDP ticket. One is optimistic
that in spite of the avoidable crisis in ANPP, Malam
(Dr) Ibrahim Shekarau will fly the flag of the party.
If this happens, it is advisable for Babangida, Atiku
and Gusau (who want to show that they care for the
north) to ensure that Shekarau is fortified to come
out unscathed at the poll so that the north is not
disgraced. Even if the trio fails to cooperate,
Shekarau's patriotic record of achievements will speak
volume for him and will surely see him through in the
2011 presidential contest. In technical terms,
Shekarau is the best bet for the north and it is hoped
that the north will not shy away from this Shekarau's
alternative in the 2011 presidential election. Saka Raji Audu writes from Kano
and can be reached on his email:
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