Buhari, the game changer By Yomi Obaditan

buhari-nigeria-intelHuman progress is neither automatic nor inevitable. .. Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; The tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals”

The 2015 general election is about to commence despite the recent challenges both from the electoral umpire, just as the Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC), and the politicians, who have been on the battlefields  in a bid to outmaneuver one another in order to coast home to victory. The political campaign is more like what the late afro music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, called “roforo fight”.

If there had been no political campaign in the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo,  Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Aminu Kano and Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri in the Third Republic, one would have remained ignorant of what political  rally is all about. In that era, no serious student of political science would hesitate to attend such rallies without being armed with notes and writing materials to jot down some new political Jagons and unforgettable quotations.

But, time has changed to the level that one is better to remain at home reading than attending rallies that neither offer hope or statements that fire one’s intellectuality. A man’s word tells the type of books he has read but where there are leaders that hardly read, there will be dearth of ideas , who tend to abandon substance for chasing shadow. Consequently, that  society will suffer from qualitative leadership, as well as good governance.

“ History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamour of the bad people, but the appauling silence of the good people” Martin Luther King, Jr.who made the statement must have had Nigeria in mind. This is due to what has been going on as we approach the eleventh hour of the rescheduled elections. The ruling political party at the centre threw caution to the winds, amorously calling for the opposite of normal political behaviuor at every point in time. For instance, INEC’s newly-introduced card readers that smaller countries in West Africa  have utilised successfully, was opposed by PDP. They attempted the removal of the head of the electoral umpire at the dying minute. They fear opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari so much to the extent that about 11 cases were filed in court to ensure that he was disqualified from the race.

PDP forgot to sellits programmes to the electorate;  all you hear and see are anti-Buhari messages. Some media shot themselves on the legs by taking side with the party that has been in saddle for over 15 years. Foreign investors are scared away due to insurgency that the Federal Government docile approach to its curtailment to their own peril. Local industries have gone comatose.  Others ran to neighbouring countries for better investment environment. Power is another albatross that this administration could not phantom. The more billion of dollars expended, the less power is made available for the people. The ruling party prefers importation of industrial generators to enrich themselves than to provide stable power for industrial development. The youths went through the hard times under this administration;  for over two years, tertiary institutions were shut down due to industrial action in Nigeria.

Unemployment dented the image of this administration. The Abuja Olympic-size stadium was filled beyond capacity on the day of recruitment nation wide. It was “ not a typical scene at soccer match or at any sporting event for that matter. That was a sea of heads of Nigerian youths at a government job recruitment exercise  “ At the end of the exercise,  17 innocent Nigerians lost their lives. The Federal Government suddenly realised they must compensate their relative in less than a week to the general elections. The economic climate that is responsible for the closure of industries can never create jobs for the jobless. The oil sector that can create more jobs through gas production and other petroleum by-products became moribund due to corruption and impunity. States can no longer pay workers due “ to stealing of crude oil by vandals.

For about three times, Buhari has contested and failed. The ruling party  has taken Nigerians for granted and boasted that they would remain in power for 60 years. But the Buhari’s candidature of All Progressives Congress (APC) has changed the self-confidence of the PDP.

Having seen the obvious signal of defeat, and realised that they were about to sink into the long awaited Waterloo, they tried all their tricks;  from blackmail to threat of death, from the employment of security agents to total removal of the head of the electoral umpire. The inevitable is about to happen and a new era about to emerge. Buhari’s moving train is unstoppable.  The political landscale is witnessing a new dawn.

The factors that propel the victory of Buhari are numerous,  but sure and certain. First, Nigeria needs a total change and a departure from the present “suffering and smiling”. The only hope lies in the hands of the man, Buhari. Secondly, corruption incorporated has almost bankcrupt the nation. All economic wealth have been hijacked by the few groups who are in the corridors of power. It requires all urgency to recover the loots for national utilisation.

Thirdly, the insecurity of lives and property which is the sole responsibility of any serious government has been unattainable and beyond the capacity of the present regime. Like Charles De Gaulle was the answer to France moment of challenge,   Buhari is the answer to Nigeria’ security challenge.  The APC and Buhari promised to utilise recovered stolen wealth to provide good infrastructure,  free health services etc for Nigerians

SUN

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