It is election time again and Nigerians are eager to weigh the stewardship of elected officers with promises they made that got them the mandate they are serving out and decide whether or not they deserve another term. This clearly applies to Presidency Muhammadu Buhari who achieved a long-term ambition of winning the 2015 presidential election after three unsuccessful attempts.
On Friday, December 28, 2018, Buhari flagged-off campaign for his re-election in Akwa-Ibom but surprisingly, he was evasive of giving proper account of the mandate he was entrusted with three and half years ago. For the entire time he spoke at the political gathering, he bored Nigerians with the theatrics of the 2015 election period, failing to accept responsibility for his actions and inactions since his assumption of office.
Earlier that day, the APC had released the much-awaited presidential council list that will pilot the re-election bid of Buhari. The list, was however, marred with contradictions, as APC desperately browbeat notable Nigerians on its campaign council to fake a non-existent acceptance in the public.
It was evident that APC is struggling with questions on performance and believes it could easily wade-off perceptions on its severe and frustrating failures on all fronts with names like Alhaji Aliko Dangote on the presidential campaign council list. In plain term, APC tried to generalise failure by throwing the name of the accomplished businessman to cover the receding growth Nigeria has experienced under its management.
Aliko Dangote is everything but not a failure. The APC had sought to latch on the image of the Africa richest man to warm itself back into the mind of Nigerians but that was short-lived as it reversed itself less than 10 hours on the inclusion of Aliko Dangote on the presidential campaign council list.
This is not the first time APC is caught in name-dropping to paint a picture that Nigerians are still supporting it, and willing to throw their resources behind the re-election bid of Buhari. Recall that some farmers were recently credited for donating N1.7 billion to fund the campaign of Buhari. Even that have been shrouded in controversy as the identities of the donors remained unknown.
With APC frenzy for names, either fictious or imaginary, to augment its presidential campaign, something is quite clear and that is, APC has failed the performance test. The party is trying to dodge questions on why it deserves another mandate after blowing the trust reposed in it by Nigerians in 2015. APC is aware of Buhari’s inept and lacklustre performance but wanted to hoodwink Nigerians into renewing his mandate with cooking up a non-existing support base.
The last three and half years under Buhari has exposed Nigerians to gross incompetence and ineptitude, the type never seen before in the country’s post-independence history that brought the country to her knees.
Nigeria is in a deep mess as both economic and social trend are at a descending order. Even Aliko Dangote was not spared from the poor handling of the nation’s affair under Buhari as his fortune suffered unbelievable slump. How would APC be so desperate to attempt to railroad such astute and globally revered businessman to redeem its highly battered image?
It is unimaginable the numbers of Nigerians who have lost their jobs as factories continue to shut down under Buhari owing to unfavourable policies. Or the increasing threat to lives and properties as a result of insecurity and even worse, the classification of Nigeria as poverty capital of the World under Buhari, are something too critical for citizens to ignore.
APC resort to cheap credibility and stampeding citizens into reinforcing failure betrays the horrifying tales and lamentations that dominate public discussions. The little gains recorded by successive governments were reversed with inconsistent and untenable approaches.
Corruption is now distinguished along party lines, with those having skeleton in their cupboard finding APC as an abode to evade the long arm of the law. APC have shattered expectations and desires of the people and it will be utterly wrong if not suicidal for any responsible citizen to repeat the same mistake that led Nigeria to this sordid state.
As always, Aliko Dangote stood by the people and distance himself from the composition that orchestrated the pitiable plight facing Nigerians. He further demonstrated that more than anything, he is a man who value humanity and would never be part of any coalition that would prolong their sufferings. And more than anything, Aliko Dangote refused APC clever attempt to generalise failure.
Oke Umurhohwo is a Political Analyst and Strategist as well as a member of the PDP. He tweets from @stalyf
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