Buhari playing to the gallery – Ayo Adebanjo

THE Federal Government has been advised to stop the media trial of Chief Olu Falae, Tanko Yakassai, Chief Tony Anenih and others accused of receiving various sums of money running into millions of naira from the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki in a scandal that has been dubbed Dasukigate.

Giving the advice in an interview with ’TUNDE THOMAS in Lagos, elder statesman, and Afenifere chief­tain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said it was unfair for the EFCC to adopt the cur­rent approach of using the media to make noise over the issue.

“It is only a court of law that can decide this case. It is wrong to accuse these people of committing crime when no court of law has done so,” he declared.

Adebanjo also spoke on President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership style, among others.

Excerpts:

It is about seven months now that we have a change of government with President Muhammadu Buhari now in power, how would you assess the journey so far?

To me, nothing has changed. Noth­ing has changed from my perception of Buhari before the election that he can never be a democrat. I cam­paigned against him before the elec­tion, urging Nigerians to be wary and think carefully before voting for Buhari. He has never been a demo­crat, but that time when I campaigned against him, some of his apologists came out to speak against me, urging Nigerians not to take me seriously. But seven months after, have I not been proved right?

I have nothing against Buhari. On a personal note, he is a clean and good man, but that is where it stops. Buhari doesn’t have the attributes of a good leader. He doesn’t have qualities of a leader required to lead a complex country like Nigeria.

I reminded Nigerians before the election last year about the chance of having Buhari in power. I told Nigeri­ans that Buhari is not a pan-Nigerian citizen; that he is a sectional leader, and also that he is a dictator. I also re­minded Nigerians about what Buhari did over 30 years ago when he was military Head of State, but it is unfor­tunate that Nigerians have short mem­ory. I was shouted down and called all sorts of names, but have I not been proved right now?

All my allegations against Buhari still stand. The man, Buhari, can nev­er change. I have no malice towards him, but I will continue to highlight his shortcomings, which portend dan­ger for the unity of Nigeria.

Calling Buhari a dictator, am I still not right? It is just seven months into his four year tenure and he has already started showing signs of dictatorship, or what do you call his disobedience to court orders? Court order for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, and granting of bail to Dasuki, but Buhari’s govern­ment is still holding on to these two men. There are other instances.

Again, look at Buhari’s first set of appointments, majority of the appoin­tees were Northerners. When he was taken up on this, he replied that he had appointed only those people he can trust. Is that not a slight on Southern­ers? Is that a good attribute of a lead­er? To save his face, Buhari’s support­ers told Nigerians that he would make amends when he announced members of his cabinet. But do they think they can deceive us?

On the issue of cabinet members, the constitution prescribes that each state of the federation shall be repre­sented in the cabinet. Nigerians should shine their eyes. To me, Buhari is not the ideal leader that can take Nigeria to the Promised Land. Buhari is not a progressive. He is an ultra-conserva­tive and he has not disguised his bias for the North in the arrangement of things so far under his administration.

But on the issue of corrup­tion….

[Cuts in] Yes, it is good to fight cor­ruption. I, Ayo Adebanjo, hate corrup­tion and if you find me to be corrupt, jail me. But my belief is that, if you are fighting corruption, you must do it holistically. When it looks as if you are being selective, then you are not fighting corruption but only persecut­ing your political opponents. Buhari still needs to convince Nigerians that the war against corruption is not being selective.

Look at the issue of Dasuki again — court granted this man bail, but Buhari said no. But why? I have no personal grudge against Buhari; I be­lieve he is incorruptible, but the mili­tary trait in him is inconsistent with democratic system. I believe that he can do better, but again most of the people surrounding him now in APC have K-leg.

On the issue of not releas­ing Dasuki sir, security agen­cies claim that the man still has some cases hanging on his neck.

My dear, there is no mid-way in a system. You are either a democrat or not. Democracy has its own ills; we can’t choose democracy when it is convenient for us and abandon it when we want to justify our own shortcom­ings. You can’t do the right the wrong way. This is one of the reasons I have been clamouring for the implementa­tion of 2014 confab report.

As at today, Nigerian President is the most powerful in the coun­try, and there is too much power at the centre, and all these issues have been addressed by the confab recom­mendations, but I don’t know why Buhari and APC leaders are opposed to its implementation; perhaps they are doing so to ensure the status quo remains. But this is very dangerous, anything short of implementation of the confab report is postponing the evil day for Nigeria. I make bold to say that these people who are frus­trating the implementations of the confab recommendations are the real enemies of Nigeria.

 

The Sun

END

CLICK HERE TO SIGNUP FOR NEWS & ANALYSIS EMAIL NOTIFICATION