With the promise of Change, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ousted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hitherto in power, in the 2015 general elections. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was not too lucky to stand the wind of change.
And like a gentleman politician and an academic, he accepted defeat in a most historic manner and wrote his name in letters of gold. ‘No single Nigerian blood is worthy of my political ambition.’
He became an instant hero of sorts. The world has acclaimed him as a gentleman African leader, who accepted defeat even before the last votes were counted by INEC- the Umpire led by Professor Atahiru Jega. What are the political hat-tricks in the books of the PDP to unsettle the APC in 2019?
One major step to be taken is to either look for former strong military man to change APC mantra or a genuine bloody civilian with clout and means in the currencies of the world to contend with President Buhari and dethrone him in a bloodless coup of genuine votes at the polls.
Incumbency in Africa is something voters find it difficult to contend with because of the under hand tricks of the party in power. Can Atiku Abubakar do the magic? What of Kwakwanso? Or Sule Lamido, ex- governor of Adamawa state?
The propaganda machinery of the APC had said no living Nigerian politician can defeat President Buhari. Or even a combination of the OBJs, IBBs Abdusallam Abubakar and the rest of them, cannot confront President Buhari at the 2019 polls.
It is a weighty boast of a sitting President who knows his onions. As a Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, who literally, was at the helm of military and other armed forces personnel, he could conjure up the men and women of the Forces to deal decisively with the polls in many unfriendly zones and hijack votes and the boxes into safe haven and declare their Master the winner.
What has been the harvest of achievements of President Buhari after three years in office?
There is relative peace in the North East around Maiduguri apart from occasional suicide attacks from Boko Haram renegades in and around Maiduguri.
Another achievement coming on the eve of the 2019 elections is the expanded list of looters in Nigeria, most of who were former PDP politicians, now hibernating in the APC, masquerading as Saints of sorts.
Even if the Courts of the land had not found them guilty of corruption charges, at least, if the government of the day has published your name as being corrupt then it is enough indictment in the eyes of the unthinking Nigerian.
After all, Chief Bola Tinubu has told Nigerians that the PDP should not be allowed to return to power in Nigeria. It is undemocratic hogwash. When the super- rich collaborate with the ruling oligarchy, particularly, with the President of an African country, his word is now law.
The Okerenkoko Maritime University is a plus for President Buhari as lectures would commence on April 1, 2018.
On the flipside, there are myriads of unanswered queries on the table of Mr. President. For how long will he dilly –dally on the issue of Cattle herdsmen and the serial killings across the country?
Will Buhari reverse the situation before the elections in 2019? AK 47 wielding Cow Fulani herders are a permanent nuisance to peace loving peoples of Nigeria. And if a former military head of state cannot stamp out the menace who else can do it?
Since the list of looters had been released to the public a few of the affected men and politicians had gone to court, particularly the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus who had gone to court for defamation of character that he never took any monies from any agency or department of government. Similar noises came from Femi Fani Kayode, a former Minister and Director of President Jonathan Campaign organisation, during 2015 general elections, thereby, puncturing a list many thought was authentic , infallible and foolproof.
Lawyers aver that it is only the courts of law that can declare anybody a looter or a rogue and not a Minister of Information, in Lai Mohamnmed, reeling out names of people adjudged to be corrupt or petty thieves.
For all practical purposes, the list is, at best, a wild goose chase painting many persons or politicians in bad light. Call it a class defamation of politicians in a rather reckless manner with impunity.
With all these unproved cases of politicians adjudged to be corrupt, we need more from the PDP camp to rise up and defend itself in 2019. Time to defend is now.
END
Be the first to comment