Before they make Palestine, Rwanda, South Sudan, Syria out of Nigeria

By Bashir Adefaka

These Nigerian elder statesmen who claim they are non-politicians and their co-strugglers in the political arena, striving hard on no ground to “rescue” Nigeria from no visible wicked leadership, I wish they are shown recap of some real live videos of what Israel backed by America has been doing in Palestine till today.  I wish they are shown a recap of real live videos of how Rwanda and Somalia devolved into states of genocides and, in addition, I wish they are shown the recap of the situation that has made life unbearable for both Christians and Muslims in Iraq since after the killing by George W. Bush-led United States of America of Saddam Hussein and let them just have little play back of the situation in Syria.  Maybe they will tarry a while and allow commonsense into their skulls.

From all indications, these people who are fighting President Muhammadu Buhari want to repeat the Olusegun Obasanjo’s do-or-die political footballing come 2019 in event the President does not yield their call not to seek re-election.  They have tried all efforts to provoke Buhari which they failed to achieve.  They have insulted and even called him all sorts of names asides failure, dictator, user of fellow Fulani herdsmen to kill other Nigerians and all of that but, as a gentle God fearing man of principle and high integrity, the husband of Aisha has refused to be provoked.  They call him a corrupt President sitting on corrupt Administration founded on lies and propagandism but Buhari has seen and pretended like he does not see; he has heard their vituperations and pretended like he does not hear; and he would neither talk except he has vital reason to talk.  They started working for 2019 from May 30, 2015 Buhari never cared.  They wanted him to declare since 2017 for re-election but the Daura-born President said he has a mandate of four years to help Nigerians wage serious war on the endemic parasitic corruption that has retarded their chances of development and moving forward economically, politically and systematically over the years and so had no time for that.

Olusegun Obasanjo, whom the President appeared to have seen as the only trustworthy confidant, saddened turned enemy.  And he has been fighting his former Minister of Petroleum Resources, who became Governor of North Eastern Nigeria at the age of 25, seriously and dangerously to the extent that all of the corrupt people being affected by the ongoing anti-corruption war of the President have found safe haven in Obasanjo so much, also, that the former President is now boasting to have three million members of a Third Force across the country fully membered with those people having cases of corruption before various courts in the country.  A sincere elder statesman that is free of complications and compromise on integrity would have looked inward and outward and quickly rescind his Third Force leadership before his image got worsening damaged by the kind of people he is now seen to be associated with.  People who bought PHCN and have become owners of Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) and who would never allowed the Buhari Administration’s first-of-its-kind high generated megawatts of power to reach the entire people that he governs as father and President; people who he allowed to work on in his government but have padded his budgets since 2015/2016 and who have tried to deepen his hands into corruption through their cunning way but which he discovered and acted against.  But why should Obasanjo turn against Buhari at this time that the President needs him most? The answer is simple: Obasanjo wants to control the economy of the country but Buhari refused.  That is all!  So, it is clear how sincere is Obasanjo is about his promise and current fight to “rescue” Nigerians from Muhammadu Buhari who he has branded a failure.  Obasanjo, records show, rose from N20,000 account balance at the point he took over as civilian President to become multi-currency billionaire emperor and apostle of do-or-die politics in era when Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was vividly dependent on the whims and caprices of the President.  His branding of Buhari as failure is therefore subjective.

From one of the reports of The DEFENDER, it had been predicted as earlier as 2016 how Buhari should not rely on former President Olusegun Obasanjo.  Former Speaker of the Nigeria’s House of Representative Ghali Na’Abba particularly told President Buhari while he should not allow Obasanjo anywhere near him as, according to him, not only that Obasanjo did not have moral standing to be close to the incorruptible President but also that he just did not deserve to be among the men around the President.  Obasanjo, so much respected by President Muhammadu Buhari, and Buhari are the only Nigerians who have both had it as Military Head of State and Civilian President.  But Ghali Na’Abba, although now an anti-Buhari element like Senator Shehu Sani, had warned how not to allow Obasanjo close to the Daura, Katsina State-born President if he meant to succeed.  Obasanjo was the only Nigerian former Military Head of State that had it back to office as democratically elected President.  He was the only Nigerian former ruler that was respected globally for no other reason but handing over to a democratically elected President.  He, in addition, ruled as civilian for eight years and became so respected all over the world.  Muhammadu Buhari has broken the first record as another former Military Head of State to return as democratically elected President.  His emergence alone came through a keenly contested election that made him very lovely focused all over the world.  The fact that he has moved Nigeria forward economically, security and infrastructurally despite dry treasury that was handed to him by a man banqueted to Nigeria by him, Jonathan, as well as the very highly effective anti-corruption policy of his government has made President Buhari to override the world record that Obasanjo boasts of and it is enough an achievement that an Ota Farmer can envy Daura Farmer for.  Today President Muhammadu Buhari is the leader of the anti-corruption fight across all nations on the African continent, even as food items have continued to flood the Nigerian market despite the evils of Nigerian marketers who go to Kebbi to buy Kebbi rice only to return to the Southern places and rebag same and sell at higher price claiming it is imported from Taiwan.

Na’Abba warned Buhari against Obasanjo’s mischief at a time the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) just ousted from power were still leaking their defeat by the Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) and were struggling hard to play tricks to escape the onslaught of the anti-corruption Federal Government of the retired General.  The PDP never hid from the public their involvement in the emergence of Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and re-enacted activism of Movement for Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).  While the just democratically ousted President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and his lieutenants were undeniably and irresistibly accused of backing the Niger Delta Avengers, the Deputy President of the Bukola Saraki-led Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Barrister Ike Ekweremadu, as the most senior PDP public officer, presented himself as fully behind the IPOB and MASSOB.  All of these ethnic groups caused unrest in the land.  But the elderly wisdom and military intelligence deployed in handling the matters by President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria would have been in a state of chaos by now, which is what they want to achieve: “If we ask Buhari not to continue with his anti-corruption war (which Bishop Matthew Kukah is fighting the President for) and we ask him not to seek re-election and he refuses, we will then put Nigeria in state of chaos to justify why election cannot hold and then, since military coup (which Ekweremadu already called for) is no longer fashionable, we will agitate for Interim National Government (ING) through which we can be part of the new order and put our own people there.”  That is what they have tried to do with all their cries to the International Communities that All Progressives Congress (APC) and INEC have perfected plans to rig election of 2019 for Buhari.  By this, they try to discredit the electoral umpire to open the way for their desire to come to pass.  But for what reason a President that is only interested in using the resources of Nigeria for Nigeria and Nigerians would want to rig elections to favour himself?  Is anything that is hidden under the firmament any country in the world today?  Then why is Obasanjo’s Third Force plotting to collapse Nigeria as if they will not be affected by the collateral damages when it occurs?

*To be continued.