By Khalifa Shehu Dokaji
Who is afraid of Dr Bichi? Is the question on the lips of many s- for it is worth knowing why certain quarters are hell bent on tarnishing his image. The accusations have gone beyond mere suspicion and have transmuted into ideological accusations. Bereft of any factual issue to base their anathema and devoid of any achievement to appeal to public rating, they now resort to calling him a Shi’ite- basing their proof on the fact that he is a close crony of Malam Adamu Adamu, the sagacious Minister of Education and trusted associate of General Muhammadu Buhari.
Who is afraid of Dr Baffa Bichi so much so that he adopts religious blackmail to achieve what he wants as long as the end justifies the means? How long will it take them to realize Nigerians no longer care about such trivial issues? How long will it take them to understand President Buhari has now revived the trust Nigerians have in competence rather than tribal or religious emotions? Who are the people using religious and sectarian divides to split Nigerians for political gains?
Faith is secondary to leadership as per the opinion of Sheikh Usman Dan Fodio, the learned founder of the Sokoto Caliphate and kinsman of the incumbent Governor of Kano. Of the qualities most desirable of a leader, the saint identified learning, justice, consultation and simplicity. To the Sheikh, “a state can endure withunbelief but cannot do so without justice”.
Thus, leadership has little to do with the particular faith or sect one follows, but with one’s capability of leading his people justly. As such, the question is not on whether Dr Baffa is a Shi’ite or not. The real issue is he is better than Ganduje and they don’t want the public to say that. So they do what they do best- “if you can’t convince them, confuse them’!
If it is true Dr Baffa is a Shi’ite because of his affiliation with the nations Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, then shouldn’t the blame and accusation fall of the President who appointed Mallam Adamu, a Shi’ite, to a prestigious position in his cabinet? Or are the Ganduje’s loyalists indirectly labelling the president partisan? In fact, it would not be a travesty of truth if one says, since Dr Baffa is a Shi’ite because of his links to Adamu Adamu, then the president himself is also one.
The Public Relation team of the Governor are not only clumsy but also illogical and unanalytical. They have allowed political opportunists and certified “yan jagaliya” to take over their work. The morally deficient campaign against the person of Dr Baffa Bichi is one such glaring example. When such political touts accused Dr Baffa of stealing billions, it coincided with a report published by a news outlet that the President is siphoning billions of Naira through TetFund for his presidential campaign.
Neither the governor nor his PR team saw the problems surrounding the accusation. They encouraged it passively and rejoiced over it. Isn’t it disturbing how they could, for political considerations, fault the President’s choice of such an honest personality? For if Baffa is corrupt, then there is no doubt Malam Adamu Adamu is also corrupt and this signifies that the President himself is complicit by not doing anything about it. This sounds like the kinds of accusations one hear from PDP members, but unfortunately they are coming from the Kano APC quarters under the leadership of Ganduje.
Jaafar Jaafar, has appeared before the Special Kano House of Assembly committee led by Dr Baffa Babba Dan Agundi and reiterated Daily Nigerians earlier position that the video clip was given to them by a private contractor in a sting operation done to expose the Governor.
Who advised the Governor or refused to advise him against bringing innocent gloomy children, carrying placards as saying the video would not stop them from voting for the Governor, thus, implicating the Governor in electoral misconduct as concerned quarters are insinuating? Or is it Dr. Baffa? Is that how the Governor plans on giving the President the 5 million votes, he promised? In fact, considering the way Party Primaries were conducted in Kano, and the children they brought out to intimidate Jaafar Jaafar and the Dr Baffa Dan Agundi led Committee, it is now visible how Ganduje has no link with the principles of Buharism.
He is still PDP and as such undermines the moral side of the President and expects him to tolerate his unethical and reckless political proceedings just because he needs his votes.
If this is the case, then am moved ask the question, WHO IS AFRAID OF THE RISE OF DR BAFFA?
*Khalifa Shehu Dokaji, who wrote from Kano, can be reached via his Email: dokaji003@gmail.com or phone: 08096841274 (Text only)
