Keep it up guys. I hope and pray Nigerians vote the Buhari/Bakare team into power.

Quote frome dayokanu Buhari took over government on December 31 1983. So is he responsible for 1983 figures?
When buhari took over from shagari inflation rate was 23.2 from 1st january 1984 to dec 31 1984 exactly one year of his tyranny it rose to 39.8%.then now I emplore u to go to the CBN website and check the inflation rate in the 3rd quarter of that economic year before IBB throw him out in august 27 1985. Then u and gen buhari can come and educate us on how he reduced inflation from 24% to 4% thank God I the figure has increased to 5% not 24% to 4% as a matter of fact becos of IMF and IBBs sap further reduced it to 5.4% in 1986 which is the lowest not the conjured figure that we don't knw where u got it from 4%.@ gen buhari why won't u run from NSIMAN that how u will keep runing away from fact and resort to name calling like ur mentor.

If we need change, i think Buhari can be that change. Which other change do we see? We need the iron fist man. But i doubt the U.S will support him. Obama is okay with the Puppet GEJ.

PDP has led backward for 12 years. I think it's time we turned in the right direction, we need a change!
I'm joining BB campaign right away!

is Karl Dunce still ranting. have you checked the pro and anti buhari threads lately. the pros are winning because we have opened our eyes to the truth. keep screaming while we smile to aso rock

As usual name calling how did BUHARI reduce inflation from 24% TO 4% PRO BUHARI KO.ASK THEM HOW MANY OF THEN HAS A VOTERS CARD. DO U HAVE? U CAN'T DEFEND UR ROUGE POST.MAY BE HE WILL WILL AN ELECTION WHEN U GET UR AREWA FEDERATION COME APRIL I HOPE U WILL STILL BE IN NL TO COMMENT ON WHO WON AND IT WON'T BE BUHARI

This is an eye opener.
I think i am going to reconsider my stand on whom to vote for.
I wanted Ribadu,but i don't like the way Tinubu runs the party.
May be i will vote for him come April
GEJ will win anyway(its just to satisfy mu conscience).

The change has already taken place!

A silent revolution has succeeded with the emergence of Goodluck Jonathan.
What the elders see while sitting, children can't see even if they climb the iroko tree.

So, is Buhari now a democrat?
How come he destroyed our democracy and trampled on the laws of our land?

What we need:
A commision of enquiry to look into what informed officers who were trained and armed with our money to destroy our democracy and trample upon our laws.

Buhari shall surely be disgraced, just like IBB. They belong to the same boat.

i have registered, my wife has registered. confirmed ten colleagues in my office registered, my siblings - 8 - have registered, my parents have registered, my friends in a blackberry group of 38 have registered. and we are all voting Buhari/Bakare ticket.

we shall compare notes in april!

Ibroskay,

GEJ cannot win anyway!

Noblezone - GEJ is the revolution? a hopelessly corrupt man supported by murderers (Anenih) thieves (alamesiagha), inept governors (akala)

i can now see the revolution. we shall see in april.

One thing I know in this life is that even if Satan should come out to contest for office in Nigeria, He will have a large pool of supporters.

Buhari never did anything in this country. When he was President, it was Tunde Idiagbon who did everything. Does he now believe that simply by choosing another Tunde, as Vice President again, everything will be alright.

How many of you watched the CPC convention live? Buhari cannot communicate. Even reading his own speech, he's worse than Patience Jonathan.

Buhari was the one who said democracy is not good for Nigeria. He even admitted to it on BBC Hardtalk. So what really does he want to do as president now? Re-introduce dictatorship?

And by the way, ask yourselves why Buhari truncated our democracy decades ago. We would have had about 30 years of democracy now, if not for that despot. He couldn't understand democracy and due process, and therefore he tore everything apart. He accused the Shagari adminustration of corruption, but we all know Shagari and those in government with him. Where are their billions which they embezzled? Please somebody tell me why Buhari came the first time to destroy our democracy, and why he's coming back now. That's the issue.

This same Buhari has been one of the major champions of Sharia Law all over Nigeria, and has declared that Jihad is his way of life. Any further enquiries as to why the Jihadist states love him?

Abeg, I have other things to do.

more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the fact that you are still mentioning JIHAD gives you away as part of those who have been brainwashed. the critical people in Buhari's life that can kill him (his driver and his cook are christians). in fact i dont have to start explaining this!

Buhari never done anything for this country? this is the biggest FALSEHOOD in Nigeria's 50 year history, and i dont have to explain that. the internet is full of his achievements and his short comings.

but keep up the propaganda

Only the honest can go for the truth,
now #TeamAntiBuhai,what more do u want? what do u see in GEJ? or is it the money u were paid to sell your conscience?

nex:



And by the way, ask yourselves why Buhari truncated our democracy decades ago. We would have had about 30 years of democracy now, if not for that despot. He couldn't understand democracy and due process, and therefore he tore everything apart. He accused the Shagari adminustration of corruption, but we all know Shagari and those in government with him. Where are their billions which they embezzled? Please somebody tell me why Buhari came the first time to destroy our democracy, and why he's coming back now. That's the issue.

This same Buhari has been one of the major champions of Sharia Law all over Nigeria, and has declared that Jihad is his way of life. Any further enquiries as to why the Jihadist states love him?

Abeg, I have other things to do.

You have spoken well of your concerns. I was once paranoid as you are about Buhari. In fact, I even campaigned aggressively against Buhari on facebook for some time. It is normal to hold this paranoid thoughts about Buhari. But more importantly, you need to open your mind to whom this man (Buhari) is all about.

Buhari trained in the UK for his military days, undertook training as well in the US, how you now come out to say he cannot communicate is totally beyond me.

Buhari is surrounded by Christians. His wife is a Christian, his driver for years is a Christian, his cook is a Christian. These are people who live and dine with him 24/7.

Again you make mention of Buhari being a jihadist. Kindly name one Jihad war or attack which has  been ascribed to this man? During his time as Military Head of State, mention one religious crises, Buhari has personally funded or sponsored in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.

OK, accepted that Buhari never believed in democracy which he openly stated back in 1985, the 12 years of democracy we have had so far under PDP, what do we have to show for it as Nigerians? Has corruption been eradicated? Has good roads been provided in the nation? Has our nation witnessed any development within its oil refineries, agriculture, local production industries? Has education improved? Is there any awareness to good jobs in the country? Do we have stable electricity in the country for the past 12 years? Can you trust a policeman with your life and security as a Nigerian presently? Please kindly note that Buhari took over power as a MILITARY MAN not a civilian.

How hard is it for people to comprehend that, once you are in a military uniform, you move with the spontaneity that the uniform enacts on you. I know this simply because I have been privileged to move with military men. Or why would a Policeman in uniform and with a gun (possibly) be so daring and demanding for twenty naira, and once he is out of the uniform, becomes just a common man on the street? Buhari was no different moreso, all these was done in his younger years.

Again you make mention of Buhari and embezzlement, please tell us what he embezzled from this nation. This is a man who has totally refused ANY Chieftancy title whatsoever in Nigeria. A man who has no foreign house attached to his name abroad. A man who has made simplicity his lifestyle and watchword.

Buhari has demonstrated he is a man of peace and believes in the judiciary process as a form of democrat. He has contested twice under this democratic dispensation for Presidency. And he has lost twice. And on both occasions, Buhari has gone to court to seek redress TWICE! Assuming Buhari was a jihadist, he would have declared war on both occasions when PDP rigged the elections. He would have declared war, when Obasanjo declared the elections was a ''do or die'' affair. There are examples across African nations where even the vote was not up to half of what Buhari had, and they have been shouting for power sharing. But never did we see Buhari instigating any form of acrimony for the injustices he saw with both elections. Rather, he has calmly taken it on to re-contest. For a man fondly loved by the Northerners, he never instigated any form of political uprisings about the shameless election rigging done by PDP in 2007.

We all know what the Atikus, Obasanjos would have done, where they to be in Buhari's shoes of losing the presidential elections.

We have a clueless Goodluck as president today, not because he deserved to be there, but simply because he was a willing submissive tool in the hands of Obasanjo and the PDP power mongers. We have not witnessed one iota of economic development, nor have we seen any prospects that things would improve under Goodluck. Rather, we have a president who glorifies his PhD in Zoology, who talks before he thinks, who gives doctored speeches on facebook about providing kerosene for Nigerians (how disgusting), but never ready for an open presidential debate. A clueless man who has misled and misappropriated the nations treasury, a man in whom thieves, rogues, murderers, looters have decided to put their money behind him just to continue stealing this nation dry. Or why would a Dokpesi, former campaign manager of IBB 2011 decide that he is now supporting Goodluck?

This glorified president does not deserve one more minute more in Aso Rock. He has shown consistently that under his administration, we should never expect any development as a nation.

Buhari/Bakare 2011!

Please vote and vote wisely!!!

Pataki


your write-up gave me goose pimples. Thanks man and let's keep the heat on on the PDP looters of this country.

But the Pro GEJ will never reason with you. But thanks you have re-inforced the hope of the PRO-BUHARI, so you have not really wasted your time

Dear Dayokanu,
Buhari is actually a good man - and I have great respects for him (can't say the same for his deputy though - all he's been able to achieve is to blabber prophecies that didn't come to pass) - but there is more to politics (and this election in particular) than being good.
To succeed, he would need to come to a compromise with the legislators and numerous stakeholders - Obama has  had to swallow his pride and do those things he didn't plan to do while campaigning - and there lies the problem.
The position for the Presidency is between Jonathan and Buhari. None other. Both have their strengths and weaknesses and either is good for Nigeria.
So, campaign all you have, dear sir, and all you Jonathan/Buhari followers. Shout yourselves hoarse, if you must be heard - that's alright. That's the good thing about all this. But can we tone down on the abuses and insults coupled with deliberate falsehoods on each of these gentlemen.
I will vote for Jonathan; you, no doubt will vote for Buhari. But should we abuse ourselves because of our choices? I trust your answer will be negative.
This is not an accusation but a plea that we help to make this election true and, as much as is practicable, rancour free. We owe our dear Country that.

Or why would a Dokpesi, former campaign manager of IBB 2011 decide that he is now supporting Goodluck?

The same Dokpesi they claimed bombed on October 1? What happened to the October 1 "IBB bomb blast"

dayokanu:

The same Dokpesi they claimed bombed on October 1? What happened to the October 1 "IBB bomb blast"

food for thought.

dayokanu:

Buhari took over government on December 31 1983. So is he responsible for 1983 figures?

In 1984, Assuming a govt starts reforms when do you think the resul would be out?

In 1985 The result of this came out at 5% and it was the lowest we have ever had since then

If you claim that he was not responsible for the 1983 figure, you should also not ascribe the 1985 figure to him because he was ousted in AUGUST, 1985. I can argue that the figure is more of IBB who maintained low inflation till 1986. We all know that IBB is brainy and he started well before he showed his true intentions.

Do not forget that Buhari was a figure head during his reign. Idiagbon was the one calling the shot and we all knew it.


Assuming he brought down inflation actually, do you think that his method will work again? He fixed the price of goods by force leading to monumental losses to businesses with resultant business closures and loss jobs.

How can you guys address his sectional and religious fanaticism? Do we really need someone like him now?
Problem is, does he really have the fund to campaign? Buhari and Ribadu are in this game because they believe that GEJ will allow free and fair election but they should know that even if it is free and fair, the masses will vote who they are familiar with.

They should ask Abiola how much he spent in 1993 or Obama the importance of fund in winning a free and fair election

Agaba

How many Days did Shagari spend in 1983 vs Buhari? Shagari spend 364 days Buhari spent 1 day

How many days did Buhari spend in office in 1985 vs Babangida? Buhari Spent about 240 days while Babangida spent 120 days.

Use the figures above and draw a sensible conclusion on who should get credits for what was done in the years in question

Dayokanu
Good economic policies
can knock down inflation over a short period if it is religiously implemented. Find out how IBB started.

Assuming Buhari was able to reduce inflation to 5%, is it wise to count it as one of his accomplishments considering his unorthodox method of knocking down inflation which you know is not practicable in this century under democratic dispensation? Or are you willing to lecture us on the economic policies that brought down inflation during his time?

agabaI23:

Dayokanu
Good economic policies
can knock down inflation over a short period if it is religiously implemented. Find out how IBB started.

Assuming Buhari was able to reduce inflation to 5%, is it wise to count it as one of his accomplishments considering his unorthodox method of knocking down inflation which you know is not practicable in this century under democratic dispensation? Or are you willing to lecture us on the economic policies that brought down inflation during his time?

@ agabaI23,
I'll assume you are not a student of economics, 'cos your assertions above are at best miles away from the truth and/or reality. Perhaps you need to search the internet to read about Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's write up about Buhari's economic policies. There is no place on earth, that I know of, where dividends of sound economic policies are felt within 3 to 6 months of inception. The fact remains that Buhari guided the nation to, and left her on, a sound economic path, in his short spell of 16 months as the head of state. No amount of sentiments will take that away from his achievements.

For those who claim Tunde Idiagbon was the brain behind Buhari's achievements, the simple explanation to your faulty claim is that good leaders will always surround themselves with great performers. This is one of the numerous qualities you'll find in Buhari, which is disappointingly absent in GEJ. Buhari is all for merit and not for tribalism, and he (Buhari) has also proved time and time again that he's neither a religious bigot nor a jihadist (as being claimed by his detractors).
Lastly, Idiagbon was not with Buhari when he (Buhari) led PTF, yet Buhari was able to achieve more in terms of infrastructural development, with PTF in less than 5 years, compared to the achievements of PDP led regimes in a total of 12 years. GEJ has been in government in one position or the other fr 12 years now with nothing, I repeat NOTHING to show as a tangible result achieved.

Vote Buhari/Bakare to move our beloved nation forward, to bring us out of this abyss of poverty which PDP has plunged us into, and to restore our image as a respected country in the international community.

9ijaMan:

@ agabaI23,
I'll assume you are not a student of economics, 'cos your assertions above are at best miles away from the truth and/or reality. Perhaps you need to search the internet to read about Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's write up about Buhari's economic policies. There is no place on earth, that I know of, where dividends of sound economic policies are felt within 3 to 6 months of inception. The fact remains that Buhari guided the nation to, and left her on, a sound economic path, in his short spell of 16 months as the head of state. No amount of sentiments will take that away from his achievements.

For those who claim Tunde Idiagbon was the brain behind Buhari's achievements, the simple explanation to your faulty claim is that good leaders will always surround themselves with great performers. This is one of the numerous qualities you'll find in Buhari, which is disappointingly absent in GEJ. Buhari is all for merit and not for tribalism, and he (Buhari) has also proved time and time again that he's neither a religious bigot nor a jihadist (as being claimed by his detractors).
Lastly, Idiagbon was not with Buhari when he (Buhari) led PTF, yet Buhari was able to achieve more in terms of infrastructural development, with PTF in less than 5 years, compared to the achievements of PDP led regimes in a total of 12 years. GEJ has been in government in one position or the other fr 12 years now with nothing, I repeat NOTHING to show as a tangible result achieved.

Vote Buhari/Bakare to move our beloved nation forward, to bring us out of this abyss of poverty which PDP has plunged us into, and to restore our image as a respected country in the international community.

For those who claim that Buhari did so much as the PTF Chairman, in Anambra State, we never knew if the PTF existed or not. Perhaps, Anambra state is not path of Ngieria?

AS GEJ not showing anything, we have seen steady fuel flow since he took over. We have seen a credilbe voters registation exercise, we have seen a better structured INEC, we have seen a leader that is not a tyrant unlike Buhari, OBJ and their and their likes.
For your inof, we are in the process of rebuilding the destruction caused by the madness of military officers, of which Buhari is a Chief.

dayokanu:

The same Dokpesi they claimed bombed on October 1? What happened to the October 1 "IBB bomb blast"

Exactly! Very thought provoking I must say.

There is surely something sinister about this bloodthirsty PDP which has brought nothing but tears, anguish, pains, unexplained and unsolved murder cases to Nigerians across the federation for the last 12 years.

Buhari/Bakare 2011!

noblezone:

For those who claim that Buhari did so much as the PTF Chairman, in Anambra State, we never knew if the PTF existed or not. Perhaps, Anambra state is not path of Ngieria?

AS GEJ not showing anything, we have seen steady fuel flow since he took over. We have seen a credilbe voters registation exercise, we have seen a better structured INEC, we have seen a leader that is not a tyrant unlike Buhari, OBJ and their and their likes.
For your inof, we are in the process of rebuilding the destruction caused by the madness of military officers, of which Buhari is a Chief.

Apparently you live in a completely different planet, or, better still, your expectations of your government is, at best, myopic and laughable. If voters registration, steady flow of fuel (as you claim) and structured INEC is you perception of good governance, then I reserve my comment as I've nothing to say to you for now, as I'm gutted at you display of knowledge about good leadership. Abeg keep wallowing in your ignorance o!

@ 9ijaman, what are the basics of a good govt?

@ 9ijaman, what are the basics of a good govt?

9ijaMan:

Apparently you live in a completely different planet, or, better still, your expectations of your government is, at best, myopic and laughable. If voters registration, steady flow of fuel (as you claim) and structured INEC is you perception of good governance, then I reserve my comment as I've nothing to say to you for now, as I'm gutted at you display of knowledge about good leadership. Abeg keep wallowing in your ignorance o!

it is you who is not being realistic and fair with what you expect of GEJ. Truth be told GEJ has made some noticeable progress that should be commended while we expect him to do more. Steady fuel supply and pricing system is one of his biggest achievements. Before now, the pricing system was so prejudiced against the eastern region that you wonder sometimes if it is part of Nigeria. But now of it is N70 in lagos, PH , Enugu, Owerri sell thesame thing. The ability of INEC to ve registered more than 60 million eligible voters using the DDC system is a feat that should be appluaded cos it will greatly reduce election malpractices to a very significant percentage. In the area of electric supply he has made a lot of noticeable efforts too. So dont play down his achievements like he must change Nigeria overnight before you recognize he is doing sth, development is a gradual process, it doe not happen overnight.

9ijaMan:

@ agabaI23,
I'll assume you are not a student of economics, 'cos your assertions above are at best miles away from the truth and/or reality. Perhaps you need to search the internet to read about Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's write up about Buhari's economic policies.

Why should I search the internet when a student of economics like you is here? Please just tell me what his policies are and how his policies brought down inflation. Make sure you include the policy of military price fixing.

9ijaMan:

@ agabaI23,
There is no place on earth, that I know of, where dividends of sound economic policies are felt within 3 to 6 months of inception.

That you do not know does not mean it does not exist. May be Allan Meltzer can help you out.

9ijaMan:

@ agabaI23,

For those who claim Tunde Idiagbon was the brain behind Buhari's achievements, the simple explanation to your faulty claim is that good leaders will always surround themselves with great performers. This is one of the numerous qualities you'll find in Buhari, which is disappointingly absent in GEJ. Buhari is all for merit and not for tribalism, and he (Buhari) has also proved time and time again that he's neither a religious bigot nor a jihadist (as being claimed by his detractors).

Those who thought he is a tribalist gave reasons, do you have any reasons to counter their opinion?

9ijaMan:


Lastly, Idiagbon was not with Buhari when he (Buhari) led PTF, yet Buhari was able to achieve more in terms of infrastructural development, with PTF in less than 5 years, compared to the achievements of PDP led regimes in a total of 12 years. GEJ has been in government in one position or the other fr 12 years now with nothing, I repeat NOTHING to show as a tangible result achieved.

In one region of the country. Thank goodness Idiagbon was not with him otherwise he would have been tarred with the same brush.
Lopsided infrastructural development?
He who cannot be trusted with a small thing should not look for a bigger one.

[size=14pt]The Crimes of Buhari[/size]

By Wole SOYINKA

This intervention has been provoked, not so much by the ambitions of General Buhari to return to power at the head of a democratic Nigeria, as by declarations of support from directions that leave one totally dumbfounded. It would appear that some, myself among them, had been overcomplacent about the magnitude of an ambition that seemed as preposterous as the late effort of General Ibrahim Babangida to aspire yet again to the honour of presiding over a society that truly seeks a democratic future. What one had dismissed was a rash of illusions, brought about by other political improbabilities that surround us, however, is being given an air of plausibility by individuals and groupings to which one had earlier attributed a sense of relevance of historic actualities. Recently, I published an article in the media, invoking the possible recourse to psychiatric explanation for some of the incongruities in conduct within national leadership. Now, to tell the truth, I have begun to seriously address the issue of which section of society requires the services of a psychiatrist. The contest for a seizure of rationality is now so polarized that I am quite reconciled to the fact it could be those of us on this side, not the opposing school of thought that ought to declare ourselves candidates for a lunatic asylum. So be it. While that decision hangs in the balance however, the forum is open. Let both sides continue to address our cases to the electorate, but also prepare to submit ourselves for psychiatric examination.



The time being so close to electoral decision, we can understand the haste of some to resort to shortcuts. In the process however, we should not commit the error of opening the political space to any alternative whose curative touch to national afflictions have proven more deadly than the disease. In order to reduce the clutter in our options towards the forthcoming elections, we urge a beginning from what we do know, what we have undergone, what millions can verify, what can be sustained by evidence accessible even to the school pupil, the street hawker or a just-come visitor from outer space. Leaving Buhari aside for now, I propose a commencing exercise that should guide us along the path of elimination as we examine the existing register of would-be president. That initial exercise can be summed up in the following speculation: “If it were possible for Olusegun Obasanjo, the actual incumbent, to stand again for election, would you vote for him?”

If the answer is “yes”, then of course all discussion is at an end. If the answer is ‘No’ however, then it follows that a choice of a successor made by Obasanjo should be assessed as hovering between extremely dangerous and an outright kiss of death. The degree of acceptability of such a candidate should also be inversely proportionate to the passion with which he or she is promoted by the would-be ‘godfather’. We do not lack for open evidence about Obasanjo’s passion in this respect. From Lagos to the USA, he has taken great pains to assure the nation and the world that the anointed NPN presidential flag bearer is guaranteed, in his judgment, to carry out his policies. Such an endorsement/anointment is more than sufficient, in my view, for public acceptance or rejection. Yar’Adua’s candidature amounts to a terminal kiss from a moribund regime. Nothing against the person of this – I am informed - personable governor, but let him understand that in addition to the direct source of his emergence, the PDP, on whose platform he stands, represents the most harrowing of this nation’s nightmares over and beyond even the horrors of the Abacha regime. If he wishes to be considered on his own merit, now is time for him, as well as others similarly enmeshed, to exercise the moral courage that goes with his repudiation of that party, a dissociation from its past, and a pledge to reverse its menacing future. We shall find him an alternative platform on which to stand, and then have him present his credentials along those of other candidates engaged in forging a credible opposition alliance. Until then, let us bury this particular proposition and move on to a far graver, looming danger, personified in the history of General Buhari.



The grounds on which General Buhari is being promoted as the alternative choice are not only shaky, but pitifully naive. History matters. Records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future. Of course, we know that human beings change. What the claims of personality change or transformation impose on us is a rigorous inspection of the evidence, not wishful speculation or behind-the-scenes assurances. Public offence, crimes against a polity, must be answered in the public space, not in caucuses of bargaining. In Buhari, we have been offered no evidence of the sheerest prospect of change. On the contrary, all evident suggests that this is one individual who remains convinced that this is one ex-ruler that the nation cannot call to order.

Buhari – need one remind anyone - was one of the generals who treated a Commission of Enquiry, the Oputa Panel, with unconcealed disdain. Like Babangida and Abdusalami, he refused to put in appearance even though complaints that were tabled against him involved a career of gross abuses of power and blatant assault on the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian citizenry.

Prominent against these charges was an act that amounted to nothing less than judicial murder, the execution of a citizen under a retroactive decree. Does Decree 20 ring a bell? If not, then, perhaps the names of three youths - Lawal Ojuolape (30), Bernard Ogedengbe (29) and Bartholomew Owoh (26) do. To put it quite plainly, one of those three – Ogedengbe - was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeit at the time it was committed. This was an unconscionable crime, carried out in defiance of the pleas and protests of nearly every sector of the Nigerian and international community – religious, civil rights, political, trade unions etc. Buhari and his sidekick and his partner-in-crime, Tunde Idiagbon persisted in this inhuman act for one reason and one reason only: to place Nigerians on notice that they were now under an iron, inflexible rule, under governance by fear.

The execution of that youthful innocent – for so he was, since the punishment did not exist at the time of commission - was nothing short of premeditated murder, for which the perpetrators should normally stand trial upon their loss of immunity. Are we truly expected to forget this violation of our entitlement to security as provided under existing laws? And even if our sensibilities have become blunted by succeeding seasons of cruelty and brutality, if power itself had so coarsened the sensibilities also of rulers and corrupted their judgment, what should one rightly expect after they have been rescued from the snare of power” At the very least, a revaluation, leading hopefully to remorse, and its expression to a wronged society. At the very least, such a revaluation should engender reticence, silence. In the case of Buhari, it was the opposite. Since leaving office he has declared in the most categorical terms that he had no regrets over this murder and would do so again.



Human life is inviolate. The right to life is the uniquely fundamental right on which all other rights are based. The crime that General Buhari committed against the entire nation went further however, inconceivable as it might first appear. That crime is one of the most profound negations of civic being. Not content with hammering down the freedom of expression in general terms, Buhari specifically forbade all public discussion of a return to civilian, democratic rule. Let us constantly applaud our media – those battle scarred professionals did not completely knuckle down. They resorted to cartoons and oblique, elliptical references to sustain the people’s campaign for a time-table to democratic rule. Overt agitation for a democratic time table however remained rigorously suppressed – military dictatorship, and a specifically incorporated in Buhari and Idiagbon was here to stay. To deprive a people of volition in their own political direction is to turn a nation into a colony of slaves. Buhari enslaved the nation. He gloated and gloried in a master-slave relation to the millions of its inhabitants. It is astonishing to find that the same former slaves, now free of their chains, should clamour to be ruled by one who not only turned their nation into a slave plantation, but forbade them any discussion of their condition.



So Tai Solarin is already forgotten? Tai who stood at street corners, fearlessly distributing leaflets that took up the gauntlet where the media had dropped it. Tai who was incarcerated by that regime and denied even the medication for his asthmatic condition? Tai did not ask to be sent for treatment overseas; all he asked was his traditional medicine that had proved so effective after years of struggle with asthma!



Nor must we omit the manner of Buhari coming to power and the pattern of his ‘corrective’ rule. Shagari’s NPN had already run out of steam and was near universally detested – except of course by the handful that still benefited from that regime of profligacy and rabid fascism. Responsibility for the national condition lay squarely at the door of the ruling party, obviously, but against whom was Buhari’s coup staged? Judging by the conduct of that regime, it was not against Shagari’s government but against the opposition. The head of government, on whom primary responsibility lay, was Shehu Shagari. Yet that individual was kept in cozy house detention in Ikoyi while his powerless deputy, Alex Ekwueme, was locked up in Kiri-kiri prisons. Such was the Buhari notion of equitable apportionment of guilt and/or responsibility.



And then the cascade of escapes of the wanted, and culpable politicians. Manhunts across the length and breadth of the nation, roadblocks everywhere and borders tight as steel zip locks. Lo and behold, the chairman of the party, Chief Akinloye, strolled out coolly across the border. Richard Akinjide, Legal Protector of the ruling party, slipped out with equal ease. The Rice Minister, Umaru Dikko, who declared that Nigerians were yet to eat from dustbins - escaped through the same airtight dragnet. The clumsy attempt to crate him home was punishment for his ingratitude, since he went berserk when, after waiting in vain, he concluded that the coup had not been staged, after all, for the immediate consolidation of the party of extreme right-wing vultures, but for the military hyenas.



The case of the overbearing Secretary-General of the party, Uba Ahmed, was even more noxious. Uba Ahmed was out of the country at the time. Despite the closure of the Nigerian airspace, he compelled the pilot of his plane to demand special landing permission, since his passenger load included the almighty Uba Ahmed. Of course, he had not known of the change in his status since he was airborne. The delighted airport commandant, realizing that he had a much valued fish swimming willingly into a waiting net, approved the request. Uba Ahmed disembarked into the arms of a military guard and was promptly clamped in detention. Incredibly, he vanished a few days after and reappeared in safety overseas. Those whose memories have become calcified should explore the media coverage of that saga. Buhari was asked to explain the vanished act of this much prized quarry and his response was one of the most arrogant levity. Coming from one who had shot his way into power on the slogan of ‘dis’pline’, it was nothing short of impudent.



Shall we revisit the tragicomic series of trials that landed several politicians several lifetimes in prison? Recall, if you please, the ‘judicial’ processes undergone by the septuagenarian Chief Adekunle Ajasin. He was arraigned and tried before Buhari’s punitive tribunal but acquitted. Dissatisfied, Buhari ordered his re-trial. Again, the Tribunal could not find this man guilty of a single crime, so once again he was returned for trial, only to be acquitted of all charges of corruption or abuse of office. Was Chief Ajasin thereby released? No! He was ordered detained indefinitely, simply for the crime of winning an election and refusing to knuckle under Shagari’s reign of terror.

The conduct of the Buhari regime after his coup was not merely one of double, triple, multiple standards but a cynical travesty of justice. Audu Ogbeh, currently chairman of the Action Congress was one of the few figures of rectitude within the NPN. Just as he has done in recent times with the PDP, he played the role of an internal critic and reformer, warning, dissenting, and setting an example of probity within his ministry. For that crime he spent months in unjust incarceration. Guilty by association? Well, if that was the motivating yardstick of the administration of the Buhari justice, then it was most selectively applied. The utmost severity of the Buhari-Idiagbon justice was especially reserved either for the opposition in general, or for those within the ruling party who had showed the sheerest sense of responsibility and patriotism.



Shall I remind this nation of Buhari’s deliberate humiliating treatment of the Emir of Kano and the Oni of Ife over their visit to the state of Israel? I hold no brief for traditional rulers and their relationship with governments, but insist on regarding them as entitled to all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of any Nigerian citizen. This royal duo went to Israel on their private steam and private business. Simply because the Buhari regime was pursuing some antagonistic foreign policy towards Israel, a policy of which these traditional rulers were not a part, they were subjected on their return to a treatment that could only be described as a head masterly chastisement of errant pupils. Since when, may one ask, did a free citizen of the Nigerian nation require the permission of a head of state to visit a foreign nation that was willing to offer that tourist a visa.?



One is only too aware that some Nigerians love to point to Buhari’s agenda of discipline as the shining jewel in his scrap-iron crown. To inculcate discipline however, one must lead by example, obeying laws set down as guides to public probity. Example speaks louder than declarations, and rulers cannot exempt themselves from the disciplinary strictures imposed on the overall polity, especially on any issue that seeks to establish a policy for public well-being. The story of the thirty something suitcases – it would appear that they were even closer to fifty - found unavoidable mention in my recent memoirs, YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DOWN, written long before Buhari became spoken of as a credible candidate. For the exercise of a changeover of the national currency, the Nigerian borders – air, sea and land – had been shut tight. Nothing was supposed to move in or out, not even cattle egrets.



Yet a prominent camel was allowed through that needle’s eye. Not only did Buhari dispatch his aide-de-camp, Jokolo – later to become an emir - to facilitate the entry of those cases, he ordered the redeployment – as I later discovered - of the Customs Officer who stood firmly against the entry of the contravening baggage. That officer, the incumbent Vice-president is now a rival candidate to Buhari, but has somehow, in the meantime, earned a reputation that totally contradicts his conduct at the time. Wherever the truth lies, it does not redound to the credibility of the dictator of that time, General Buhari whose word was law, but whose allegiances were clearly negotiable.



On the theme of double, triple, multiple standards in the enforcement of the law, and indeed of the decrees passed by the Buhari regime at the time, let us recall the notorious case of ‘Triple A’ – Alhaji Alhaji Alhaji, then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance. – Who was caught, literally, with his pants down in distant Austria. That was not the crime however, and private conduct should always remain restricted to the domain of private censure. There was no decree against civil servants proving just as hormone driven as anyone else, especially outside the nation’s borders. However, there was a clear decree against the keeping of foreign accounts, and this was what emerged from the Austrian escapade. Alhaji Alhaji kept, not one, but several undeclared foreign accounts, and he had no business being in possession of the large amount of foreign currency of which he was robbed by his overnight companion. The media screamed for an even application of the law, but Buhari had turned suddenly deaf.

By contrast, Fela Anikulapo languished in goal for years, sentenced under that very draconian decree. His crime was being in possession of foreign exchange that he had legitimately received for the immediate upkeep of his band as they set off for an international engagement. A vicious sentence was slapped down on Fela by a judge who later became so remorse stricken – at least after Buhari’s overthrow that he went to the King of Afro-beat and apologized.

Lesser known was the traumatic experience of the director of an international communication agency, an affiliate of UNESCO. Akin Fatoyinbo arrived at the airport in complete ignorance of the new currency decree. He was thrown in gaol in especially brutal condition, an experience from which he never fully recovered. It took several months of high-level intervention before that innocent man was eventually freed. These were not exceptional but mere sample cases from among hundreds of others, victims \of a decree that was selectively applied, a decree that routinely penalized innocents and ruined the careers and businesses of many.



What else? What does one choose to include or leave out? What precisely was Ebenezer Babatope’s crime that he should have spent the entire tenure of General Buhari in detention? Nothing beyond the fact that he once warned in the media that Buhari was an ambitious soldier who would bear watching through the lenses of a coup-d’etat. Babatope’s father died while he was in Buhari’s custody, the dictator remained deaf to every plea that he be at least released to attend his father’s funeral, even under guard. I wrote an article at the time, denouncing this pointless insensitivity. So little to demand by a man who was never accused of, nor tried for any crime, much less found guilty. Such a load of vindictiveness that smothered all traces of basic human compassion deserves no further comment in a nation that values its traditions.



But then, speaking the truth was not what Buhari, as a self-imposed leader, was especially enamoured of – enquire of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor both of whom, faithful to their journalistic calling, published nothing but the truth, yet ended up sentenced under Buhari’s decree. Mind you, no one can say that Buhari was not true to his word. [size=14pt]“I shall tamper with the freedom of the press’ swore the dictator immediately on grabbing office, and this was exactly what he did. [/size]And so on, and on, and on….



The argument of those who say that, by endorsing Buhari, they are settling on someone who can be guaranteed to give Obasanjo and the NPN a good fight, is one of the most depressing excuses I ever encountered for placing a political noose around a nation’s neck. Buhari owes a debt to this nation, not the other way round. If Buhari wishes to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the citizenry whom he has so cruelly wronged, he should first scuttle his ambitions, then place whatever following he has garnered in the meantime at the disposal of a consensus candidate among the opposition. To insist on another taste of power, after such a history of gross abuse of power is an insult to any nation that values freedom and human dignity. Buhari should sit with the opposition and coordinate strategies to defeat the most unscrupulous act of political gerrymandering that, we all know, is about to be inflicted on the nation by a desperate incumbent seeking for a clone to secure his exit from power. The nation has more than sufficient time and strategic intelligence to organize behind a common choice, publicize his or her qualities and defeat the arrogance of incumbency.



What is being eroded, through the power of suggestion, is a people’s confidence in itself, and this is the beginning of mass suicide. Without that confidence, no powers on high or on earth, external or internal, can rescue the community from both the palpable and symbolic chains of slavery. To invite back into power a man who did so much to destroy a people’s self-esteem, dignity, and faith in law and justice, is a sign of self-abasement, lack of self-esteem, a slave mentality that dooms, not only the present, but succeeding generations.

I wish to declare, unequivocally, that those of my party, the ARP/DFPF shall not participate in such a degrading surrender.


http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/crimes-buhari-wole-soyinka



[size=16pt]This is the lunatic we should elect to office? Please I would rather throw my vote away.[/size]

As much as I want a better life, I'll never trade my religion for anything in dis world. Those of you campaigning for BB pls continue, pray u don't regret it. He picked TB 2 deceive u pple. Sharia law, kai, olorun maje ooooooo.

precision7:

As much as I want a better life, I'll never trade my religion for anything in dis world. Those of you  campaigning for BB pls continue, pray u don't regret it. He picked TB 2 deceive u pple. Sharia law, kai, olorun maje ooooooo.

Am still regretting the 12 years of PDP rule - no stable electricity, no safety of lives and property, unrepentant looting of the national treasury, repeated unsolved murder killings, religious crises across the nation, high rate of corruption and lawlessness, importation of anything and everything into the country.

If Sharia law is your problem, put on your thinking cap for a minute. Reason with me here:

- Buhari never implemented Sharia law during his military rule, do you now think, it is under a democratic dispensation with legislators from various political parties, that he would now enact sharia law across the nation?

- One of the major problem to intellectual reasoning and economic development in Nigeria is RELIGION. I do not know what you mean by your statement of trading your religion for anything in this world, but you are free to throw away your vote for the wrong party, and continue to suffer from the same thing PDP has manufactured to Nigerians for the last 12 years.

AS FOR ME AND MY PEOPLE, WE SAY: ENOUGH  IS  ENOUGH!

Buhari/Bakare 2011!

Please vote and vote wisely!

So Johndoe still has time to be highlighting what Soyinka wrote decades ago

stop living in the past man, you get wahala