[size=14pt]Presidential campaigns turn on character of candidates[/size]
PoliticsMar 26, 2011

By EMMANUEL AZIKEN
[b]What an irony for Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.

At the height of his political powers 26 years ago when he scorned the Nigerian press with disdain he did not see it as an obligation to explain details of what was then regarded as the most conspicuous blot on his austere military regime.

The saga of the 53 suitcases saga happened within the first six months of his military regime. The junta had, in 1984, ordered the change in the colours of the Nigerian currency, the naira that was essentially aimed at rendering useless the reported collection of millions or billions of Naira stolen by the politicians of the Second Republic.

As part of the currency change exercise, the country’s land borders were all shut and it was ordered that every baggage entering the country must be thoroughly checked irrespective of status.

It was in the midst of the currency change exercise that a high ranking military officer from Buhari’s military headquarters subsequently identified to be Buhari’s Aide-de-Camp, Major Mustapha Jokolo stormed the Murtala Muhammed Airport to ferry 53 suitcases without subjecting them to the required custom inspection.

Though the media broke the news, the taciturn General then in command of the country remained aloof, giving no explanations. With the infamous Decrees of the junta restraining the liberty of the press, nothing much could be done.

It was as such remarkable that Buhari for the first time opened up on the saga this week in the middle of his presidential campaign hustle.

Responding to enquiries from newsmen on the issue during a campaign stop in Dutse, last Monday shortly before a courtesy call on Governor Sule Lamido, Buhari said that Atiku was in the best position to speak on the issue because he was in-charge of the Airport Customs.

He said: “You go and ask him for details. I was in Dodan Barrack as Head of State then. I know my head of protocol, late Ambassador Dahiru, came back from Saudi Arabia together with his three wives and about 15 children.

“Each had their luggage and his hand bag was also counted as one person’s luggage. The other details I cannot speak because I wasn’t there when the incident happened.”

Though not directly involved in the presidential campaign, Atiku Abubakar told Saturday Vanguard that the issue was well documented in his authorized biography, “Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar” written by Onukaba Adiniyi-Ojo who was at that time The Guardian aviation correspondent and now a top aide of the former Vice-President.

Speaking through his spokesman, Garba Shehu, he said: “In his own account (Adiniyi Ojo’s) the story is how big men and women consider the observance of laid down procedure as something that is belittling. Soldiers who came to pick the suitcases were rude and crude and threatened Customs officers who had insisted on inspecting the suitcases.”

The matter of the 53 suitcases was earlier resurrected the day before by Mr. Mike Omeri the now suspended director of Research and Strategy at the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Council who referred to the matter as a sore point. Desperate to paint Buhari in the negative, Omeri had in a statement last weekend, accused Buhari of double standard in public administration over the 53 suitcases saga.[/b]

He equally poked Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN over his linkage with those he allegedly once remonstrated over corruption while he was chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

“In 2007 while answering questions from the Senate on the alleged corruption of some governors, Ribadu pointedly said that the corruption of the former governor of Lagos state, Senator Bola Tinubu was “of international dimension,” Omeri said. Continuing, he said

“Is it not curious that the same person with such a tag is now the political godfather of Ribadu and sole financier of his political campaigns? Ribadu by such posturing has given Tinubu a clean bill of health which is not only hypocritical but evidence that given the same opportunity, he [Ribadu], would not have done better than the governors whom he had indicted,” Omeri submitted.

It was perhaps that statement that roused the Buhari campaign organization to respond in a vicious statement that threw allegations of corruption against the PDP’s presidential candidate, President Jonathan and his spouse, Dame Patience Jonathan.

Though the recurring allegations first made during the President’s stewardship of Bayelsa State were ironically dismissed by Ribadu during his tenure at the EFCC.

In responding to the allegation, Yinka Odumakin, Buhari’s spokesman accused Jonathan of Jonathan poking crooked fingers into Buhari’s Aqua Fresh mouth.

“Our attention has been drawn to another lousy outing by President Goodluck Jonathan’s “Chemical Alli”, Mike Omeri wherein he sought to abuse the office of the President to spread low quality rumour against the man his paymaster is handing over to in 71 days time, General Muhammadu Buhari.”

“In the usual audacious incompetence of the Jonathan camp, Omeri’s only evidence to support his assertion is the fabled “53 suitcases” of 1984.

Going ahead to explain the story of the 53 suitcases, he said:

“For the sake of the unwary who may be tempted to believe their is any substance to this urban legend, we recap what happened .In 1984,the Emir of Gwandu whose son was ADC to General Buhari was returning to the country from overseas. The Head of state on learning of his arrival asked his son to go and receive him at the airport as they were only playing  squash at the time.”

“Coincidentally, the Nigerian ambassador to Libya at the time, Dr Tahir Waziri arrived at the same time with the Emir with his three wives and 16 children. They all came with their belongings as he was coming home to take up a new appointment as chief of protocol to the Head of state. It was the suitcases of the family of 20 that were counted as  belonging to the Emir and falsely presented to the public.”

Where some have thought the PDP’s Omeri to have misfired, the Northern political rebel, Abdukarim Daiyabu has recently gone the length to question the integrity of those around Buhari.

Daiyabu, National President, Movement for Justice in Nigeria, MOJIN, in an interview with a Lagos based news magazine, The News, while affirming that Buhari himself was clean went on to question the integrity of his associates.

“Actually, there is nothing wrong with General Muhammadu Buhari, but there is everything wrong with his surroundings. It is very unfortunate that Buhari is surrounded by only unscrupulous people-some of them are the people he detained in Kirikiri when he was the military head of state because they have looted their state’s treasury.

“But still, you still find them around him. They have pinned him down like a prisoner. He only does what they plan for him. So, where do we go from here? “The Buhari and Ribadu campaigns have on their parts continually questioned the moral and administrative competence of those around the PDP’s Jonathan going the length to query the utilization of state resources in the PDP presidential campaign.

Given what is at stake, that is the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it is not surprising that the presidential campaign is increasingly descending into a question of the moral credentials of the candidates.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/presidential-campaigns-turn-on-character-of-candidates/

Buhari will destroy Nigeria.

when will gej sack beaf?

is gej aware of the unauthorized mudslinging being perpertrated by his nl thug, the same coward who cannot give any reason for his fawning sycophantic support of goofluck?

an the mods please remove 53 suitcases from the topic of the thread started by this dubious animal?

For expired, terminally ill ex-tyrants and frustrated Taliban fundamentalists like Ayatollah Buggari-Bin-Laden,  fear of THE BEAF is the beginning of wisdom.

Sadly for ailing and senile Buggari-Bin-Lden, the acquisition of wisdom will NOT prevent his upcoming electoral defeat by the people of Nigeria and the forces of righteousness.

Jakumo:

For expired, terminally ill ex-tyrants and frustrated Taliban fundamentalists like Ayatollah Buggari-Bin-Laden,  fear of THE BEAF is the beginning of wisdom.

Sadly for ailing and senile Buggari-Bin-Lden, the acquisition of wisdom will NOT prevent his upcoming electoral defeat by the people of Nigeria and the forces of righteousness.

jakumo, can you tell us why YOU support GEJ?

i'm sure you saw beaf running in circles when he was asked this question

no long epistles

how can gej be equated with the forces of righteousness? the same fellow hob nobbing with ex convicts and former maximum rulers?

Imagine, it has taken Buhari 26 damn years to reply to this story, and his best is that we should go ask Atiku whose version of the story casts Yinka Odumakin as a liar.
Yinka Odumakin said it never happened, whereas both Atiku and Jokolo say it did. Its what you call a real conondrum!

oyb:

jakumo, can you tell us why YOU support GEJ?

i'm sure you saw beaf running in circles when he was asked this question

no long epistles

how can gej be equated with the forces of righteousness? the same fellow hob nobbing with ex convicts and former maximum rulers?

Its about the 53 suitcases, not Jakumo. What are you scared off? Answer the question why there is so much contradiction and there are so many stories or shut up.

Beaf:

Its about the 53 suitcases, not Jakumo. What are you scared off? Answer the question why there is so much contradiction and there are so many stories or shut up.

the question has been answerd

it is clear to all of us that these repeated refernces are the last desperate gambits of team gej against the teflon candidate

sharia, ptf, corruption the lies have all fallen flat

i wonder why gej did noyt threaten to sue buhari for the maligning of patience - abi na fear?

oyb:

the question has been answerd

it is clear to all of us that these repeated refernces are the last desperate gambits of team gej against the teflon candidate

sharia, ptf, corruption the lies have all fallen flat

i wonder why gej did noyt threaten to sue buhari for the maligning of patience - abi na fear?

Is, "go and ask Atiku" an answer after 26 years? Not everybody is a blind follower, and few are satisfied with the wild degree of contradiction between the stories from Jokolo, Odumakin and Atiku. The contradictions make it obvious that the Buhari camp is lying.

Jokolo and Atiku were eyewitnesses. Who is lying, how and why? Thats what we're gonna find out. LOL!

. . .And by the way, Omeri was sacked most likely for speaking out of turn and rleasing info before time. GEJ's team has not distanced itself from the story, it only says its release was unauthorised. . . Two different things, son!

Now, what was it about those 53 suitcases?

Beaf:

Is, "go and ask Atiku" an answer after 26 years? Not everybody is a blind follower, and few are satisfied with the wild degree of contradiction between the stories from Jokolo, Odumakin and Atiku. The contradictions make it obvious that the Buhari camp is lying.

Jokolo and Atiku were eyewitnesses. Who is lying, how and why? Thats what we're gonna find out. LOL!

. . .And by the way, Omeri was sacked most likely for speaking out of turn and rleasing info before time. GEJ's team has not distanced itself from the story, it only says its release was unauthorised. . . Two different things, son!

Now, what was it about those 53 suitcases?

28 billion dollars not so? someone was able to fit 28 million 100 dollar bills into 53 suitcases and bring them INTO nigeria in a classic case of reverse money laundering.

these 53 suitcases passed through customs in the us or wherever without raising any eyebrows

the money was kept in buharis ceiling in dodan barracks

ironically, to date no one has been able to trace this 28 billion dollars, which is so easy to hide

meanwhile we cannot find you defendng ringim who wanst to oulaw cell phones,

or nta who are truncating free speech
good dunce is setting up mugabesque precedents

oyb:

meanwhile we cannot find you defendng ringim who wanst to oulaw cell phones,

or nta who are truncating free speech
good dunce is setting up mugabesque precedents

Does the name, Ringim sound like [size=21pt]53 suitcases?[/size]
Abeg, stick to the topic or gerout. Whats with all the dodging?

@Beaf

Where did Buhari get the $28 billion from, people take dollars out of Nigeria and not dollars into Nigeria, you can support GEJ all you want but do not twist facts, my prayers for you is that if GEJ wins, he will run your life the same way he ran Bayelsa.

hercules07:

@Beaf

Where did Buhari get the $28 billion from, people take dollars out of Nigeria and not dollars into Nigeria, you can support GEJ all you want but do not twist facts, my prayers for you is that if GEJ wins, he will run your life the same way he ran Bayelsa.

Where did you see $28billion on this thread? I am worried for you Buhari supporters!
Deal with the [size=21pt]53 suitcases[/size] sir, why are there so many conflicting stories from Buhari's camp?

@Beaf,

This question has been asked to you several times and I will give you another opportunity to answer. Why do you Support Jonathan?

sochan:

@Beaf,

This question has been asked to you several times and I will give you another opportunity to answer. Why do you Support Jonathan?

Fail.
The question has been asked many times, why are there so many conflicting stories from the Buhari camp about the [size=21pt]53 suitcases?[/size] Is that question too difficult?

E ya!!!!

@Beaf

I mixed things up, I know you have accused him of 2.8 billion dollars and that has been refuted, as per the 53 suitcases, what do you think they contained apart from clothes (i.e. if they ever existed).

hercules07:

@Beaf

I mixed things up, I know you have accused him of 2.8 billion dollars and that has been refuted, as per the 53 suitcases, what do you think they contained apart from clothes (i.e. if they ever existed).

The $2.8billion has NEVER been refuted, but thats another story. As for your question, you seem to know the answer, more importantly though, by admitting the core of the story; you cast Yinka Odumakin (and Buhari by extension) as liers. . . Just like Atiku, Jokolo and all other eye witnesses.

Beaf:

Fail.
The question has been asked many times, why are there so many conflicting stories from the Buhari camp about the [size=21pt]53 suitcases?[/size] Is that question too difficult?

It is not as difficult as the question you cannot answer. Hypocrite!

Simple question: Where did you get your passion/dream about GEJ from?

Sagamite:

It is not as difficult as the question you cannot answer. Hypocrite!

Simple question: Where did you get your passion/dream about GEJ from?

Its all explained in technicolor here: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-630417.416.html

www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6

Beaf:

Its all explained in technicolor here: https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-630417.416.html

Hypocrite!

Who are you to criticise not answering a question when you are running from a question?

Fanatical shyt smeller, are you applying PDP and GEJ moral standards?

Beaf may your life be run the way Goodluck ran the affairs of Bayelsa State and Nigeria.

And I will like my life to disciplined the way Buhari ran thing when he was head of PTF and Head of State

the way people talk here points to the fact that Buhari supporters throws bombs and will kill because of politics.

Someone was a Minister of Petroleum, Governor, President,Chairman of NNPC and head of PTF yet the only thing you want to pin on him is 53 suitcases. Compare him with someone else who was a lecturer for 12 years, Deputy Gov for 3 years and Governor for a year yet he has over 200 million naira and 5 houses. Please Lord give me the man with 53 suitcases.

^^^ They can't pin him even on that because the Emir's own son has released his version of what happened as against Atiku's testimony of the day's event.

Disdain