Buhari ruled Nigeria from January 1984 to August 1985, when he was toppled in a miliatry coup. He is one of Nigeria's most popular politicians and is perceived as being more democratic than most of Nigeria's leaading politicians, according to John Campbell, a former US ambassador to Nigeria.

"He has a great deal of popularity on the street," says Campbell. "Ordinary Nigerians tend to regard him as being extremely disciplined and absolutely uncorrupt."

As well as fighting against corruption during his time in office, he eliminated multi-story rubbish piles in Lagos by establishing Sanitation Saturdays, when rubbish is collected.

"If he were to win, it would be a pretty good indication that the elections were indeed free, fair and credible," says Campbell. "There would be a strong emphasis on attacking corruption and that would be quite popular."




http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20110105-former-ruler-buhari-run-nigerias-cpc

We all know he would win WITHOUT rigging as we all know that GJ would rig this election

jason123:

We all know he would win WITHOUT rigging as we all know that GJ would rig this election

Well GEJ will meet his match this time around if he tries to rig!

we have to kick corruption out of Nigeria and bring back discipline before the country can move forward.

maga1:

we have to kick corruption out of Nigeria and bring back discipline before the country can move forward.

GBAM!!!! WELL SAID!!! MAY GOD BLESS YOU!!!

9ijaMan:

Well GEJ will meet his match this time around if he tries to rig!

My bro, nigerians are known for being sentimental. okay, WHEN GJ[b] RIGS[/b] HIS WAY IN and Nigerians complain, do you not think that ND would start saying he is being attacked because he is from a minority BHla, bhal etc. Infact, MEND would use that as an opportunity to recruit more youths!!!

jason123:

We all know he would win WITHOUT rigging as we all know that GJ would rig this election

i tell ya, this time around we are going to escort all the ballot boxes to the INEC offices just the way it was done in lagos, Kano, Bauchi etc. me thinks this way we will reduce greatly the percentage of irregularities.

maga1:



i tell ya, this time around we are going to escort all the ballot boxes to the INEC offices just the way it was done in lagos, Kano, Bauchi etc. me thinks this way we will reduce greatly the percentage of irregularities.

are you a police man Its better you do not risk your life!

jason123:

are you a police man Its better you do not risk your life!

Don't forget that policemen are Nigerians too and they also feel the horrible impact of our corrupt leaders.

jason123:

are you a police man Its better you do not risk your life!

i am not a police man oh. but come to think of it. we dont have full trust in our police bcoz they might end up collecting 'egunje' and change the ballot boxes. but we will help them, together we will work (no fighting with the police) after all the police is our friend.

ONE MAN ONE VOTE.

And the tide has shifted.Some people earlier thought it was GEJ vs IBB.It is now Buhari vs others.

Abagworo:

And the tide has shifted.Some people earlier thought it was GEJ vs IBB.It is now Buhari vs others.

WELL SAID!!! We need to stamp OUT corruption fast! Once we do that, then we can start to talk about plans and manifesto!!!!

maga1:

i am not a police man oh. but come to think of it. we dont have full trust in our police bcoz they might end up collecting 'egunje' and change the ballot boxes. but we will help them, together we will work (no fighting with the police) after all the police is our friend.

ONE MAN ONE VOTE.

Yes ooo! Lets kick PDP out!!!

Nobody knows about Buhari in the south east

omamokta:

Nobody knows about Buhari in the south east

bros WHO CARES IF HE IS KNOWN IN THE SOUTH EAST OR NOT

WAS OBJ NOT ONE OF THE MOST HATED FELLOW IN THE SOUTH EAST AND HE STILL WON 2 ELECTIONs

so this south east crap and talk about nigeria

@omamokta,
The south east knows nobody,not even their own brothers.The only thing that is known is ca$h. The south east consists of very intelligent people who however, have an internal weakness of easily signing away their birthrights for a pot of porridge. Do you see that south-south has tasted presidency before south-east? The love for quick rewards is the south east's greatest weakness.

omamokta:

Nobody knows about Buhari in the south east

So Does it matter (no offence).

@omamokta i bet u d SE is not a place dat is worth stressing urself. Dey see demselves as d wisest & dey r hardly impressed. They'll always look 4 sumtin dat will make dem not 2 vote u (religion, ethnicity etc). Even, presently d topmost politicians 4rm dat region are fighting 4 zoning (bcoz dey r wise) but d common biafran is confused. I bet u, anyting buhari gets 4rm dere is OK.

i have said it again and again, with the people coming out to contest BUHARI is the one i will vote for , but i never believe i would say this but this is wat options in the nigerian political parties have to offer us.

GEJ WILL MAKE NIGERIANS CRY MORE

ATIKU WILL HOLD AND SUSTAIN THE COUNTRY WILL NOT TAKE IT HIGHER

BUHARI WILL STAMP OUT CORRUPTION AND TAKE IT A LITTLE HIGHER FOR THE FASHOLAS,RIBADUS,DUKES AND THE UTOMIS TO HAVE A STRONG FOUNDATION TO FINALLY MAKE NIGERIA A GREAT NATION.

maga1:

"If he were to win, it would be a pretty good indication that the elections were indeed free, fair and credible," says Campbell. "There would be a strong emphasis on attacking corruption and that would be quite popular."

I anxiously await Beaf's response

Or any other GEJ supporters. . .

It might be true that if Buhari actually won, then the elections were free and fair, but it doesn't follow that if GEJ won that they would not be. What Campbell didn't bother to mention (though he is probably aware, as a very informed outsider) is that Jonathan has far more popularity with the youth and also a much stronger and more widely reaching (to all parts of Nigeria except the "core North") campaign. I would even give the edge to GEJ over Buhari for who is more popular with "the ordinary Nigerian on the street".



It's also quite strange to hear an illegal government imposed on Nigeria by a military dictator referred to so positively by a Westerner, but I guess Nigerians allow this by treating a career coupist with kid gloves and giving him a pension.

The audio interview with Campbell is worth listening to as well.

PhysicsHD:

It might be true that if Buhari actually won, then the elections were free and fair, but it doesn't follow that if GEJ won that they would not be. What Campbell didn't bother to mention (though he is probably aware, as a very informed outsider) is that Jonathan has far more popularity  with the youth and also a much stronger and more widely reaching (to all parts of Nigeria except the "core North" campaign. I would even give the edge to GEJ over Buhari for who is more popular with "the ordinary Nigerian on the street".



It's also quite strange to hear an illegal government imposed on Nigeria by a military dictator referred to so positively by a Westerner, but I guess Nigerians allow this by treating a career coupist with kid gloves and giving him a pension.

The westerner is right unless you are not on the streets.GEJ's popularity has reduced drastically and Buhari's has catapulted in the past few weeks.You can even observe on this our small Nairaland that GEJ has lost most of his supporters.

Jonathan has far more popularity  with the youth and also a much stronger and more widely reaching (to all parts of Nigeria except the "core North" campaign

@PhysicsHD
What are you smoking?
Where is your location?
And when was the last time you were in Nigeria for more than a month?

'Cos you're very wrong, brother!

Jonathan has been struggling among all ages everywhere in Nigeria. Even people from his village are beginning to wonder about the dude.

@PhysicsHD:
If you don't know is ok, but don't extend your ignorance to others.

Fucck Campbell,  what does he know about Nigeria

Obviously, he is doing someone's dirty job

Bloody american, thinking they know Nigeria more than Nigerians

fstranger6:

Fucck Campbell,  what does he know about Nigeria

Obviously, he is doing someone's dirty job

Bloody american, thinking they know Nigeria more than Nigerians

Eh, he was the ambassador. If he doesn't know Nigeria more than your average Nigerian, then he didn't do his job.

Anyway, it is quite interesting. Hopefully this CPC/ACN alliance comes through.

Fucck Campbell,  what does he know about Nigeria

Obviously, he is doing someone's dirty job

Bloody american, thinking they know Nigeria more than Nigerians

Here we go blaming the whole world for out stupidity.

@fstranger6:
FYI, another naija sister has been picked up for drugs at the Detroit airport. You better go and bail her out.

Being on the good side of America is probably the only thing Nigeria has going for herself at this point.

eku_bear:

Eh, he was the ambassador. If he doesn't know Nigeria more than your average Nigerian, then he didn't do his job.

Anyway, it is quite interesting. Hopefully this CPC/ACN alliance comes through.

I know he was an ambassador, but he wasnt the Walter Carrington type of ambassador.
He prolly barely left his quaters
He never mingled with the people, so how does he understand the mentality of say my grandmother who sells bitter Kola in my hometown or that of my uncle who works as a technician

I think he is wrong by his assessment that Buhari has a great deal of popularity on the street. May be in some parts of the North, definitely not in the south. Yeah, people admire him, but that does not mean they would vote for him. Why would a SS person vote for him against their own son of the soil.
He also said "He is one of Nigeria's most popular politicians and is perceived as being more democratic than most of Nigeria's leaading politicians," that to me is absolute balderdash. When did he become a democrat? Buhari wants a sharia state, amongst other non-democratic principles.

John Campbell is just wrong. He must have gotten his analysis from an Hausa man, and because of his laziness and ulterior motive, he chose to generalize without doing due diligence.

^-- A lot of assumptions you are making. Not sure that those assumptions are reasonable.

Depilot:


@PhysicsHD
What are you smoking?
Where is your location?
And when was the last time you were in Nigeria for more than a month?

'Cos you're very wrong, brother!

Jonathan has been struggling among all ages everywhere in Nigeria. Even people from his village are beginning to wonder about the dude.

@PhysicsHD:
If you don't know is ok, but don't extend your ignorance to others.

I said what I meant and I meant what I said.

Jonathan's campaign (visits, endorsements, allies) and his non-governmental supporters cut across more ethnic groups, states, and regions, than Buhari's.

Buhari is not even more popular among the youth than Ribadu.

PhysicsHD:

I said what I meant and I meant what I said.

Jonathan's campaign (visits, endorsements, allies) and his non-governmental supporters cut across more ethnic groups, states, and regions, than Buhari's.

Buhari is not even more popular among the youth than Ribadu.

jason123:

Abagworo:

The westerner is right unless you are not on the streets.GEJ's popularity has reduced drastically and Buhari's has catapulted in the past few weeks.You can even observe on this our small Nairaland that GEJ has lost most of his supporters.

Compared to when?