OBIdiently Yours, Pres. Muhammad Buhari.


“Experience Is The Best Teacher”


Fellow Nigerians,

It is with great pleasure that I write these few lines as we step into yet another electioneering season to usher in the next President for our great country Nigeria, and my greatest desire is to ensure that Nigerians can cast their votes, have their votes counted, and ultimately have a President who'd be the choice of the majority of Nigerians, and I urge you all to support me in this quest which has already begunany the signing into law of the recently amended electoral act - a legacy and foundation I worked tirelessly to ensure I bequeath to Nigerians before I bow out of the stage. From the current buzz, excitement, and feelers all around the country as I write, we just might have succeeded in rekindling the interest and confidence of all well-meaning Nigerians in our electoral process. This is indeed a huge win for us all of goodwill and indeed a deviation from the old ways in which elections had been approached by Nigerians, both old and young.

It should be on record that my tenure and elelectoral reforms had ushered in a process whereby the will of the electorates is allowed to determine who they elect to govern them, particularly at the Presidential level.

The ultimate goal is to deepen our electoral process even further, down to the State, Local Government, and ward levels, a process already in motion as I write and judging by the results from recent elections deliberately set up to be devoid of any form of interference to usurp the will of the majority.

Are we where we need or deserve to be yet in our electoral reforms and processes? The answer to this is a resounding no, but I can assure you that the foundation has been set to enable us to continue to build and improve on this new ways of choosing our leaders. We can only get better from here on, hopefully.

I have been and still getthing called all manner of demeaning names such as, “a terrorist, sadist, insensitive leader, religious fanatic, ethnic bigot, etc.” all in a bid to get me to lose focus or deviate from this onerous task, but being who I am and having learned from the past, I made good on my promise to pay deaf ears to detractors, enemies of the state, and most of all, the young and the ignorants who must be forgiven for their ignorance because they truly are innocent and do not know the rot that our system in Nigeria had become until I came on board in 2015.
So many of you have erroneously been fed with the falsehood that I am responsible for everything wrong with Nigeria particularly by those who feel alienated by me from accessing our national purse which they see as their personal fiefdom as had been the norm before now.
The truth is, Nigeria had always performed way below her enormous potentials and had been in a very steady downward decline before I came onboard and at the rate at which it was sliding, it sure would have been worse for us all if I had not intervened.

While it holds true that my ascension to the office in 2015 was a massive protest by the generality of Nigerians who were fed up with how the affairs of government was being run without any sense of accountability by the previous administrations, it needs to also hold true that our dear country (Nigeria) is a peculiar case and system with various hydra-headed monsters bedevilling her and her existence which can only be confronted and tackled by someone as focused, driven, and committed to the cause as I have been.
The leader Nigeria needs from this point onwards isn’t one supposed to be moved by accolades or the lack of it, nor one who'd be more concerned of public perception of him or her. That'd be grossly self-serving and inimical to digging the country out from the duldrums it is currently at, and subsequently placing her up on it's deserved point

The incessant attacks, name-callings, and for the most part, biased criticisms I get on a daily aren’t because those who dish them out truly understand the monsters I have to deal with, nor are they doing it for the general good of the country, but for personal and selfish reasons, hence, the hues and cries with an ultimate goal of distracting me from the goal I have set out to achieve for posterity sake and a better Nigeria
If I cared more about being in the good books of all my critics and less about Nigeria, I would have been able to continue in the steps of past failed administrations to artificially curry accolades from the citizenry while the foundation upon which whatever succour they thought they were enjoying will continue to be rotten, shaking, and ultimately be met with a collapse because there had been no foundation in the first place, and where there was one, it was only artificial, not deep-rooted to stand the test of time and provide the coming generations with a footing to continue to consolidate and build upon for a truly progressive country.

Yes, I was voted into power massively against an incumbent in 2015 on the back of my promise and everyone's desire for us to mount a head-on war against corruption and such other vices that have forever hung upon Nigeria’s neck like an albatross and preventing her from taking her rightful place in the comity of progressive countries.
At this point, I won’t fail to give kudos to my predecessor President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for being a gentleman and allowing a free and fair election which ushered my administration in and for such ground work as he had started upon which my administration built upon and further consolidating the positives accruable from our electoral commission (INEC).

This, and many more I dare to say, I have been confronting, but I won’t be afraid to admit that I have not devoted 100% of my time to this malaise for reasons I hope you will all be able to pick out from this letter as I proceed, while I urge you to read with an open and unbiased mind.

Now, as I stated earlier, Nigeria is peculiar, hunted by peculiar cases, and deserves to be approached in peculiar ways sometimes different from the conventional ways by which already established and progressive countries are being governed.

As the title of this write-up states “Experience is the best teacher”, I was taught by experience and that was what I brought into government this time around.
I have been here before in 1983, albeit through the barrel of a gun, and the lessons picked up from my short stint at the helms before the detractors and enemies of State who were already feeling the heat of my planned reforms truncated my plans are what I brought into government this time around, and I am proud to state that I deliberately set out to follow through In these reforms of mine without paying any heed to the hues, cries, and unjust criticisms mostly instigated by the aggrieved enemies of state.

In 1983, the system wasn’t any different from how rotten it is today, it was only just not as highly publicised as it is today all thanks to the powers and advent of social media in this age.

The rot in the system and the burning desire to be a part of those to correct the ills in the land were the reason why we took over power and I was eventually selected to lead the new military government.

The one major mistake I made in my first stint was, coming on board and attempting to face all of the issues holding our dear country down at the same time.

This attempt to correct every ill all at once plus my inexperience at the time was one reason why my vulnerability was exposed to the ones who my planned reforms were beginning to bite hard on and would have ultimately consumed, prompting them into ganging up to take an action to get me overthrown to preserve and continue in their evil of having the country in their pockets.

To give you an idea of what I set out to achieve in 1983 which I eventually brought into this current dispensation, I have been erroneously labelled an ethnic or tribal bigot but at the time, I had the presence of mind and the willpower to have selected as my deputy for the great cause ahead, one of Nigeria's finest, incorruptible, and disciplined officer in the person of Late General Tunde Idiagbon (May God continue to rest his soul) to work with me. The records are there for everyone to confirm or disprove.

For wont of not deviating too far from the purpose of this write up, I’d leave you all to cast your mind's eye to the person of Late General Idiagbon, the programs we had come up with at that time, and how we were going on about it, and to this regard, I'll advice those who were old enough in 1983-85 to tell the story to today's generation-Z (a.k.a Indomie generation) just in case.
In life, nothing good comes easy. It always ever gets so bad before it begins to get better.

If we don’t experience and persevere through worse, we won’t have the ability to identify better, seize, appreciate, and guard it judiciously with our whole lives to prevent us from getting back to worse.

There is insecurity in the land, yes.

Corruption isn’t entirely a thing of the past yet, yes.

Our economy isn’t the healthiest yet, yes.

Is there hope for a new Nigeria,? A resounding Yes.

Is the foundation to actualise this new Nigeria been built? Yes.

Is this new Nigeria possible in your lifetime? Yes, maybe not as much for the old me, but I will be fulfilled leaving you with this legacy while hoping that you'll seize and use this already set up foundation through our reformed and ongoing reforming electoral process to make your voice heard in the coming general elections to chose and determine the trajectory of your future.

It is now in your hands to get a cue of what I have been able to put on ground for a credible election to be possible, the choice of the majority respected, and the election of the one who will be able to build upon this foundation that I have laboured to build, and who'd also do well to chose from among our many hydra-headed monsters crippling and holding us back as a nation the one he or she can successfully deal with once and for all in the 4-8 years of his or her administration as I have done. It is best to confront and deal with these issues one at a time so as to avoid getting distracted along the and ending up having no issues tackled for the next generation to be able to build upon in progress. This could be the issue of insecurity, corruption, economy, etc. But if I was to chip in an advice, it'd be for the next President to be elected by the majority of you to work towards looking into what we currently call a constitution.

The constitution we currently operate by is hugely flawed and needs an urgent review.

This will be the ultimate foundation upon which every other progressive plans or reforms for our nation can be built upon and consolidated to bring our dreams of a prosperous nation to fruition.

I am not completely unaware of the pains and agonies Nigerians are having to go through every day to get by, the truth is, this is the hard price we all have to pay for our past indiscretions and choices.

However, the consolation is that it can only get better from here onwards considering the works my administration has been able to come up with so long as we all continue to understand the battle to salvage Nigeria from the demons holding her down isn’t one for the fainthearted or a Mr Nice Guy.

It will require a whole lot of willpower, focus, and self-control from such an individual.
In previous dispensations, it is normal for the ruling party or President to hand pick his successor and foist the same on the people against their wish and will, a recurring pattern and action that had until now only served to breed a populace of voter-appathies and subsequently granting the demons the powers to select and rig themselves in to continue to deny the citizens their rights as a people.

I am blessed to have worked with a handful of intelligent, patriotic, and capable individuals in the last 7+ years and more who are eminently qualified to be called "would-have-been" successors to me and the throne, but my desire to instil a politics of fairness and all-inclusiveness where the choice is left solely to the electorate to decide who to entrust the affairs of their lives and future to, going forward, is the reason why recently there was an outburst to the effect of “Emi Lokan” because I wasn't going to be despotic by hand picking and installing anyone against your general will/wishes.
It would have been easier and more convenient for me to handpick a successor while relying on some phantom gentleman agreement just to be seen as a good man not minding how this error would impact on the positives I have laboured to gain and for the sake of the future generation as had been the practice before this new way of doing things that I am leaving Nigerians with.
I make bold to repeat “I am for everyone and I belong to no one”.

In my head and heart, it is always Nigeria and her citizens before any party, individual, or ethnic group.
Nigeria is my constituency and my loyalty belongs to her before anyone or political party.
I could have handpicked one of the many capable individuals around me to be my successor, lent him or her my express and open support, and ensure to deploy the machinery of state to enthrone that person as my successor but I have refused to be a part of this anomaly and injustice upon the people of Nigeria. This sure would have been the case if I had anything to hide, needed someone to cover-up my crimes, or if I didn’t mean well for Nigeria and Nigerians.
It is not a secret that so many people were expecting me to get involved in picking a candidate for my party's Presidential primaries. I had deliberately shied away from getting involved in the process by allowing everyone interested and confident of the electorates votes to throw their hats in the ring and slug it out without any undue advantage or support for any one candidate. Slug it out, get the delegates support, sell and market yourself to the electorates and get them to give you the mandate to lead them in a free, fair, and credible manner without any undue interference from the government or party in power.
Power belongs to the power and they must be allowed to exercise this right of giving it to the individual the majority are satisfied can work for their good.
In the midst of all these and with the individual party candidates already selected and known, I am sure some people are still looking up to me to help intervene or correct whatever gaffe they must have committed to likely hurt their chances at the polls. No, I won’t intervene or interfere. Should you put the gun to your foot and squeeze on the trigger, I hope you are man enough to face the consequences in an “Emi lokan” way.

I am the reason why the current buzz is “OBIdient” and why you could dare dream to be “OBIdient” in the first place.

My electoral reform is the reason why you can be "Batified" or "Emi lokan" today.

The stage I have set in my reforms is the reason why you can be "Atikulating" today.

If my frail memory serves me right, I can remember that before now there was the other buzz of “Atikulating Him Tu Lie” until someone had perhaps felt the kind of conviction that I have always had for Nigeria and decided to go it on his own and be his own man in the wilderness of Nigeria's political terrain.

In all of this I am hoping and praying that you the masses are able to make the right choice in the coming elections devoid of ethnic, religious, or parochial sentiments in your choices because whatever choice for a President you end up with is one that you will have to live with for at least another 4 years when I probably would have exited the world. The much I can do as it is now which I have already handed to you is the electoral reform platform that I have entrenched. Take advantage of it to make your voice and choice heard and known. Guide and protect it judiciously because indeed, your life and future depends on it going forward.
You might have been right to always called to question my educational/academic qualification as a leader but the truth remains that wisdom and selfless leadership go way beyond educational qualifications and my belief in God has always guided me into understanding that power like everything else in life belongs to God and he alone chooses whosoever he wishes for it or else those who see it as their selfish right will keep labouring in vain.

To further buttress the above and how true leadership goes way beyond educational qualifications and how much English one could pour out from the top of his or her head, I’d humbly wish to send you back on a journey to my first stint as a military head and when you all gave me the mandate for the second time in this current democratic dispensation.

As a military head of state I was able to select for a deputy, an officer who history has always been and will forever be kind to his name, in testament to his character, persona, and competence.

In my second coming as a democratically elected President and without the powers to fiatly select a deputy, I had no choice but to run with my current Vice, who on all indices is equally a man of immense honour, credibility, character, and capability.

But as I had pointed out earlier on in this write-up, a country like Nigeria can not and must not be entrusted to anyone who is a “Mr Nice guy” or someone who owes any one man or woman a favour, or else the country and governance would be easily hijacked from him or her and the losses therefrom would take us back yet ages to correct if we aren't mindful.

In the light of the above, upon my assumption as a democratically elected President, I had proceeded to seek and found someone I could trust to work closely with me in realising my vision for Nigeria in the person of the Late Abba Kyari (may God continue to rest his soul).
The Late Abba Kyari was vilified while alive and even in death by many because they truly had no idea what was happening and the Mormon we were faced to deal with on a daily in an attempt to change how things are done in governance and the nation at large.

Upon the death of Abba Kyari and up until this very moment that I write I am sure a lot of you silently wished Abba Kyari was still alive to keep a rein in on the hooligans running amok within the government circles and my current cabinet. It is an open secret that all who were hitherto kept in check while Kyati was still alive and working in the background had suddenly gained more than a voice, running amok, and bent on embarrassing this administration and even setting us back on the progressive gains we had made in our short time in office, but I’m glad that I was eventually able to stay the course and achieve my goal in the form of these reforms. In case this bit of my narrative fails to make any sense to you, I kindly urge you to keep an unbiased open-mind while you cast your mind's eye back to the quietude and grumblings within my circle (even from my immediate family) while Abba Kyari held sway as my defacto VP, and what currently obtains since after his demise. This would give you an idea into the mess Abba Kyari was taking care of and getting demonized for.

I know a lot of you silently wished Kyari was still alive and in the corridors of power. But this is the story of Nigeria where one isn’t appreciated or eulogised when he is alive.

As much as I do not thrive and wish to be worshipped as a human, I quietly wish you'd quit demonising me as a person based on stories and untruths being daily churned out by the same demons who have led you all down this unenviable path as a people and nation, because I have defiantly restricted their reach to the cookie jar and dared to begin a process to redefine how our election process and governance is conducted, and so, just take out time, no matter how much you havee been erroneously led to despise me “to celebrate me, now wey I dey alive, no be say when I leave this world, you go come dey fake am for my back”. Apologies to Pato Ranking.

It is going to be a tedious and arduous journey ahead in a bid for us to keep making the right choice of leadership and be able to compliment on our little wins one step at a time, but it is certainly doable/achievable, so, let’s get going and keep the hope alive.

My name is Muhammad Buhari, I dare anyone to point to any property or business that is linked to me or a proceed of corrupt enrichment as a result of my stewardship as the President of this country.

My immediate and extended family might be seen to be living ostensibly majorly from gifts and favours coming in from potential favour seekers at the corridors of power, but no one, not even my wife can accuse me of granting a favour through her that's against my principles and ideals as a human trying to live right and content in all my ways.
This has been a long letter and I hope I have been able to let you in a bit into the man you know and call Buhari, Bubu, or whatever you chose to call me out of the many nicks I have garnered over the years.

If you have read this and you feel “Batified or Emi lokan, Atikulated, or OBIdient”, all I need you to know is that, I have set the stage for you to chose what you want to be and to be prepared to take responsibility for your choices going forward because I have done my bit and will be exiting the stage for you guys soon.

Before you go thinking that the writer of this piece is in a hunt to curry favour or position from Buhari, please, always remember not to forget that the Buhari we have come to know is one who cares less about how much praise you heap on him or the lack of it.

I have come to find myself fashioning my lifestyle in the mould of Buhari as a mentor, to be firm and care less what anyone thinks or says about me so long as I am convinced that I am doing the right thing.

Before a couple of hours ago when I got into this deep thinking and decided to pen down this note, I have been a fierce and biased critic of Buhari who never saw anything good in whatever he did both on and offline.

I am grateful to God to have opened up my mind and eyes to behold the thoughts I did which eventually led to this piece.
I have always launched scathing attacks and profanities on Buhari's media aides and supporters who were in the know of what I have just been opened to seeing about Buhari and all I can say is “I’m sorry, forgive my hitherto ignorance”.
I have decided and chosen to applaud and celebrate Buhari while he is yet here rather than wait until he has gone to be with his maker and begin to realize late how strong a personality and leader he truly was.

I am now a full Buharideen with no apologies.

Thanks for reading.

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria and her citizens.

OBIdiently yours,
President Muhammad Buhari.

This piece was written by:
Peter O.
Lagos, Nigeria
Email: laptopsaccessories8@gmail.com

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Copyrighted © July 23rd, 2022

Yes give us free and fear election in 2023.