₦airaland Forum

By Femi Aribisala
ONE month ago, the APC had whipped its supporters into frenzy in believing it is bound to win an election it really has no chance of winning. In truth, if the election had been conducted then for chairman of the EFCC, Muhammadu Buhari would have been declared winner by a landslide. However, with postponement of the election, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Even Buhari’s self-styled credential as Mr. Integrity has unraveled.
Buhari’s entire campaign posture for the 2015 presidential election stands on two shaky grounds. He fashions himself as Mr. Integrity; the implacable enemy of corruption in Nigeria. He is the one who reportedly is going to ensure that corruption is a thing of the past in Nigeria. He is also the one who is going to destroy the Boko Haram in the twinkling of an eye; even though a number of months ago, he was negotiating for amnesty and golden handshakes for the insurgents, and they nominated him as their preferred middleman in any truce negotiation with Nigeria.

File photo; Tinubu and Buhari – leaders of ACN and CPC
Buhari’s disappearance
Things have not gone too well for the Buhari campaign since the postponement of the election. He did not help things by disappearing off the political radar for virtually two weeks. By the time he re-surfaced, Boko Haram was toast. We no longer needed Buhari’s vain promissory notes to deal with the insurgency. One after another, town after town were recovered from the Boko Haram. In many respects, they have been routed as the Nigerian army came into its own after having received its new consignment of weapons.
As a result, we are no longer hearing anything from Buhari about whipping Boko Haram. All he had left was his anti-corruption mantra. But that one also came to grief with the airing of AIT’s tripartite documentary entitled: “The Lion of Bourdillon.” This alleged that Bola Tinubu, the self-styled national leader of the APC, is steeped in corruption. It claims Tinubu is the biggest landlord in Lagos, and maintains he has acquired so much property through very sharp practices.
While the veracity of these allegations is yet to be ascertained beyond reasonable doubt, the documentary has brought to the fore the flies in the anti-corruption ointment of Buhari. The truth is that corruption in Nigeria is not the exclusive preserve of the PDP. It is also the chronic ailment of the APC. Neither is corruption only the malaise of the Federal Government; it is equally the malaise of state governments, including those ruled by the APC. Indeed, Murtala Nyako of the APC was impeached and removed as governor of Adamawa State partly because it was alleged that he had corruptly enriched himself with government funds.
The question then is this: Does Buhari’s so-called zero-tolerance for corruption extend to his APC colleagues? Will Buhari, in the unlikely event that he becomes president, go after APC thieves as well as PDP thieves? Or will he turn a blind eye to APC thieves and molly-cuddle them? Suddenly, the anti-corruption searchlight turned on to Buhari and his friends, and just as suddenly, we discovered what some of us have always known: that Buhari, the Emperor of Anti-Corruption, has no clothes.
Buhari’s response to the issue of corruption in APC ranks reeked with sheer hypocrisy and double-standards. Like charity, Buhari’s anti-corruption must begin at home in the APC if it is to be credible. However, Buhari is not inclined to prosecute his friends. Instead, he came up with a pronouncement that virtually rubbished his anti-corruption posture. He said: “Whoever that is indicted of corruption between 1999 to the time of swearing-in, would be pardoned. I am going to draw a line, anybody who involved himself in corruption after I assume office, will face the music.”
Insurance for corrupt supporters
This means as long as you steal money between 1999 and 2011, you have nothing to fear under a Buhari presidency. This is, of course, an insurance policy for his corrupt supporters, assuring them that they would have nothing to fear by giving him their vote. Buhari did not come out in strident support of Bola Tinubu. He did not come out to tell the world that, contrary to the AIT documentary, the Bola Tinubu he knows is a man of unimpeachable integrity. Instead, he told the world that if there are thieves among his friends, they can rest assured that he would pardon their thievery.
When President Jonathan pardoned the former governor of Bayelsa, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a man who had been convicted of corruption and was a refugee from justice from Britain, Nigerians were incensed. This was rightly seen as the president condoning corruption. One would have thought this kind of thing would not occur with a man who talks anti-corruption day and night. However, in the case of Buhari, he would not only pardon one corrupt associate, he would pardon them all.
When asked how he was going to get funds to revitalise the economy, Buhari stated that he was going to get all corrupt past leaders and officials cough out their stolen money. This was nothing but a nonsensical policy. It is bizarre and odd for Buhari to think he can run Nigeria, revamp the educational system for example, by recovering stolen money. Where will he get this money from? Who will give it to him? Would such recovered money not amount to a storm in the teacup?
But now that he has dumped this anti-corruption charade in favour of a blanket pardon for the corrupt, it is clear that political reality is beginning to erode Buhari’s highfalutin campaign grandstanding. It is equally significant that Buhari’s new stance on corruption comes coincidentally after AIT documentary on “The Lion of Bourdillon,” where one of his most important allies was accused of corruption. Clearly, it is high time Buhari stopped deluding Nigerians that he is genuinely anti-corruption and that he can eradicate corruption in Nigeria by sending corrupt politicians to jail.
Buhari was Nigeria’s head-of-state for a period of 18 months in the 1980s. At the time, he ran so rough-shod over the Nigerian judicial system that the Nigerian Bar Association proscribed Nigerian lawyers from appearing in any of Buhari’s kangaroo courts. Buhari sent both corrupt and non-corrupt politicians to jail, sometimes for up to 300 years. Nevertheless, corruption was not eradicated. It continued unabated because it was not addressed structurally. Even the practice under Obasanjo of shooting armed robbers by firing squad in Bar Beach failed to stop armed robbery. All it did was to brutalise the Nigerian public.
Jonathan’s effective approach
Surely, the more reasonable and effective method is to remove the avenues for corruption. This is what Goodluck Jonathan has been doing. He has sanitized the payroll system by removing some 50,000 ghost-workers, saving the country a whopping N200 billion in the first instance. He has removed the fertilizer middlemen; saving Nigeria hundreds of billions of naira. He has sanitized the electoral register. Over three million ghost voters have been removed; one million in Zamfara State alone. He is going after corruption in the oil sector with the Petroleum Industry Bill.
In the vainglorious case of Buhari, it did not help matters that he fought corruption with corruption. He interfered blatantly in the judicial process. The judge who sent Fela to jail later went to apologise to him in hospital afterwards that he did it under government duress. Nevertheless, some members of the Nigerian public, baying for the blood of corrupt politicians, hanker back to the high-handed days of the Buhari era, when the human rights of innocent Nigerians were violated on the altar of anti-corruption, and some Nigerians were even judicially murdered under heinous retroactive decrees.
What Buhari is not telling them is that he has no power to do this under today’s democratic dispensation. Buhari goes on the stomp and says: “When we come into power, anyone who steals Nigerian money will end up in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons. We are going to make sure that Nigeria’s wealth belongs only to Nigerians.” But the truth of the matter is that, in a democracy, the president does not have the judicial power to send anybody to Kirikiri. If the EFCC does not prosecute, the president cannot become the chairman of the EFCC. If the judges do not convict, Buhari cannot transform himself into a judge.
Deceived electorate
All those who have been deceived into believing that Buhari will just become president and begin to lock up corrupt politicians left, right and centre are dreaming. In the unlikely event that Buhari becomes president, he will neither have the power to do so, nor the inclination to do so. The reason is simple: many of the thieves are his friends and allies in the APC. Buhari talks change, but he is running around with the old breed of politicians. You can always tell a lot about a man by the composition and character of his friends.
Buhari fashions himself as Mr. Integrity, nevertheless, he was not averse to serve under Sani Abacha, one of the most corrupt heads-of-state in the history of Nigeria. Even more significant, Buhari insisted that Abacha was not corrupt at all. On the 10th anniversary of Abacha’s death, Buhari told incredulous Nigerians that all the allegations of looting the treasury leveled against Abacha were “baseless.” He said: “ten years after Abacha, those allegations remain unproven because of lack of facts.”
Buhari held this position in spite of the millions of dollars of Abacha’s loot recovered from banks around the world, and in spite of the fact that the Abacha’s family signed a formal agreement to return over $1 billion of such monies to the Nigerian government. We can see therefore that, from the point of view of Buhari, only the PDP has the copyright on corruption. Every allegation of corruption leveled against his friends and financiers must surely be “baseless.”
It is this kind of double standard that prompted Buhari to jail Vice-president Ekwueme while only putting President Shagari under house arrest. Fela Anikulapo-Kuti poked fun at this in one of his songs. He said: “Driver commit accident Buhari lock conductor.” Given the many corrupt drivers that abound in Buhari’s APC’s, we can anticipate that he will only be interested in locking up conductors in the unlikely event that he ever becomes president.

chamboy:
5. Without Bokoharam, There would have based issue on Power, Militancy, Corruption, lack of Leadership, Unemployment, Negligence of Government

Which buhari solved abi? Sorry, are you on drugs?

uptoHim:
I just want clear answers, may be your answers could convince one or two indifferent persons to vote for APC/Buhari.

1. During his regime, did Buhari fight corruption or indiscipline? If Buhari really fought corruption, who was justifiably/undoubtedly convicted, and which of them was a northerner?

2. What was Buhari's economic achievement during his regime?

3. What has Buhari done/said about his brothers/fulani herdsmen attacking and killing other ethnicity, either presently or in the past?

4. So far, in what single way has APC and their media helped the nation in the fight against boko haram?

5. Without Boko Haram, how would APC campaign had faired?

6. If Buhari is not a tribalised person, what tangible thing did he do for the eastern region(SS/SE) during his first regime?

7. Are u voting against GEJ because he has RELATIVELY performed poorly, or you just want something new? And with what we have seen of APC, is the party worth that something new?

8. And lastly, as de-tribalised as APC is claiming that Buhari is, why did he not campaign in the SS/SE during the first and second time he contested? Or did he campaign in these regions those times?

9. Do you really believe 100% that APC means well for this nation. Or you are gambling that we should just give them a "trial" chance

10. Do you really believe that APC/Buhari would solve the problem of these Boko Haram Islamic insulgency. Has any country ever solved it?

You can answer any or all of these questions, or you can start e-war/insults. It's up to you!

Please may I copy these questions and quote you

Is not bad to visit an old friend

barcanista:
This is very typical of any pro-APC crap... But for the sake of politics let me comment on some issues.

1.
Obasanjo has never been a determining factor in SW Politics. He lost SW to Falae in 1999, he only won in 2003 because the AD endorsed him. His faction couldn't secure seat for Iyabo in 2011. Ladoja won Oyo in 2003 because of Pa Adedibu and his(Ladoja's) goodwill. Fayose won Ekiti in 2003 because of he was loved by the grassroot. Obasanjo only influenced the victory of Olagunsoye Oyinlola(Osun) in 2003 thanks to the support of Iyola Omisore, though his candidate was kicked out 4 years after. In Ogun Daniel is known to be a mobilizer with lots of grassroot followers(mostly touts), his combine force with Amosun and Obj helped kicked Osoba. However, Daniel remained a key with loyalists in prominent positions even out of office. How many Reps from Ogun State are loyal to Obasanjo(0)? How many are loyal to Daniel(2)? Amosun (2), But Osoba (5). How many Senators are loyal to Obj(0), all Ogun Senators are core loyalists of Osoba. Loyalists not just Associates. How many commissioners can resign because of Obasanjo?(0). Amosun power house is Ogun Central but he isn't finding it easy at all as at today.

Às for Tinubu, he has seen a slip in his political fortune. He lost in Ondo in 2012, lost in Ekiti in 2014 but won Osun. In Ogun State, he isn't even a factor. ACN won in 2011 by using Osoba's Structure with Amosun candidacy. The leftover Afenifere that were with Tinubu in 2003 are no longer with him.

2. When you say Oyo, you deliberately played down the relevance of the Speakership. You even went as far as saying Ladoja/Accord won't campaign for GEJ, in fact you gave Ogbomoso to APC. This is very fuNny.
1. Accord Officially endorsed GEJ www.firstafricanews.ng/index.php?dbs=openlist&s=14605
2. Oyo State Chapter of Accord through Oyebisi Ílaka, the Party's CentrÀl Senatoral Candidate and core loyalist of Ladoja shed light on the endorsement
www.theinfostride.com/forum/nigerian-news/why-accord-party-(ap)-endorsed-jonathan/?wap2

3. Ladoja himself endorsed GEJ
https://www.mynewswatchtimesng.com/ladoja-backs-pdps-endorsement-jonathan/

3. Ajimobi isn't a mobiliser, the mobilisers in Oyo State- Ladoja, Akala, PDP and Makinde(SDP) are all signed up to Jonathan's project.

4.You know Nothing about the who is who in OyÓ politics. Let me remind you that as at today, APC is hated by Accord in Oyo State. In fact, AP wouldn't want to have any business with APC.

On Lagos State, Bola Tinubu may still have his grip in the APC but his control of Lagos politics is overrated. The Lagos PDP is united, Jimi Agbaje is the New Kid on the block, the OPC who were usually sympathetic to AD/AC are now pro-GEJ. I won't even talk of non indigens.

For Ondo State, Olusola Oke and Mimiko has been reconciled by Jonathan. They are all working for the Presido, the APC need to be updated. www.ngrguardiannews.com/2015/03/ondo-pdp-unites-for-jonathans-victory/

For Ekiti, what brought ACN to power in 2010 was the Fayose support for the party's candidate fayemi. Otherwise Oni(then PDP) would have coast home victorious. Fayose structure moved against Fayemi in 2014 and we all know the outcome (similar scenario is playing in Ogun). Also APC lost a faction loyal to Bamidele to LP. APC has no structure in Ekiti State, they couldn't even win a LG. Omisore did in Osun.

I have no time to comment on other crap, I believe these few words are enough

The gods have spoken, APCOWS, pls bro no waste your energy for those APC guys,they are brainless

bayocanny:
Yeye dey oozz!! Even your husband can not boast that he's better than michelle, you illiterate are forming mouth

Chai naija don suffer oo

Those it mean that all Nigerian women will go for being obama's wife than being the wife of her present husband,?if yes that means your mother is also involved, if No that means the first lady is right

egift:
You mean like disgracing him everywhere? Embarrassing her hosts, attacking people and discharging her grammartical fireworks all over Africa?

Yes to being obama's wife

saduman:
When Apc wins d elections we wud find out who's intelligent quotient is really low

Wake uuuuuuuuuuuuup! Easy!Easy!Easy,
Is a dream,thankGod you are awake now,you nearly die for that dream

Ask Google,

Transformation set in the foot prints of time.

http://nigerianext.com/article/5-surprising-facts-about-nigerias-economy/091c495b7af6c0e0199b360fb5804bfc

Clearly Nigeria is being Transformed by the Jonathan administration.

http://www.nigerianext.com

remsonik:
Buhari will win in the following states

Adamawa
Bauchi
Benue
Borno
Gombe
Jigawa
Kaduna
Kano
Katsina
Kebbi
Kogi
Kwara
Lagos
Nasarawa
Niger
Ogun
Ondo
Osun
Oyo
Sokoto
Taraba
Yobe
Zamfara
Abuja
Ekiti


Jonathan will win in the following states
States
Anambra
Enugu
Akwa Ibom
Abia
Bayelsa
Cross River
Delta
Ebonyi
Edo
Imo
Plateau
Taraba


Buhari's odds are + or - 2 states
He will get two thirds of total votes cast

You better wake up before you die for that dream

abacusCm:
it is GEJ that caused this because if jobs were been created,someone like you will not have time to post trash here....you better join the change train

Job was created but the problem is that you are unemployable

Why are they preventing him from answering the question he is been asked, is that one not corruption? Why is he shying away from the debate is it not his responsibility? Are we not worth to hear him speak?

Op you are doing what you know how to do,hahahhahjahahahaha, when do you learn another trade cos propagandaring trade no dey go well again,try other trade "a piece of advise little monkey"

Change2015:
Unlike Jonathan who just 'sits' in Aso rock, the APC if full of talent that wants to 'work' to develop this country.

#change
#GMB
#APC

Yea they have great talent,
1.reading people's mind
2.talented in propaganda
3.talented in lying
4.talented in slavery
5.talented in blasphemy
6.talented in hypocrisy
7.talented in violence
8.talented in blames

APC don they lament, the queue is for the less privileged

This is not a joke this guy is insane,
Buhari why? Why do you want to kill this innocent soul?
Bro don't forget to write your will, you monkey

APC is lossing it and Buhari is close to committing suicide

APC party for fools

Old man,have it in mind that you are a chronic failure and you will fail again
GEJ all the way

We want real voting not online.
APC supporters are operating with 10different accounts per one person, we know what they are doing that's why they win online but fail in the real sense
GEJ till 2019

APC supporters have now proven to be fools, do they need their APC membership card to vote? Will the card reader read membership cards?
Why not get your brain useful than using them for cheap propaganda
GEJ for all I care

Every reasonable Nigerian knows that the right step nigeria need is the confab and nothing more than that
That's the 1st step to Nigerian success

They will lose the election and will still blame jonathan, bunch of ignoramus
They will regret the first day they took a step to form APC

GEJ will not look at your pitied face
GEJ till 2019

Empty write up,APC and their lies

I don't even know how people think?mere looking at buhari you will see that truly that the man is sick
Please don't elect a sick old man
GEJ is doing it

Hahahahahahha,see as they enjoy the effort of another man, when buhari was their as the head of state he was busy jailing and flogging people rather to to tangible things

GEJ is doing it

Who is buhari that they won't insult him,APC are still revealing to us that they are not ready for real democracy, do you now the kind of insult that have been laid on the president and he didn't see it as offence but understood the meaning of freedom of speech,i know if Buhari was in his shoes some people will be in jail by now.

APC 's are fake people but they will fail

Every morning, afternoon and night, APC's are busy cooking up propaganda
GEJ is the change that have come to stay till 2019