₦airaland Forum

There is urgent need for the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to ferry and register its President-Elect, Retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari, for intensive training at the National Democratic Institute based in Massachusetts Avenue in Washington DC, USA or its equivalent elsewhere in overseas. This public call of ours is of uttermost public importance following blunders inherent in Mr. Buhari’s recent public comments following his presidential emergence in the highly divisive and ethnicised presidential poll. The President-Elect’s comments are also found to be highly ethnical, divisive, sectional, vindictive, undemocratic and unfriendly to rule of law and due process. The totality of these is against the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, which the President-Elect will swear to uphold, abide by and enforce at all times come 29th May 2015.

Apart from promising Nigerians heaven and earth when sworn in, the President-Elect also completely lacks democratic pedigree needed to blend and bind and smoothly govern highly multi ethno-religiously divided country called Nigeria. For instance, it is correct to say that the President-Elect is notoriously ignorant of the sanctity of the ballot box and the need to respect and uphold same at all times. Till date, the President-Elect has not ceased in making provocative, divisive and vindictive remarks against the electoral decisions of Nigerians who voted for political parties other than his APC particularly the voters of the South-East and the South-South geopolitical zones. He is also very bitter and unhappy with the pattern of voting in Lagos State where his party – APC – was given a hot chase by his opponent party – PDP – with difference of 160,000 and 150,000 votes in favour of his party against his opponent party in the Presidential/National Legislative (792,000 votes for APC & 632,000 for PDP) and the Governorship/State Legislative polls (811,000 votes for APC & 659,000 for PDP) respectively.

The President-Elect must have expected a one party voting pattern in Lagos State in total disregard to the irrevocable rights of the citizens of Nigeria to vote freely and conscientiously not minding the ethno-religious backgrounds of their preferred candidates. Mr. Muhammadu Buhari has also continuously made highly negative references to the voting and its patterns in “the South” particularly the South-East and the South-South geopolitical zones. Each time he speaks, he describes the voting in the area as “a sham” on account of the massive rejection of his APC by the people of the two zones. In his recent press interviews to a number of foreign news agencies including the BBC Hausa Service, he made same negative and provocative comments. In his interview last Saturday (11th April) after his voting in Daura, he singled out for extensive attacks the South-South and the Southeast including the states of Edo, Rivers and Imo where his party governs no thanks to defection (in Rivers and Imo states).

The President-Elect’s perceived primordial sense of reasoning and judgment totally makes it very difficult for him to pause and ask: “Why are the people of the South-South and the South-East both home and outside rejecting my party and candidacy at polls and how can they be pacified for the sake of united, purposeful and prosperous Nigeria?”

It is extremely important to state here that those gifted and equipped to govern well in multi ethno-religious democracy should fundamentally x-ray and see the electoral decisions of the ethnic nationalities against them as early warning signals that must be bottled and removed from transforming into triggers of intractable socio-value conflict and other disturbances now or in future.

Conversely, under the President-Elect and its party, the reverse is grossly the case. For instance, while the two referenced polls in the South-East and the South-South zones are “a sham” in the eyes and perception of the President-Elect and his Party – APC; those held in the North are seen by them as “very credible”. In Mr. Muhammadu Buhari’s interview under reference, he saw nothing wrong in the polls held in the North, but saw everything wrong in those held in the South. That millions of voters in the North who voted in the two polls are under-age children do not amount to poll rigging in the eyes and perception of the President-Elect and his party; likewise other widespread complaints of electoral malpractices in his zone and the South made against his party and its agents.

In a recent interview with the Channel’s Television, the out-going governor of Kano State, Mr. Musa Kwankwaso, admitted that “Almajiris” (millions of uncared and abandoned children in the North) were used to vote out President Goodluck Jonathan.” Despite the fact that the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2010 totally ban and forbid children under the age of 18 years from voting, the likes of the President-Elect sees nothing wrong in it criminally, morally and socially. The international observers have also turned blind eyes over the issue and concentrated in the South. The Northern political leaders including the President-Elect appear worried over efforts to educate and develop the “Almajiris” and prefer using them for political violence and roguish and illegitimate voting for the purpose of grabbing democratic powers. This can be inferred from Gov Kwankwaso’s statement under reference.

In Rivers State, over one million, four hundred thousand votes went to the opponent party (PDP) of the President-Elect while a paltry number went to his party – APC following the referenced Presidential poll. As expected, the President-Elect and his party described it as “a sham and massive rigging”. Again, in the governorship poll held in the state, another one million plus votes went to the party opposing the APC and the same labeling rented the air. Rivers State is a state under APC control by defection with all security apparatus under its fold. The referenced state’s out-going governor ascended to governorship through judicial coronation. The State as APC State by defection; is also reported to have bankrolled recent APC State and national polls owing to its status as the richest oil state in Nigeria. Lagos State is also said to be the second APC sponsor state. It is important to state here that the loss of the two polls in Rivers State by the President-Elect and his party-APC is likely to go beyond allegations of widespread rigging.

The President-Elect and his party-APC are also very intolerant, undemocratic and alarmist. Their constant reference to poll results where they lost as “sham” and “widely rigged” is not only a case in point, but also despicable and condemnable. For instance, when the President-Elect and his APC was in a verge of winning the presidential election, incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan called and congratulated him and conceded defeat; when Mr. Samuel Ortom of APC was in a verge of winning the Benue State gubernatorial election, incumbent Gov. Gabriel Suswan of PDP called and congratulated him in advance.

When Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of APC was in a verge of winning the Kaduna State gubernatorial election, incumbent Gov. Mukhtar Yero of PDP called and congratulated him in advance; when Mr. Bindo Mohammed Jibrilla of APC was in a verge of winning the Adamawa State governorship poll, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu of PDP who came third, conceded defeat and congratulated him; when incumbent Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and his APC was in a verge of winning the governorship poll, former Governor Alao-Akala of LP called and congratulated him in advance; when incumbent Gov. Ibukunle Amosun was in a verge of winning the Ogun State governorship poll, Mr. Gboyega Isiaka of PDP called and congratulated him in advance.

Conversely, when Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of PDP won the Enugu State's gubernatorial election, Mr. Okey Ezea of APC called for cancellation of the results on account of alleged malpractices; when incumbent Gov. Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of PDP won the Gombe State governorship the APC supporters burnt down an Emir’s Palace; when Sen. Gyang Pwajok of PDP was taken an early lead in the Plateau State governorship poll, Mr. Simon Lalong of APC, who eventually won, called for outright cancellation of the poll; when Mr. Udom Emmanuel of PDP won the Akwa-Ibom State governorship poll with 996,000 votes, Mr. Umana Umana of APC who scored 89, 000 votes called for cancellation of the entire election.

Further, when Mr. Nyesom Nwike of PDP was in a verge of winning the Rivers State governorship poll, incumbent Gov. Rotimi Amechi called the election a sham and demanded for outright cancellation of the entire exercise; when Gov. Peter Ayodele Fayose and his PDP swept most, if not all the seats in the State House of Assembly in Ekiti State, APC cried foul and alleged malpractices and called for cancellation of the poll; and when Gov. Olusegun Mimiko and his PDP won majority seats in the Ondo House of Assembly, the APC rejected the outcome and called for cancellation of the exercise. This is just to mention but a few.

In all, the truth about the just held 2015 general elections in Nigeria is that while the projected explosion of widespread violence was avoided owing to political maturity and civility of Igbo race and the country’s minority ethnic nationalities that were demographically and systematically rigged; the referenced polls fundamentally failed the litmus test of international best practices. As it stands now, three governorship polls have been declared inconclusive owing to poll malpractices and INEC’s gross incompetence.

The polls generally speaking, have been marred by ethnic and religious divisions, political exclusion, mass disenfranchisement, under-age voting, ethno-religious balkanisation, scientific rigging using electronic technology configured along ethno-religious segregation, widespread rigging, violence, as well as impartiality and gross incompetence on the part of Independent National Electoral Commission. Truly speaking, the roguishness associated with the 2015 general elections in Nigeria is comparable in most respects with the 2007 general polls. The 2011 polls, other than its post poll violence; remains the best among the Nigeria’s highly tainted civilian-to-civilian polls of the immediate past.

In view of these, therefore, we wish to state firmly that although the short-term negative outcomes or consequences of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria appeared bottled in terms of projected immediate large scale explosion of violence; there are still long term aspect that must be escorted and cocooned at all times. We seriously doubt the competence and statesmanship potentials of the President-Elect and his party in handling them.

For the President-Elect to handle the referenced long term triggers, he must be made to change his present vengeance or vindictive and primordialist dispositions. In view of his perceived lack of statesmanship, his Party-APC and its foreign backers must come to his rescue by offering him thorough tutorship in democratic principles including political tolerance, rule of law, respect for voting rights and sanctity of the ballot box, respect for civil liberties, due process and multi ethnic democratic governance and ethno-religious and cultural pluralism.

As the President-Elect, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari, ought to be a statesman and father of all to be able to govern smoothly, happily and prosperously a country like Nigeria, which has over 250 ethnic groups and multi religions to its credit. The President-Elect also ought to be fair and accommodating in his referenced public comments. Open exhibition of ethnic, sectional, religious and political disdain against other ethnic nationalities through unfair and primordialist public comments particularly directed against those that voted against him and his party; constitutes a political battle-line with far-reaching consequences both in short term and long terms. When a people feel threatened, culturally, economically and religiously, they can do anything to repel it no matter their size and geopolitical landscape.

The President-Elect ought to have congratulated all Nigerians for successfully voting the candidates and parties of their choice and conscience irrespective of their geopolitical landscapes and ethno-religious groupings. If he thinks that the 2015 general polls in Nigeria were rigged in whole or in part; he should have avoided making sweeping and inciting public comments and implored and allowed the rigged to seek their mandate recovery from poll tribunals.

Interestingly, in all his public comments, he did not see any foul play involving his party-APC in the referenced two polls. In other words, it is only the PDP and others, excluding the APC that rigged in the 2015 polls. The fact that some INEC returning officers with pricking conscience have publicly revealed how they were forced by APC chieftains in places like Oru East LGA of Imo State to write results in favor of their candidates including Gov Rochas Okoroacha; does not mean anything to the President-Elect or constitute rigging. Mr. Buhari’s condemnation of poll rigging should have been made across board including riggers in his party. Till date, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who once revealed that “election that brought him into office was rigged” is still seen in many quarters as a conscientious statesman and a major contributor to Nigeria’s anti poll rigging therapy.

To avoid disasters of leadership hovering around the President-Elect, which may explode during his Presidency, we pray his party – APC – and its foreign backers in USA and Europe to quickly ferry the President-Elect to the National Democratic Institute in USA to be drilled and mentored in democratic governance and principles.


Interestingly, till date, there are no records of the President-Elect attending any local or international workshop, seminar or fellowship on civil governance, democracy and rights related issues. All his records started and ended with the military. As closed as China is in its politics, its President, Mr. Xi Jinping (62), who was born on 15th June 1953; attended the United States’ Department sponsored International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) (on democracy, good governance & rule of law) 29 years ago at the age of 34.

•Being text of a statement issued today in Onitsha by Intersociety, signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Board Chairman); Barr Uzochukwu Oguejiofor-Nwonu (Head, Campaign & Publicity Department); Barr Chiugo Onwuatuegwu (Head, Democracy & Good Governance Programme); and Barr Obianuju Igboeli, Head, Civil Liberties & Rule of Law Programme. Poto shows President-Elect Buhari.

Source http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/detail.php?news=10745&title=Buhari-has-drawn-the-battle-line-with-South-East,-South-South;-he-should-be-sent-to-the-USA-for-lessons-%E2%80%94Intersociety&scid=16

Buhari is going to rule through a new brand of democracy which I will call military-democracy.

The foreign backers of the abokki better teach him. Otherwise we Igbos will remind him that democracy is in our nature.

Watching in a locomotive style.








Sai baba

Story for the Gods

Talkative!Talkative!Talkative!

It is too early to cry my pdp brother
Did you sleep at all?

Good observation. Buhari should leqrn fast that Nigeria is a country of independent thinkers. People should be allowed to air their views without indimidation, threats ane emotional blackmail which is the trade mark of APC.

He should seek to unite Nigerians no matter what. If we wanted to cancel the elections, then Kano should be cancelled.

What is this one saying now abeg make una allow this man take over first na

Noneroone:
The foreign backers of the abokki better teach him. Otherwise we Igbos will remind him that democracy is in our nature.

[b] this kinda chest beating is the sole reason why you guys are politically naïve. You just have to say "we igbos" when you could simply say "nigerians".

@topic. This write up is lace with bigotry and hate, I will advice the writer of this disjointed rubbish to accept the defeat of jonathan in goodfaith and move on. He is praising the pdp guys that conceded defeat and congratulated APC guys, but he himself is yet to accept the fact that his jonathan has been wiped so hard. Is kinda funny when these cry babies shout about underaged voters in the north and say nothing about the election fraud that happened in:

• enugu(where one single void vote was not recorded)
• rivers( where election didn't even take place and jonathan miraculously got 1.4million votes.
• akwa ibom
• delta state( where the number of accredited voters is the same with that of lagos state and about 75% of registered voters all voted in the just concluded presidential election. SMH


Anyway is non of my business when some certain people choose to cry and wail about buhari's victory. [/b]

The whole 2015 election was won and lost between Jonathan and Jega team.
Jega team comprise of hausafulani muslims and their slaves all encased in APC while Jonathan team are highly literate Nigerians, christian majority spread across the south and middlebelt.
Jega used his umpire status to rig for his team while Jonathan a honest and humble man insisted on doing the right thing!
Karma is a law. It will surely catch up with APC sooooooon!!

The worst he can do is to stop federal projects in the east, we are used to that. Ban this ban that, we re used to that too. Make few politicians from the east ministers in charge of such funny ministries as information, special duties or at best, ministry of youths and sports/ culture. It won't be new. He towed these lines in the past and the east survived, this his second coming if so vindictive as the first will be history with time too.

ok

ok we done hear

After all that rant, I couldn't see a single line the article quoted coming from the general that suggests he's "drawn a battle line with the ss and se". These guys have chosen to continue trudging along the same trajectory even after the election; causing ethnoreligious disharmony and tension. How does calling an election a sham amount to drawing a battle line??

The ordinary hardworking folks who bust their humps daily under the scorching sun in the SS and SE should be mindful of the condemnable antics of these greedy politicians that claim to represent their interests when in fact they value the lives of the pets they have at home more than that of an average South southerner or South easterner. They've completely lost out in the power struggle and the only way they can remain relevant is ensuring that everyone from that region irrespective of social class, sees the government at the centre as an enemy! Even in Abia, APGA is calling for an outright cancellation of the polls because they were a complete "sham". What are they gonna say about that? That Buhari instigated APGA to do so??

If I were Buhari, I'd try to ensure a bill is passed that would criminalise utterances like this. If you can't live in unity irrespective of your tribe or where you come from, remain in your house and interact with only your family or spew garbage in public and have your bigoted asss hauled into jail. Useless fools acting like victims while promoting their uncanny agenda.

funny write up

paranoia will kill some people

When will you get over the shock of Buhari defeating Jonathan?

omenka:
After all that rant, I couldn't see a single line the article quoted coming from the general that suggests he's "drawn a battle line with the ss and se". These guys have chosen to continue trudging along the same trajectory even after the election; causing ethnoreligious disharmony and tension. How does calling an election a sham amount to drawing a battle line??

The ordinary hardworking folks who bust their humps daily under the scorching sun in the SS and SE should be mindful of the condemnable antics of these greedy politicians that claim to represent their interests when in fact they value the lives of the pets they have at home more than that of an average South southerner or South easterner. They've completely lost out in the power struggle and the only way they can remain relevant is ensuring that everyone from that region irrespective of social class, sees the government at the centre as an enemy! Even in Abia, APGA is calling for an outright cancellation of the polls because they were a complete "sham". What are they gonna say about that? That Buhari instigated APGA to do so??

If I were Buhari, I'd try to ensure a bill is passed that would criminalise utterances like this. If you can't live in unity irrespective of your tribe or where you come from, remain in your house and interact with only your family or spew garbage in public and have your bigoted asss hauled into jail. Useless fools acting like victims while promoting their uncanny agenda.

Well-said bro. This is precisely what I have been saying to SE and SS posters on several threads the past few days. Whatever happened to putting Nigeria first? Jonathan had a lot of critics from the SW and North, including me, going into the 2011 election. As soon as he won most of us wished him well and implored he led Nigeria properly so that our Nation can make progress which would be to the glory and happiness of all of us. Check the NL archives if you doubt this.

Contrast this with how most SE and SS commentators continje to spew hatred against Buhari and the APC and it is becoming obvious that many from those region are rooted in the unobjective, petty and malevolent hatred of the SW and the North to the extent they cannot even 'sheat their sword' for the sake of Nigeria's progress. Jonathan had his shot and failed miserably. Nigerians , in the majority, have elected a new President yet primordial hate will not allow many in the SE and SS to respect the will of the majority and get behind the new President and government. Really pathetic.

The bigots in the SE and SS, because they talk loudest, are doing a great job defining those regions as anti-progressive, uncooperative, hateful, unreasonable, petty, ethnocentric, prejudiced, disrespectul and irredeemable enemies of Nigeria's progress who cannot rise above their primitive hatred of the North and SW. History will judge the conduct of all Nigerian ethnic groups at crucial stages in our history when it would have been helpful for all Nigerians to come together for the greater good of the nation yet some could only be hateful, vengeful and perpetually bitter.

These guys are still seething with unnecessary anger...whether you like it or not Nigerians will support Buhari....there is no any other alternative, unless you are a saboteur.

ilugunboy:
These guys are still seething with unnecessary anger...whether you like it or not Nigerians will support Buhari....there is no any other alternative, unless you are a saboteur.

Were those who did not support Jonathan also saboteurs

omenka:
After all that rant, I couldn't see a single line the article quoted coming from the general that suggests he's "drawn a battle line with the ss and se". These guys have chosen to continue trudging along the same trajectory even after the election; causing ethnoreligious disharmony and tension. How does calling an election a sham amount to drawing a battle line??

The ordinary hardworking folks who bust their humps daily under the scorching sun in the SS and SE should be mindful of the condemnable antics of these greedy politicians that claim to represent their interests when in fact they value the lives of the pets they have at home more than that of an average South southerner or South easterner. They've completely lost out in the power struggle and the only way they can remain relevant is ensuring that everyone from that region irrespective of social class, sees the government at the centre as an enemy! Even in Abia, APGA is calling for an outright cancellation of the polls because they were a complete "sham". What are they gonna say about that? That Buhari instigated APGA to do so??

If I were Buhari, I'd try to ensure a bill is passed that would criminalise utterances like this. If you can't live in unity irrespective of your tribe or where you come from, remain in your house and interact with only your family or spew garbage in public and have your bigoted asss hauled into jail. Useless fools acting like victims while promoting their uncanny agenda.

You're right, I patiently endured the agonising length of the rant (as you aptly put it), in order to find what the divisive statements of Buhari were, but I found non! Like you, I wish these folks get over their defeat and move on, but in spite of their poorly veiled anti-national pretences, I acknowledge their rights to express their stupidity. This is where you and I are in divergence. One thing I'm certain about is that Buhari will conduct himself in a manner that exudes national, as opposed to ethnic patriotism, and these guys will be greatly disappointed after Buhari's appointed term. I'm certain of this because his conducts and utterances are telling enough.

I think the ultimate way to silence these shallow ideologues and rabble-rousers is to give them the platform and the microphones to spew their rubbish. Let them face the public with their alternative propositions, and this is where their perfunctory bums will be exposed. Buhari shouldn't jail them, he should invite the loudest of them to a national debate. That's how the British mainstream parties silenced Nick Griffin of the BNP. He made a lot of noise and got people on board. They invited him to a national debate on BBC and his ideas were exposed for the shallow garbage that they are. I recommend you watch it at your time.

Sai wike!!!!
Said udom!!!

Who are these cry babies? why are they afraid of the man. The writer of the article is the tribal bigot and not the noble General.

anonimi:
[s]Were those who did not support Jonathan also saboteurs [/s]

This man is even yet to take over government and they are already creating unneeded distractions.

What is all this noise about?

ilugunboy:
These guys are still seething with unnecessary anger...whether you like it or not Nigerians will support Buhari....there is no any other alternative, unless you are a saboteur.

Mr Bayo, nobody is seething with anger. They have right to air their opinions just like you. Don't try to gag them, ighota go?.

Look at this chief hypocrite gbawe. So disgusting, a bloody and irritating bigot of geometric proportion. You have the shame to sprew thrash and believe urself. gbawe u stink. This is a well known GEJ hater on Nairaland. A bigoted tribalist that insulted and condenmed GEJ ceaselessly and shameledsly from his days as Acting President till today .
gbawe u stink.

ilugunboy:
These guys are still seething with unnecessary anger...whether you like it or not Nigerians will support Buhari....there is no any other alternative, unless you are a saboteur.

To be honest, the conduct of some Nigerians, especially from the SE, has been shocking and disgraceful. They have shown they are guided only by their hatred of others and do not mean well for Nigeria. I was an unrelenting critic of GEJ before the 2011 election. Yet I wished him well as soon as he won and pledged support for his government if he justifies his mandate by leading Nigeria well. I did not do this because I loved or believed in GEJ. I did it because I love and believe in Nigeria and understood that my interest in the progress of Nigeria compels me to back GEJ.

We have not seen such gracious and pro-Nigerian behaviour from our SE and SS brothers. Just bitter and hateful diatribe all over the place, to include wishing the SW evil, that makes it appear these folks are very petty people interested more in satisfying their primitive hatred and lust for vengeance against others above getting behind the effort to usher in a better Nigeria to the glory of us all. Do some of these bigots understand that many worldwide have had stable electricity for over 50 years while we remain in the stone ages? Rather than face such pivotal issues of unacceptable underdevelopment it is the ethnocentric fight against the SW and North some carry on their head as if this is the most important thing in the world. Pathetic. Yet it could be a good thing as objective and progress-minded Nigerians can now see the hate-driven and saboteur mentality drivjng some of our "brothers" . This will enable those who mean well for Nigeria to see they must protect themselves better .

Gbawe:
[s]


Well-said bro. This is precisely what I have been saying to SE and SS posters on several threads the past few days. Whatever happened to putting Nigeria first? Jonathan had a lot of critics from the SW and North, including me, going into the 2011 election. As soon as he won most of us wished him well and implored he led Nigeria properly so that our Nation can make progress which would be to the glory and happiness of all of us. Check the NL archives if you doubt this.

Contrast this with how most SE and SS commentators continje to spew hatred against Buhari and the APC and it is becoming obvious that many from those region are rooted in the unobjective, petty and malevolent hatred of the SW and the North to the extent they cannot even 'sheat their sword' for the sake of Nigeria's progress. Jonathan had his shot and failed miserably. Nigerians , in the majority, have elected a new President yet primordial hate will not allow many in the SE and SS to respect the will of the majority and get behind the new President and government. Really pathetic.

The bigots in the SE and SS, because they talk loudest, are doing a great job defining those regions as anti-progressive, uncooperative, hateful, unreasonable, petty, ethnocentric, prejudiced, disrespectul and irredeemable enemies of Nigeria's progress who cannot rise above their primitive hatred of the North and SW. History will judge the conduct of all Nigerian ethnic groups at crucial stages in our history when it would have been helpful for all Nigerians to come together for the greater good of the nation yet some could only be hateful, vengeful and perpetually bitter.[/s]

After GEJ won in 2011, you wished him well by bombing and killing people. You are right.