Saturday 18 August 2018

Weekend WOW Factor: Why President Buhari Will Be Hard To Defeat

I do not believe that President Buhari is a bad man, and I certainly don't believe he is any more ethically or religiously biased than the average Nigerian. In fact, he is possibly less so.
I don't even believe he is corrupt man.
I see that he enjoys the perks of power and leadership! but who wouldn't.

President Buhari is a man of his time. In many ways he is trying to retain his 'way of being' amidst a changing, and more media driven world.

People criticise him for many things.
But many forget where he's really coming from. ( and I don't mean his hometown of Daura)

Some insults about Buhari, are targeted at his Fulani ethnicity, and penchant for tribalism.
Many criticise him for not doing more to deal with the herdsman farmer conflict, believing that he will not take a hard stance because many herdsmen are Fulani.

Yet the conflict between farmers and herdsmen is an old one that spans across many regions across various countries in Africa. It's not ethnic, it's economic.
It's ironic that meat is still a staple, among those who complain when cattle need somewhere to graze, but anyway, any life lost, is a loss, whether as a result of farmer herdsman, or domestic violence.

"If you're so angry at the herdsmen, why  continue eating so much meat!"

Buhari was a tall young military leader, and served as head of state in Nigeria from 1983 - 1985.
Buhari is the only head of state to implement a 'War Against Indiscipline' as National Policy Agenda.



He tried a re-launch in 2016, but it failed to have any impact, second time around.



Buhari handed over power to a democratic government, but tried again many times over the years to lead Nigeria again, retuning in 2015 after beating the President in office at the time, Goodluck Jonathan and what seemed like a terribly corrupt government.



People voted for change.
At that tipping point, people remembered Buhari for his integrity and his war against indiscipline, and with so much lawlessness in the chambers of power, wanted a more accountable leadership.
So what went wrong?.

That senators and ministers around Buhari now are seemingly corrupt, does not make the man himself corrupt.
His failing is that they have not been held accountable.
The task is huge, and one man alone cannot do the work of the military, senators, police, teachers, lectures, farmers, citizens, lawyers, so cannot be blamed when they fall short of doing the right thing.

The real problem is that civil society is often un-civil, and those in a positions of leadership are more inclined to indulge their ego, and not help those they are appointed to help.
If you receive money to fix a road, fix the road.
This is not a Buhari problem.
It's a moral problem.

I quite like Buhari, you may have guessed. Despite his disapproving almost snobbish looks, I don't find him offensive.
I don't agree with everything he says, I even find he can appear cold and unfeeling at times, but he has an authoritative away about him that speaks of an inner strength, which is enduring.
..and it's that trait, that makes him electable.
People remember how you make them feel.

With Buhrai in charge people still feel relatively safe.
He is a resilient and principled man.
Critics who say he is too old or sick are being a little heartless, and slightly cowardly.
If he were young and well, would they still find such courage to speak?, or find him such an easy target?

"Most citizens indeed, still need to be educated that corruption goes far beyond financial misdeeds and that a certain “moral pestilence” which rages in Nigeria "


Whilst he was extremely sick last year, we can feel compassion, a chance to see the man as a human being , and not just a President.
The reason the APC have any followers remaining I believe is strongly influenced by Buhari.
To defeat him will be a hard task, yet it's not impossible.

If President Buhuri is not re-elected next year, in reality it will only be as a result of one of two things.
1. An act of nature preventing his ability to contest
or,
2. The failure of the APC to present a credible or honourable and united front as a collective.
It's really theirs to lose.
A revolution is possible, it's certainly gaining traction, and if it can occur in the Gambia it can occur anywhere, as Gambians are even more traditionally compliant towards authority than Nigerians.

So, it would be interesting, but I guarantee that if it were to happen, (a revolution) the old (our old) internal enemies of greed and lust will rear their heads again... even among the revolutionaries.

Don't they always?
I'll be happy to be proved wrong. Something I rarely say :).

Senator Dino ( the entertainer)
left APC and ran back to the opposition party PDP
LOL!!!!





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