The Beggar who becomes a Dictator

 

At a certain point in life, whatever anyone had done in the past would become a core point of reference. Such a reference could be required for evaluation of his/her present life or comparison of activities with the past records of the person. On December 11, 2014, almost all national dailies in Nigeria reported that Muhammadu Buhari won the presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 3,430 votes. As reported, he defeated the likes of Rabiu Kwankwanso and Atiku Abubakar who had 974 and 954 respectively.

As reported by observers, the party’s primary at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos was characterised by two significant things; (1) Its commencement was delayed for hours, and (2) Buhari’s near-to-tears and pitiable prayer for votes.

According to a family friend, who was once a neighbour, the plea of Buhari, after the conclusion of his prepared speech, was full of passion to change Nigeria for the best. In fact, Buhari pleaded that he needed the help of the voters at the Teslim Balogun Stadium to become a president so that he could be in charge of an administration that would serve the people (please view the video in this link: https://youtube.com/watch?V=QlmsBuHDemM). My then neighbour felt the words of the Fulani man were driven by sincerity. But now, the hardship in the country has disillusioned his dream.

What does the word “people” mean in the Nigerian context? If anyone should examine the term from Achebean perspective in A Man of the People, then it would be explicit to affirm that the action of Buhari since May 2015 is a multiple folds of Chief M. A. Nanga’s deception, lies, embezzlement, looting, economic backwardness and progressive hard times. Why? The people, in his word, are his cronies, partners in politics and power brokers. Some of them are known but most of them are never known to the media. Therefore, Buhari’s service is for the glory of his crony with capitalism as the mechanism. This is what Fela Anikulapo Kuti calls “padi-padi arrangement.”

Far more than the past occupiers of public offices in Nigeria, the man, who once begged for voters, is now the emperor of political dictatorship, the hammer of economic oppression and the force against freedom of speech. With increases that range from 80% to 400%, the prices of goods, services and taxes, have gone sky rocket. Despite the pang, the man from Daura and his team, which does not exclude Yemi Osinbajo (the vice president), have vowed that the increasing level of national poverty and collapse of the economy are indicators of their positive achievements. Is the plan of Osinbajo, Buhari and company not built on lie and robbery of the people’s treasure? The answer to this aforementioned question requires no guessing.

Who shall save the common people from the claws of buharism? Will the people ever recover from the deliberate hardship all the failure-politicians in the country are propagating?


Dedicated to the memories of my beloved ones

§  Mrs P. O. Ajao (my mother)

§  Mrs Blessing Micah (nee Bayoko)

§  Rachel Ogundele

Three women with different evergreen influences.


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