FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN... ...WHO LEADS THE MUHAMMADU BUHARI PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN? ...and WHO MANAGES PRESIDENT BUHARI HIMSELF? Now that the APC primaries are over it is time the APC and handlers of Muhammadu Buhari, the APC Presidential Candidate to put in place a fire-proof and effective campaign office with affiliate throughout the country, a campaign structure that is sufficiently resourced with capable, committed and dedicated hands and not just hangers-on whose only stock in trade is to shield the Candidate for fear of loosing relevance. No doubt, Buhari is a politician and human brand and it will not difficult for the APC to show case him against the background of the unpardonable and monumental failures of the PDP and Jonathan. But it should be borne in mind that administrative efficiency, organisational effectiveness and resilience are critical imperatives when it comes to selling a candidate. We should also bear in mind that we are dealing with a desperate ruling party and a desperate incumbent presidency that for the past two years have been campaigning (even illegally) and putting in place all manner of structures for mobilization. As it is today both the APC and the Buhari Support a Organization (BSO) do not seem to appreciate the enormity of the battle ahead. I am afraid their organizational capacity is not being felt any where; as yet they have reached out to the critical voting population and drivers of opinion across the different segments of the voting demographic. Different groups from across Nigeria, including the diaspora, I learnt are itching to reach out to the BSO and Buhari himself but they have no idea as to where to start. Recall that in 2011, one of the major criticism against the CPC and Buhari who was then its presidential flag bearer was weak organizational structure and hijacking of some aspects of the campaign by some selfish individuals. Some of these guys were to either run the show in a manner that alienated many genuine Buhari supporters and admirers. In fact, while some were lackluster in their attitudes with, others became outright saboteurs. Indeed, many of those that claimed to be campaign workers were incompetent, opportunistic, lacked strategic thinking about organizing and winning election and could not bring about any innovation or new/ fresh ideas to give impetus to campaign. It was only the strong personality and appeal of Buhari that were driving and energizing the campaigns. They allegedly ensured that they sufficiently shielded Buhari from knowing what was on the ground, they diverted campaign resources to other ends, and they prevented others from contributing to their optimum capacity. This should not be allowed to happen this time around. APC, Buhari and all the key leadership, must put in place an organizational and administrative structure that will match the PDPs well oiled campaign, both online and offline. The structure should be manned by dedicated and capable hands drawn from across the whole of Nigeria to reflect the pan-Nigerian endorsement that Buhari got during the just concluded primaries. A framework for political intelligence must be put in place, a strategic team must by now have finalized the Action Plan for the campaigns, a study group to work out anti-rigging plans and sensitise the voters on PDPs divisive campaigns must have hit the ground running by now. A core group of Nigerians both partisans and non-partisans must be constituted to act as a streategt team that monitor the PDP and their campaign strategy with a view to countering them at every stage of the campaigns till the Election Day. It is fire on mountain. In my own reckoning. I hope those close to the APC apparatchiks and the Buhari Campaign groups should alert them about popular expectations regarding the forthcoming campaigns. The above might be my own rantings but I am sure millions of Buhari admirers and activists share this view. A stitch in time saves nine.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 19:27:30 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015