FROM FEMI ARIBISALAS PEN! Femi Aribisalas How to Lose the Presidential Elections Four Times in Premium Times highlights some of his interesting reasons for a would-be serial loser of Presidential elections in Nigeria. Excerpts taken from Part 1 and 3 of his article include: • BE AN ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY Claim you are anti-corruption but steal the presidency of the entire country through an illegal and fraudulent military coup. • VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS Promulgate the infamous Decree 2 that makes even the reporting of the truth a punishable offence. •||• Publicly murder three Nigerians ... under the dubious Decree 20 for drug-related offences. • DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE SOUTH Make Northern politicians sacred cows and untouchable. Fail to arrest and prosecute prominent Hausa/Fulani politicians who were the principal actors in the government you overthrew. • MALTREAT SOUTHERN LEADERS Send a team of soldiers to ransack the Park Lane, Apapa residence of elder Southern statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Give no reason whatsoever for this blatant violation of the old man’s privacy. • DISREGARD FOR NIGERIAS SECULARITY As military Head of State, contravene the country’s secularity by having Nigeria apply to join the Organisation of Islamic States (OIC). The application finally came through in 1986 and divided the country acrimoniously along Muslim/Christian lines. Tell Muslims not to vote for Christians. • ANTI-CORRUPT CONTRADICTIONS Claim to be an anti-corruption crusader; nevertheless, agree to serve under Sani Abacha, one of the most corrupt Heads-of-State ever in the history of Nigeria. On the 10th anniversary of General Abacha’s demise, tell incredulous Nigerians that Abacha did not steal anything while he was Nigeria’s Head of State. • RENEGE ON YOUR PROMISE Make a solemn pledge to Nigerians, after losing the presidential election by over 10 million votes, saying: “This campaign is the third and last one for me. I will not offer myself again for election into the office of president.” Break this pledge without batting an eyelid. • BE A “NORTHERN” CHAMPION When some Fulani herdsmen who slaughtered Yoruba farmers were killed in return, lead a northern delegation all the way from Daura in Katsina State to Ibadan in Oyo State to complain. • BE AGAINST THE NATIONAL PROJECT Take brazenly sectional stances on policies clearly designed to advance national economic development. For example, call on Northern politicians to oppose the national identity card scheme on the grounds that it would be disadvantageous to the North. • DISCRIMINATE IN FAVOUR OF THE NORTH As military head of state, prosecute an anti-corruption campaign that allowed core North politicians to go scot-free, while jailing many innocent ones from the South. • IMPEDE SOUTHERN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Derail the Lagos Metroline project, designed to address the perennial problem of traffic jams and gridlock in Nigeria’s then capital city and financial centre out of lack of vision and foresight, as well as contempt for Southern economic growth and development. • BE PERENNIALLY ANTI-DEMOCRACY Fail to see the contradiction of a coup-plotter becoming an elected president. Would you have a moral right to object to being overthrown by a military coup? ... Sacrifice and humiliate five South-Eastern presidential aspirants on the altar of your presidential ambitions in 2003. Rig them out of the race for the ANPP presidential candidate.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 07:45:17 +0000
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