Fellas. This is a must Read OPEN Letter for all sane Nigeria. It captures my mind. Naij guest contributor Dr. Deborah Nelson, writing from Ilorin, Kwara State, penned an open address to Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), a prominent figure in Nigeria’s politics and history who has declared his intent to partake in the 2015 presidential election. In her open letter to Gen. Buhari, Dr. Nelson lists a number of reasons of why the General, in her own view, might not be the best suitable candidate to lead Nigeria. The majority of politicians who encourage you to re-contest in 2015 do not share your vision. Most of them, especially Hausa-Fulani politicians, want to ride on your popularity to their political victory. Even Mallam El-Rufai, who insulted you and described you as a ‘perpetually unelectable’ politician in 2010, is now praising you. What has changed between then and now? These politicians, mostly Hausa-Fulani, know that they are politically dead without you. Hence, they will continue to flatter you, insult your opponents and pretend to support you in order to ensure your continuous participation in partisan politics for their selfish interests. Most Nigerian politicians are thieves, including members of your party, the APC. Currently, all lawmakers in NASS, irrespective of party affiliation, are cooperating amongst themselves to steal public funds. Those Nigerian politicians who believe you will fight corruption if elected into office will not vote for you. They are into politics primarily to steal public funds and protect their ill-gotten wealth. In addition, there are corrupt and influential ex-presidents, ex-governors, contractors, etc. who have already enriched themselves. As long as these thieves are alive, they will go to any lengths to ensure that your path to Aso Rock Villa is strewn with impassable obstacles. You supported introduction of Sharia Laws in the North in 2000 and advised Muslims to vote only for politicians who would protect Islam. When ex-Governor Yerima was criticized for amputating a Muslim’s hand for stealing, you supported him. You asked what was wrong if, according to Sharia Laws, Muslims cut off another Muslim’s hand for stealing. You said that Boko Haram terrorists were fighting for their rights like Niger Delta militants did. You also called on the Federal Government to grant them amnesty and stop dropping bombs on ‘innocent Northerners’. In recognition of your support, Boko Haram terrorists nominated you to lead their delegation for negotiation with the FG. A member of European Parliament, Mr. Franz Obermayr, accused you of sponsoring Boko Haram terrorists; up till date, you have not reacted to this weighty allegation. Also, you have not even once condemned the ongoing destruction of lives and properties of Northern minorities by Fulani herdsmen. You are the most popular living politician amongst Hausa-Fulani Muslims, especially Islamic fundamentalists, who believe that you are the ‘Amir’ who will surely implement Sharia Laws in Nigeria. For the same reasons, non-Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians fear and detest you with a passion, especially Northern minorities who are being butchered daily by Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorists. You won a total of 12,214,853 votes during the presidential election in 2011. Out of these, you got 10,078,356 votes (82.5%) from Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri-dominated states in North West Geopolitical Zone (NWGZ) and North East Geopolitical Zone (NEGZ). From your geopolitical zone alone, NWGZ, you secured 53% of the total votes (6,453,437 votes of 12,214,853). However, you did not secure the mandatory 25% of votes cast in any state in the South. Though you did not even campaign in those states, you expected Nigerians in those states to vote for you. You said the elections were rigged in the states where you did not win, but were free, fair and credible where you won. The fact is, whether you campaign or not, you will always win elections in those Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri-dominated states. But the opinions held by a high percentage of the rest Nigerians about you are just too negative. Some of your praise-singers are collaborating with Sahara Reporters to produce bogus online opinion polls in your favour. You may wish to hold political rallies outside Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri-dominated towns to see things for yourself. Your real supporters are products of Almajiri System of Islamic Education whose upbringing does not permit independent and logical analysis of any situation. They are programmed to accept whatever their leaders tell them without reasoning. They consider the use of violence to settle any dispute as a norm. They rarely travel out of their immediate environments. They believe that implementation of Sharia Laws will transform Nigeria into a paradise. They strongly believe that you are the only trustworthy politician who will guarantee Sharia Laws in Nigeria. They believe that Hausa-Fulani Muslims constitute 80% of Nigerian population. Because of this mindset, they believe that you must win in any election, even if nobody votes for you in other parts of the country. Unfortunately, you also believe that you are so popular that no Nigerian politician can defeat you in a free and fair election, hence, your penchant to condemn any election as being rigged whenever you do not win. The truth is, most non-Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians do not want you as their leader. Judging from your antecedent, election is only free, fair and credible when you win. You emerged as a presidential candidate in 2003, 2007, and 2011 through consensus arrangement. You want for the APC’s presidential candidate, preferably you, to emerge through consensus. Now, Hausa-Fulani pressure groups, such as he ACF and NEF, have sprung into action to cause Tambuwal, Atiku and Kwankwaso to step down for you. As for Sam Nda-Isaiah, since he is not a Hausa-Fulani Muslim, ACF and NEF do not consider it worthy to even approach him to step down for you. If you are as popular as you believe, please go through indirect primary election with the rest presidential aspirants. Stop begging Senator Tinubu to anoint you APC’s presidential candidate. Withdraw your ‘attack dogs’ from further intimidating other presidential aspirants to step down for you. You are reputed to be an incorruptible retired General with impeccable integrity. These two qualities had been your unique selling points amongst politicians. But two decisions you took of recent have cast doubt on them. In 2011, you promised that you would never contest for elective office again and sealed it with a rich dose of tears. Last month in Abuja, you dishonored that promise because, according to you, many Nigerians begged you to come and ‘rescue the nation’. You said a delegation from Niger State and another one from Kano State came to beg you. Can you mention any delegation from any non-Hausa-Fulani state? None, for sure. Recently, you said Mallam El-Rufai was the one who prevailed on you to change your mind. You described him as ‘a kind of person that will respect you if you respect yourself, and if you don’t respect yourself, he will help you go down the drain.’ When he insulted you in 2010, was it because you did not respect yourself? It seems you have embraced doublespeak as a tool in your political career. So, under what circumstance will it be advisable for Nigerians to believe anything you say? As if the self-mutilation of your much-trumpeted ‘impeccable integrity’ was not enough, you told Nigerians how you got a loan of N27.5 million on a ‘man-know-man basis’ from a bank in Kaduna by telephone call in less than 12 hours without a collateral to buy APC nomination forms. Please, ignore your ‘praise-singers and attack dogs’ but enlist the services of lawyers who will be sincere and bold enough to explain the full weight of this transaction to you. Every aspect of this transaction is corruption personified. If you are this poor, whether you win or not, how do you intend to repay the loan? How will you fund your campaigns? Is it the right thing for a poor person to borrow N27.5 million from a bank without collateral and invest the whole money in gambling (politics)? In a society where politicians respect themselves and do not see election as a do-or-die issue, the least you ought to have done is return people’s money (N27.5m) to the owners (the bank), apologize to Nigerians and withdraw from partisan politics. But here in Nigeria, anything goes, especially when one’s ability to reason objectively is irretrievably impaired by ‘born-to-rule’ syndrome and chronic desperation. No person or delegation prevailed on you to change your mind and re-contest in 2015, but the following reasons. The first is the massive movement of Hausa-Fulani Muslims to Southern Nigeria to register and vote for you in 2015. With this, you hope to secure the mandatory 25% of total votes cast in each of the 17 Southern states. The current widespread confusion associated with PVCs distribution and registration of new voters in Southern Nigeria is purposely engineered by INEC to accommodate this plan. The second is the plan by Professor Attahiru Jega to create 21,615 polling units for the North as against only 8,412 polling units for the South. Though Professor Jega had reluctantly suspended this plan which he designed to give you undeserved 10,807,500 votes, he had opted for plan ‘B’ which is to replace commissioners in the South with those in the North in order to manipulate 2015 presidential elections in your favour. The third is Senator Tinubu’s promise to deliver Yoruba votes to APC in 2015. Because of above reasons, you concluded that your chance to emerge victorious in any presidential election had never been so bright, hence, you prevailed on yourself to dishonor your promise and re-contest in 2015. You are one of a few Nigerians who had been blessed by Allah/God, even to a fault. You have been a General Officer Commanding, Military Governor, Federal Commissioner of NNPC, Head of State and C-in-C of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and Chairman of PTF, just to mention a few. At the ripe age of 72, what do you want again from Allah/God? In 2011, ten youth coppers were among hundreds of innocent non-Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians slaughtered by your supporters in Northern Nigeria even before INEC announced the results of the presidential election. As if that is not bloody and despicable enough, you have promised to soak non-Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians whom you prefer to call ‘dogs and baboons’ in blood if you lose presidential election in 2015. But what’s next? You may be ‘untouchable,’ with millions of human robots (Almajiri supporters) at your command, to do whatever you like here on Earth, but note that one day, you will stand alone before your Creator for judgement. People of Niger Delta believe that you are amongst core North politicians who sponsor Boko Haram terrorists and Fulani herdsmen to destabilize Jonathan’s administration. Consequently, if you win in 2015, they will also make your government ungovernable by disrupting oil and gas production. Due to non-availability of funds, it will be difficult for governments at all levels to function. Funding for security forces will be considerably reduced, thereby weakening their capacity and commitment to fight Boko Haram terrorists, Fulani herdsmen and militants in the creeks of Niger Delta. The environment so created will be conducive for Boko Haram terrorists to easily achieve their aim of establishing a Caliphate at least in North-Eastern states. The center will be too weak to enforce laws and order, thereby encouraging ‘self help’ and gradual but sustained disintegration of the nation. With the same zeal that galvanizes you to continuously re-contest, arrange for alternative sources of revenue because it will never be business as usual as far as oil and gas revenue is concerned, or else be prepared to go down in history as a Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachov of Nigeria. And if you lose the presidential election in 2015, there will be serious problems also. But, unlike in 2011, you now have a reliable partner, Senator Tinubu in SWGZ. While you pledged to soak ‘dogs and baboons’ in blood in the North if you lose next year’s presidential election, your partner, Senator Tinubu, equally promised to roast Nigerians alive in the South if the APC does not win. Since both of you had never accepted defeat in any election, however credible it may be, the country is most likely to go up in flames if you lose. However, both of you have nothing to lose if that happens. Both of you are above 60 years old. Tinubu can easily flee with his family in his private jet to Toronto, while you also can evacuate your family to Sudan in your bullet-proof jeeps. But, as you orchestrate destruction of lives and properties of non-Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians in Hausa-Fulani controlled parts of Northern Nigeria, note that there are millions of innocent, hardworking, peace-loving Hausa-Fulani/Kanuri Nigerians living in the rest parts of Nigeria. This time around, there may be disproportionate and uncontrolled reprisal attacks. “Whether you win or not, your participation as a presidential candidate in 2015 will unleash unprecedented disaster on this nation. Please, step aside for the sake of unity and survival of Nigeria. Anoint and give your total support to any Northerner of your choice. But if you decide to listen to the el-rufais, whose primary aim is to use your popularity to achieve their political ambitions, you will definitely dismiss this suggestion, and even the advise given to you earlier by the revered Sheik Gumi, as arrant nonsense. “May Allah/God grant our leaders the grace to conduct themselves as leaders.”.......Truth is bitter BUT this is plain truth and nothing but it!!! Breaking news online, read live top news from Nigeria & worldwide - NEWS.NAIJ.COM. Breaking news online, read live top news from Nigeria & worldwide - NEWS.NAIJ.COM. naij
Posted on: Thu, 20 Nov 2014 21:09:50 +0000