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| Al-Hassan, Buhari & Atiku |
Part of the cultural carnage
bequeathed by prolonged military rule is rendering the contemporary soldier to
be too much of a civilian while the political actor now appears militarized in
thinking and behavior. Thus, the language of politics has become corroded by
war terms and phrases.Those versed in military warfare are
therefore most unlikely to have any difficulty in decoding as pincer movement
the double whammy against the presidency last week from ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his political goddaughter. The
motive is to disorient your quarry by launching attack from two flanks
simultaneously.
bequeathed by prolonged military rule is rendering the contemporary soldier to
be too much of a civilian while the political actor now appears militarized in
thinking and behavior. Thus, the language of politics has become corroded by
war terms and phrases.Those versed in military warfare are
therefore most unlikely to have any difficulty in decoding as pincer movement
the double whammy against the presidency last week from ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and his political goddaughter. The
motive is to disorient your quarry by launching attack from two flanks
simultaneously.
What then makes it particularly
striking is that this adaption of military stratagem for a purely civil outcome
was masterminded by a mere retired customs-man with an otherwise war-hardened
infantry general at the receiving end.
striking is that this adaption of military stratagem for a purely civil outcome
was masterminded by a mere retired customs-man with an otherwise war-hardened
infantry general at the receiving end.
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| Aisha Al-Hassan |
Minister Aisha Alhassan opened the offensive by saying that President Muhammadu Buhari would not have her
support for second term having, according to her, sworn in 2015 to do just a
tenure. The sucker punch was hardly fully absorbed when Atiku added what could only be classified a thunderous blow by
declaring emphatically that PMB had
also swindled him.
support for second term having, according to her, sworn in 2015 to do just a
tenure. The sucker punch was hardly fully absorbed when Atiku added what could only be classified a thunderous blow by
declaring emphatically that PMB had
also swindled him.
Addressing guests at a book launch
in Abuja that included no less a
person than Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,
the Waziri Adamawa lamented that
Buhari dumped him soon after climbing into power on the back of folks like him
in Abuja that included no less a
person than Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,
the Waziri Adamawa lamented that
Buhari dumped him soon after climbing into power on the back of folks like him
Specifically, Atiku listed what he had invested as cash and influence.
Ever since, things have not been the
same in Abuja with the Buhari people appearing to
running helter skelter, tentatively resorting to abuse as defense
strategy. Not surprising, the spineless party leadership under Chief Oyegun has gone into hiding in
this hour of moral crisis.
same in Abuja with the Buhari people appearing to
running helter skelter, tentatively resorting to abuse as defense
strategy. Not surprising, the spineless party leadership under Chief Oyegun has gone into hiding in
this hour of moral crisis.
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| Atiku Abubakar….On his way to PDP? |
At the Buhari camp, some accused Mama
Taraba of bad faith and greed by coveting the perks of the ministerial
office even when her loyalty lies elsewhere. Well, they seemed to have
forgotten to remind us of Alhassan’s old
baggage at this treacherous moment. According to media reports in 2014, some of
the ladies who had served under her on the refreshment committee for APC’s
inaugural convention in Abuja claimed
they were abandoned once Mama Taraba
was handed the N32m vote.
Taraba of bad faith and greed by coveting the perks of the ministerial
office even when her loyalty lies elsewhere. Well, they seemed to have
forgotten to remind us of Alhassan’s old
baggage at this treacherous moment. According to media reports in 2014, some of
the ladies who had served under her on the refreshment committee for APC’s
inaugural convention in Abuja claimed
they were abandoned once Mama Taraba
was handed the N32m vote.
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| The Most Popular Mama Taraba, Aisha Al-Hassan |
As for Atiku, they mocked him as perennial candidate
still sulking over his loss at the presidential primaries of December
2014. The boldest among them, one Mohammed
Lawal, not surprising one of those recently appointed into the
“juicy” NNPC board, even came with a rather apocryphal theory that
the former Vice President was a fifth columnist who took off abroad after the
primaries, pointedly challenging him to name the amount he contributed to the
APC presidential campaigns of 2015.
still sulking over his loss at the presidential primaries of December
2014. The boldest among them, one Mohammed
Lawal, not surprising one of those recently appointed into the
“juicy” NNPC board, even came with a rather apocryphal theory that
the former Vice President was a fifth columnist who took off abroad after the
primaries, pointedly challenging him to name the amount he contributed to the
APC presidential campaigns of 2015.
Other self-acclaimed
“Buharists” like Governors
El-Rufai of Kaduna, Ganduje of Kano and Amosun of Ogun and Bello of Kogi have taken it upon themselves to declare interest in
2019 on Buhari’s behalf.
“Buharists” like Governors
El-Rufai of Kaduna, Ganduje of Kano and Amosun of Ogun and Bello of Kogi have taken it upon themselves to declare interest in
2019 on Buhari’s behalf.
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| Buharist Addullai Gadunje |
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| Buharist Ibikunle Amosun |
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| Buharist Yahaya Bello |
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| Buharist Nasir El-Rufai |
Put together, the tribe of Buharists are free to continue to live
in denial. Though they may be unwilling to admit it, Atiku already scored the preliminary strategic point: framing the
2019 debate within APC and baiting Buhari to declare his stand.
in denial. Though they may be unwilling to admit it, Atiku already scored the preliminary strategic point: framing the
2019 debate within APC and baiting Buhari to declare his stand.
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| Author Louis Odion….Analysis the symptom of Political harakiri |
But beyond the brickbats
between the Buhari people
and Atiku camp are the weightier
issues. Hard-hitting as they may sound, let it be said that varied responses by
Buhari’s agents so far hardly address
perhaps the core question inadvertently raised by the Atiku/Alhassan challenge: how much of a party has been made of the
disparate forces that coalesced into APC
in 2014?
between the Buhari people
and Atiku camp are the weightier
issues. Hard-hitting as they may sound, let it be said that varied responses by
Buhari’s agents so far hardly address
perhaps the core question inadvertently raised by the Atiku/Alhassan challenge: how much of a party has been made of the
disparate forces that coalesced into APC
in 2014?
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| Buhari as a Yoruba man? |
The truth is APC has failed
abysmally to live up to the historic promise of 2015. In the past 28
months, the nation has had to watch with incredulity, if not shock, as what was
thought to be the broadest opposition coalition in Nigeria’s history rapidly
withered into a ghost assembly where weary denizens communicate via the dark
augury of “body language”. Weakened by shame, they have had to suffer
in silence.
abysmally to live up to the historic promise of 2015. In the past 28
months, the nation has had to watch with incredulity, if not shock, as what was
thought to be the broadest opposition coalition in Nigeria’s history rapidly
withered into a ghost assembly where weary denizens communicate via the dark
augury of “body language”. Weakened by shame, they have had to suffer
in silence.
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| Buhari as an Igbo man? |
However, when the Buharists rush to make a stake
on 2019, they naively assume that the spatial circumstances presented by Jonathan’s fumbling and wobbling and the
golden national coalition of contrarians that made the Buhari victory possible in 2015 remain intact. Only those
luxuriating in fool’s paradise reason like that. Were Buhari’s charm enough, his presidency would have
materialized much earlier.
on 2019, they naively assume that the spatial circumstances presented by Jonathan’s fumbling and wobbling and the
golden national coalition of contrarians that made the Buhari victory possible in 2015 remain intact. Only those
luxuriating in fool’s paradise reason like that. Were Buhari’s charm enough, his presidency would have
materialized much earlier.
If nothing at all, issues will
certainly be made of PMB’s health
should his present low-energy tactics continue to serve him in the months ahead
and he chooses to present himself for a second term. The other possibility –
most likely – is for him to hang in there, maximize incumbency powers to a
point he could dragoon the party to adopt his stooge as flag-bearer in
2019.
certainly be made of PMB’s health
should his present low-energy tactics continue to serve him in the months ahead
and he chooses to present himself for a second term. The other possibility –
most likely – is for him to hang in there, maximize incumbency powers to a
point he could dragoon the party to adopt his stooge as flag-bearer in
2019.
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| The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with his Oga, President Muhammadu Buhari |
Either way, it certainly will not be
a walk-over as his zealous supporters appear to think. The bad – well, maybe
good – news is that 2015 has shattered the myth of the invincibility of
presidential incumbency in electoral contest in Nigeria. If APC was a
beneficiary two years ago, who says it cannot yet become a casualty in two
years’ time?
a walk-over as his zealous supporters appear to think. The bad – well, maybe
good – news is that 2015 has shattered the myth of the invincibility of
presidential incumbency in electoral contest in Nigeria. If APC was a
beneficiary two years ago, who says it cannot yet become a casualty in two
years’ time?
For now, it will be an abuse of
language to term what remains of APC a political party. At best, it is a
caricature of one. While common antipathy against Goodluck Jonathan helped
rally the disparate tendencies against PDP in 2015, as events have since
proved, a political union only endures when not only the values are shared, but
the victory spoils as well.
language to term what remains of APC a political party. At best, it is a
caricature of one. While common antipathy against Goodluck Jonathan helped
rally the disparate tendencies against PDP in 2015, as events have since
proved, a political union only endures when not only the values are shared, but
the victory spoils as well.
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| Buhari The Niger-Delta Man? |
Whereas only a tiny cell within
Buhari’s CPC has fattened on the spoils of electoral victory of 2015, others
toiled as hard, if not more, to deliver APC’s
victory of 2015. In private, most chieftains of ACN, ANPP, a faction of APGA and the “nPDP” say worst things than Atiku has said of Buhari.
Buhari’s CPC has fattened on the spoils of electoral victory of 2015, others
toiled as hard, if not more, to deliver APC’s
victory of 2015. In private, most chieftains of ACN, ANPP, a faction of APGA and the “nPDP” say worst things than Atiku has said of Buhari.
By opting to enshrine provincialism
instead of cosmopolitanism as governance model ever since, the ruling
faction in APC has only ended up
inflicting a paralysis of sorts not just on itself, but also the nation at
large. The arrogance of power will not pre-dispose the new potentate to seek,
much less accept better ideas. Scholar and Catholic cleric, Bishop Mathew Kukah, classified this
rare condition as the paralysis arising from the inability of the central
nervous system to take advantage of the full complement of otherwise functional
veins in the anatomy. Taken to the realm of physics, it will be called the
curse of perpetual low battery.
instead of cosmopolitanism as governance model ever since, the ruling
faction in APC has only ended up
inflicting a paralysis of sorts not just on itself, but also the nation at
large. The arrogance of power will not pre-dispose the new potentate to seek,
much less accept better ideas. Scholar and Catholic cleric, Bishop Mathew Kukah, classified this
rare condition as the paralysis arising from the inability of the central
nervous system to take advantage of the full complement of otherwise functional
veins in the anatomy. Taken to the realm of physics, it will be called the
curse of perpetual low battery.
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| Buhari….The Corporate Titan? |
It manifests in the inability to
articulate a coherent economic vision and advancing infantile excuses for the
cocktail of epic failings and unforced errors. It manifests in impulsively
mumbling nonsense when dignified silence would have sufficed.
articulate a coherent economic vision and advancing infantile excuses for the
cocktail of epic failings and unforced errors. It manifests in impulsively
mumbling nonsense when dignified silence would have sufficed.
At the party level, it
manifests in the inability of the ruling party to either hold even routine
national meetings, host national convention after three long years or
constitute something as elementary as the Board of Trustees.
manifests in the inability of the ruling party to either hold even routine
national meetings, host national convention after three long years or
constitute something as elementary as the Board of Trustees.
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| Rev. Father Mathew Hassan Kukah….Does he has sympathy for Atiku Abubakar? |
Indeed, the Buhari we saw before the historic March 28, 2015 presidential
elections was a pan-Nigerian patriarch who charmed voters in the South-West
with Yoruba’s gobir cap, wowed Niger Delta in sequined jumper and sashayed
Igboland in the iconic red cap. In
another snapshot, he affected corporate gravitas in dapper dinner suit and bow
tie.
elections was a pan-Nigerian patriarch who charmed voters in the South-West
with Yoruba’s gobir cap, wowed Niger Delta in sequined jumper and sashayed
Igboland in the iconic red cap. In
another snapshot, he affected corporate gravitas in dapper dinner suit and bow
tie.
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| President Muammadu Buhari….The Daura Man flies away into his real element after 2015? |
But we never saw any of those
costumes again after he won the election. The old Daura tortoise hastily
retreated into his accustomed
Zanna crown.
costumes again after he won the election. The old Daura tortoise hastily
retreated into his accustomed
Zanna crown.
Worse, ever since, no official
effort is even made to reassure those whose hearts are burdened by the bitter
feelings of being swindled. We see that in the continued lopsidedness in
federal appointments in favour of either his beloved cell within APC or a section of the country.
effort is even made to reassure those whose hearts are burdened by the bitter
feelings of being swindled. We see that in the continued lopsidedness in
federal appointments in favour of either his beloved cell within APC or a section of the country.
As Bini folks say, people are earnestly watching to see how the Buharists hope to roast the rabbit in
the fire in the times ahead without getting its tail burnt as well.
the fire in the times ahead without getting its tail burnt as well.
