I WAS shocked beyond words when I read the statement by former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari that "if what happened in 2011 (allegation of election rigging) should happen again in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood".
I honestly thought the General was misquoted after reading the initial media reports and was looking forward to his rebuttal.
But, alas, it turned out not to be so. Instead, the General has stuck to his guns and left it to his party, the Congress for Progressive Change and the Action Congress of Nigeria to return fire for fire. In the meantime, the spokesmen of both parties have attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to put a spin to the dog and baboon metaphor.
It is inconceivable – and perplexing -that any right thinking Nigerian, no matter his party affiliation, would try to explain, justify or rationalise those incendiary comments from Buhari, especially in the context of the nihilistic violence that has been unleashed on the nation by Boko Haram. Although he has not hidden his disrespect and disdain for any President from the ruling PDP since he joined the political fray in 2003, there is still a measure of decency and decorum that is expected from Buhari as a former head of state even if he is in the opposition. For a man touted to be a very disciplined person, the dog and baboon outburst is the height of indiscipline. It is uncouth, odious, disgusting, and a throwback to the Hobbesian state of nature.Contrary to what the CPC and the ACN would have us believe, this threat from Buhari is an invitation to chaos and anarchy; it is a ticking time bomb. Before, during and after the 2011 elections, the CPC presidential candidate kept issuing provocative statements concerning the elections and, for good measure, stirred the people to rise up and defend their votes if, in his opinion, they were rigged – meaning if he did not win. His supporters (mostly almajiris) got the message, and as soon as Buhari was not declared winner, they went on rampage in some states in the North, destroying lives and property.
The Federal Government's 22-man panel of enquiry headed by Sheikh Ahmed Lemu to investigate the mayhem in the North was not in doubt that "Buhari's provocative remarks played a significant role in the bloody violence". It was their view that his fire and brimstone comments provided a trigger for the violence that ensued after the elections. With his latest 'Improvised Explosive Device', it means that if Buhari doesn't win in 2015, the elections were rigged, with the consequences all of that portend for the security of the country. As things stand now, we would only have free and fair elections – and therefore be safe – if Buhari is declared winner. Ostensibly, after years of hearing people refer to him as "forthright," "honest," and "incorruptible," Buhari has, as it were, developed a self-righteous, messianic complex. Somewhere in his mind he believes that he not only won the 2003, 2007, and 2011 elections, but that he also has the answers to all of Nigeria's problems. But I don't see anything in his track-record as a military head of state and Chairman of Petroleum Task Force Fund to suggest that he has the magic wand to turn Nigeria around. Instead, his legacy in either front remains one of arbitrariness, high-handedness, arrogance, and vengeful persecution of those with dissenting viewpoints. For an innocuous article in the defunct National Concord in 1984, this writer became the target of the secret service under his dictatorship.
How sad that a former head of state and a current member of the Council of State would descend so low as to adorn the garb of a village tyrant and call for the destruction of the people he aspires to lead if he does not win an election. Buhari's desperation for power has reached an alarming proportion. This latest threat from him is not just against INEC or the PDP-led Federal Government, itshould be viewed for what it is: a threat against all Nigerians and, therefore, he should be regarded as Nigeria's Public Enemy Number One. Those trying to make light of, or rationalise his statement will do well to take a look at the list of those who lost their lives and property in the 2011 post-election violence. They were innocent citizens going about their lawful businesses – traders, businessmen, civil servants, construction workers, students, youth corps members, transit passengers on the road, pastors, women, and children. You won't find a single politician or government official on that list.
Perhaps the most puzzling – and troubling – response to the dog and baboon metaphor is that from the ACN and its leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. After conceding defeat in the 2011 presidential elections and slamming the opposition for their uncoordinated efforts at wresting power from the PDP (a fact well known to many Nigerians),Tinubu and his ACN now say the 2011 elections were "the most systematically rigged elections" in the history of the country.They appear to have shot themselves in the foot with this volte face.Are they now telling us that the governorship and National Assembly elections in the South West, which the ACN won convincingly, were systematically rigged in their favour? If that was so, how come they did not reject the outcome of the elections? Looks to me like our politicians are just sore losers; if they win, everything is fine. But once they lose, the elections were rigged.I am even more concerned that Senator Tinubu would attempt to sacrifice his democratic credentials earned from his days in the trenches with NADECO and in several electoral battles, on the altar of political expediency. It is ironic that the ACN, which has been the beneficiary of court victories in three election disputes, would support an invitation to jungle justice as a way of seeking redress. It is very disappointing andexposes the hypocrisy, double-standard and chicanery of our politicians.If anybody should have faith in the judiciary at this point in time, it should be Tinubu and the ACN.
I believe it is the dream and desire of every Nigerian for a free and fair election where the will of the people reigns supreme. That is the beauty of democracy. The 2011 elections had their fair share of electoral irregularities in some areas but, by and large, they were much better than the 2003 and 2007 elections. The political maturation process is still on; it is not yet a finished product. To a large extent, the 2011 elections reflected the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians. What I expect from the opposition now are fresh ideas on how we can improve the electoral process. For instance, do we have to be accredited and go home only to come back and cast our votes? Why can't we vote immediately we are accredited? What are the main flaws in the way votes were collated and announced? I expect to hear credible, verifiable, and measurable alternatives from the opposition on how we make the electoral process more reliable.
Mr. JACKSON EKWUGUM, a journalist, wrote from Abuja.
Vanguard Nigeria