Editorial
South East: Why Tinubu must reject Asari’s pact with Buhari
Muhammadu Buhari hates Ndigbo. Buhari, until May 29, this year, Nigeria’s President for eight years from May 29, 2015, never made any bones about it nor had apologies to anybody. It was obvious that his sentiments were deap-seated. It must have been an offshoot of what Femi Fani-Kayode once described in one of his outings, some years back.
The former Minister of Aviation, in a video of his encounter with the former President, narrated how he swore never to forgive Ndigbo, because, as he said, “they killed our leaders.” He was obviously referring to the January 15 coup that claimed the lives of former Prime Minister, Tafawa Balewa, Sarduana of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello and some other leaders in the putsch that was allegedly led by the late Colonel Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu.
Despite that the North had had ample opportunities to retaliate at various times, first with the counter-coup of September 29 of the same year, the pogrom that followed the civil war, where about three million Igbo were slaughtered and others allowed to die in hunger and disease, as well as the various riots that had taken place in their region, subsequently, Buhari, who was actually one of the soldiers, who was used to vent the anger of his people in retaliation, as a civil war veteran, seems not assuaged.
It was evident in his eight years in office, where the Igbo was handed the short end of the stick. In fact, that an Igbo man did not become President in 2023, was the high-point of his agenda for Ndigbo. Indeed, it would have been as tasking as moving Mount Kilimanjaro with bare hands for an Igbo man to have replaced Buhari. There was no way it would have been possible before his very eyes.
It would have defeated the essence of what he lived for in his entire adult life. So, whatever happened to Peter Obi, who evidently won that election, had the imprimatur of Buhari, than it had to do with Yakubu Mahmood and his Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or the All Progressives Congress (APC) thugs in Lagos or ex-Governor Nyesom Wike’s arrangement for policemen to move ballot boxes in Rivers. Without Buhari’s malevolent attitude to Ndigbo, things would obviously have turned out differently.
But nowhere else, was Buhari’s sentiments for the Igbo more demonstrable than in his handling of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) saga. That was where he demonstrated the rare quality of a quintessential soldier and a strategist. His trapping and abduction of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the group, is one that needed the release of several cannons to celebrate his deep thinking and prowess as a soldier.
Many people must have been wondering how he achieved the feat. But the answer to the jigsaw puzzle did not come until recent unfolding events. The recent unravelling of Muhajideen Dokubo Asari and the revelations he made, has led to what seems a watertight theory that could only be defeated by a more concrete contrary evidence. It is to the effect that the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), played a key role in this.
Recall that Kanu once teamed up with the NDVF boss for the IPOB self-determination project. This was the time Asari swore to the world that he was first Igbo before anything including Ijaw. What is not known is whether it was a decoy to worm himself to Kanu or that his sentiments were actually genuine until he was reached to sell out. What is known is that the pact between the two eventually broke down with each one vowing to get the other. Recall how Kanu, revealed that he gave the Niger Delta militant a whopping N100million for his efforts, which he blew, before turning against the IPOB project.
But even with the breaking of the relationship, it was too late. Enough damage had been done to enable Kanu to insulate himself completely. For one, he must have disclosed the inner secrets of IPOB and by their association, Asari, must have gotten enough knowledge of some key figures close to Kau, no doubt, Simon Ekpa, an indigene of Ebony State, an APC state. All he needed was to identify those pliable ones willing to play ball and with the dangling of bundles of dollar notes, which must have had in abundance from his sponsors, it was easy to squeal on the target.
Thus, with a well hatched plot, the IPOB boss was finally trapped in Kenya, and delivered to the waiting hands of the Buhari men. Of course the reward of good work is more work, as they say. Having delivered very well, it was time to move further – the total annihilation of the true IPOB set up by Kanu. With the IPOB boss now firmly out of circulation, it was easy.
The only way to do this, following the huge support the group enjoyed in the South East was to give it a bad name. This was where Ekpa came in. As a trusted ally to Kanu, whom he had ordered IPOB faithful to listen to, he was clearly fit for purpose for the task. So, while Asari had the gun, Ekpa had his phone camera to record propaganda messages.
It was a tripartite arrangement. Ekpa churns out sit-at-home order, Asari’s men enforce it and the sponsors trumpeting the message that Ndigbo are killing themselves. Thus, nobody would ever hear that while the attacks – carnages unleashed on the citizens, burning local government headquarters, INEC offices, police facilities, be it the zone 13 headquarters of Ukpo, Anambra State, or Imo State Police headquarters in Owerri or any other related crimes, the perpetrators were ever rounded up on the spot.
The nearest anyone would hear or see are either videos of people “confessing” or dead bodies of those killed during “raids.” End of the matter. Nobody ever witnessed a court session where IPOB members allegedly captured in operation are put on trial in a regular law court and evidence adduced to him to elicit clear punishment under the rule of law.
Now, having worked effectively with Buhari, as he himself confessed, he seemed to have turned to Tinubu, apparently to negotiate a new contract or perhaps, extend the preceding one. There is no doubt that this is all his recent outings are for. Of course, he makes no bones about his relationship with President Bola Tinubu, Buhari’s successor. He has already visited the President at the Villa to underscore this and even used the platform, with the Nigerian Coat of Arm embossed on his seat to make his pitch.
For instance, apart from discrediting the Nigerian military and boasting of how his own men whom he recruited to work in parts of the country actually did the job of degrading in the onslaught of insurgents in his areas of duty, he had also made videos depicting him as ready to work with the President in further punishing the Igbo, his supposed current enemy.
After making a video a few weeks back, brandishing his latest weapons and practically threatening the Igbo, his latest move was to showcase his men he had not only trained to defend the President, but crush his enemies, which are no doubt the Igbo. Not surprising, in another video, he had also warned that Kanu must never be released, while urging that the Igbo should be left alone to “kill themselves!” How convenient!
Of course, the reason for demanding that Kanu should not be released, ought not surprise anyone. With the arrangement he probably has with Ekpa, Kanu’s release would definitely destroy his pot of soup. In a state of flux that he has created, the words of Emma Powerful, the official voice of the Kanu IPOB, since recognised its spokesman, no longer counts. Even when the IPOB spokesman, gives the official position that the group did not order the evil sit-at-home, it is easily ignored because Ekpa’s own version would come with power of cohesion through the guns.
Daily, the IPOB authentic IPOB, has laboured together with Kanu to give the correct picture that they are either responsible or in support of the onslaught against the Igbo people in their name, all to no avail. The latest is the handwritten letter, unveiled on Friday, July 28, where the IPOB boss in his own handwriting ordered the stop of the sit-at-home. That too is discountenanced by Ekpa and his group, who brushed it aside and released another sit-at-home order for two weeks, which, of course he is sure would be observed because his enforcers would be prowling around during the period.
Now, would Tinubu nibble at the bait or even swallow it? That is the question. It would be the greatest tragedy if he does, because the result would be quite grave. In the first place, outside politics and the need to preserve himself in power, the President, does not seem to have any primordial beef with Ndigbo, unlike Buhari.
So, it would be suicidal on many grounds for him to toe the step of his predecessor or follow his route. For one, it would effectively put paid to his touted political wizardry and deep thinking capacity, because there is really nothing to gain, but accumulation of more evil baggage, as has been shown in Buhari’s own case of leaving office in infamy, having left the business of governance to settle scores with real and imaginary enemies.
Has the Fulani hegemony he spent his eight years trying to enthrone in Nigeria succeeded? Instead, despite the huge credit he came into office with as Nigeria’s messiah, he left with the unenviable trophy of the worst President Nigeria has ever seen, with even his people his government was all about, badly hit to the extent that speculations are rife that he has been confined to constantly looking behind his back today even among his people. How sad!
While Buhari, for the already established reasons, would not mind the pool of blood of Ndigbo following him to Daura, his home town or even Niger, his alternative home, Tinubu would have a lot to contend with should he allow himself to be hoodwinked into the thinking that the Igbo are such an enemy that must equally pay with their blood. For one, who already has a lot of baggage, the outcome will not only be grave, but fatal.
It began less than 10 minutes after taking the oath of office. In his address to the nation, he uttered those three-letter words – subsidy is gone. The ink with which he signed the documents declaring him President was yet to dry.
That was it. From that moment, Nigerians have known nothing but poverty, tears and death. It was a declaration that came out of impulse rather than articulacy. It was not even contained in his original speech prepared for the occasion. But it sprouted out – from a rash, unthinking and impetuous mental construct.
But the effect was instant, the impact direct. From that moment, Nigerians have never known peace. Every thing took a cue. Minutes after, the news broke that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, otherwise known as petrol had jumped from N189 to N550. It was that instant. Today, it hovers around N1,500.
The effect: Within minutes, transportation cost quadrupled. So too, commodity prices. Caught unawares, marketers, who had earlier thought it was a day of the rains as customers rushed to their shops, soon became suspicious and then got wiser – these were not ordinary customers but smart alecs playing a fast one on them.
They stopped selling, retrieved the items they could from those who had not disappeared with their goods and closed shop to study the situation properly. Hours after, they responded. A plate of eba and soup, went up from N200 to N1,000. Prices hit the rooftops.
In fact, the vehicle transporting what used to be Nigeria, which had been moving at a horse and buggy pace in the days of Muhammadu Buhari, stopped abruptly, engaged the reverse gear and began galloping backwards. That has remained the ugly, parlous tale of the Tinubu days, since May 29, 2023.
Now, the expectation would be that the President and his government that wrought such a horrendous punishment on the polity, would themselves take some blows. But nada! Instead, the opposite was the case. Within months of plunging the citizens into the untold hardship Tinubu went on a binge, spending money – in the words of Olusegun Obasanjo, former President – like a drunken sailor.
Few weeks after, as Nigerians were reeling and gasping in pain from the impact of their new situation, 469 newly-minted Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), rolled out from factories in Japan, where they were produced into the premises of the National Assembly for the just inaugurated members.
Put the cost at N100billion – that is N160million for each unit, plus other charges. Reason: The lawmakers needed the vehicles because of their good suspension system, to navigate the so many bad roads in Nigeria. Yes, you heard right. How could they think well and make good laws after the hassles of the bad roads? Tinubu saw reasons, acquiesced and voila!
But it did not end there. Tinubu suddenly realised that Kashim Shettima, his deputy, needed a new home “befitting” his new office. Pronto! A voucher of N21billion was raised and he had it. Till date a haze still hovers over the project.
The last news that was heard was that Number Two refused to take residence because the entire environment, including the toilets was wired to the teeth to monitor him. And Number Two needed privacy.
Again, in the same weeks, Oga Patapata, also realised that Madam needed to transport more comfortably. Pronto! It was arranged. Another voucher was raised for cars for the Office of the First Lady. Cost N1.2billion. Of course, madam needed the comfort for peace at home.
Naturally, since transportation is not done by land alone, he also took care of that. For the sea, a yacht was procured. Cost N5billion. Because the birds in the presidential fleet were not good enough, Tinubu did the needful.
He enriched the fleet with the one befitting of his status and had it transformed to mimic the US Air Force One. To complete the status symbol project, he also added a replica of The Beast, the US presidential automobile.
Ironically, the funds used in procuring these luxury lifestyle, came, not out of productive ventures of Nigeria, but through borrowing. Today, Tinubu has practically borrowed Nigeria blind, doubling or even tripling that of his predecessors.
Meanwhile Nigerians had upped the ante from mere groaning and skreiching. Citizens, unable to take it anymore, now stop their hitherto sleek vehicles on the Third Mainland Bridge and plunge into the Lagos lagoon to end it all. The option is now more rampant than remote and occasional.
Many others, taking the Socrates option, now drink hemlock and many more simply sleep off without any intention of waking up. That is where we are. That is the new Nigeria – the Tinubu Nigeria. But there is more.
Terrorists and the landlords of the forest, having now discovered that the Commander-in-Chief has other fancies than security and welfare of the people – the constitutionally-declared primary purpose of government and scant regard for the citizens, have practically gone haywire. They have taken over and established their authority.
Presently, outside those wantonly slaughtered or butchered in their homes like animals at the abattoir, incinerated alive while sleeping on their beds, among other forms of decimation, many more citizens are now spending months, going to years as victims of captivity with them in various forests in Nigeria.
In their rampage, the terrorists have since broken all barriers considered out of place hitherto. One of their escapades is the present videos of the school children and teachers taken from Oyo State. The gory imagery captures the current Nigerian story.
For instance, on Thursday, just as the sound of heavy celebration was going on in neighbouring Ogun State as the world marked the Ojude Oba yearly carnival, two of the victims, one of them with a toddler on her back, were pleading for their lives, as others went through various forms of torture, including heavy whipping like beasts.
Don’t forget that the terrorists had earlier slaughtered one of their colleagues. In the new video, the totally terrified women, informed that they had chosen another victim to be similarly eliminated. Yet, no word about rescue! Terrible!
Interestingly, if not painfully, Tinubu’s response, in the few cases he bothered, was to see the crisis through the politics lens. His most recent reaction was to tell the world that the harvest of attacks and carnages ravaging the country, were sponsored by his political enemies, intent on shoving him out of power. That to him was all that mattered.
Now, where are your powers as C-in-C? They are mostly found in the most disgraceful economic and political acts of impunity. Nigerians now waking up to hear of the award of brain-dazing contracts such as the N15trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Badagry-Maiduguri Highway – with scant regard for official regulations, is now becoming more common than rare.
Few days after one of the teachers was beheaded and the video of the hideous act made to circulate on the social media, the President and his All Progressives Congress (APC), party, rolled out the drums of his winning the party’s ticket to contest the 2027 presidential election.
To say that it has been three years of weeping, wailing, mourning and gnashing of the teeth, is a clear euphemism. There is no starker way of putting it than calamity – pure, unmitigated catastrophe – disaster.
Then comes the big question. Nigeria is already breasting the tape of these ruinous years of the first term. Suppose Tinubu succeeds in renewing his tenure by January next year? Will Nigeria survive five more years of a life like the last three? What will be left of Nigeria? Is there a way out, outside shouting – God forbid!?
Now that Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has fully executed his plot against Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, where would it be placed in terms of identity, nuances, ethos and history? Where would it be placed in democratic arrangement and value? In other word, by what name would it be called?
So, this is what President Bola Tinubu’s much-advertised democratic credentials is all about? This is what being listed among the arrowheads in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the body that fought relentlessly against the late Sani Abacha and his henchmen has finally come to?
Is this where “The Last Man Standing” – apologies Tony Elumelu – has ended up? So, after wedging an epic battle for and through Lagos State, against then President Obasanjo and practically defeating him, even if perceptibly, in all the struggles – such as running government without federal allocation for years and surviving the political onslaught that took away other South West states like a tsunami, it has come to this?
Don’t forget that it was this selfsame Tinubu that served as the bastion of opposition in Nigerian politics from when he was Governor of Lagos State, not only standing up against Obasanjo, but undertaking the relentless battles that led to the All Progressives Congress (APC), winning the war eventually in 2015.
So, this is what all the struggles, the speeches, the colloquia, the meetings and the strategies have come to – the end result? So, the definition of democracy, to Tinubu, is selling the dog to buy a monkey – replacing democratic bad-behaviour with democratic-heist? So, this is it?!
Make no mistake about it. What you saw play out in Rivers is nothing but Tinubu at work. It is all about him, it is for him. Never make the mistake of adorning Wike in the toga of a powerful man. That would be a fatal error of judgement. Every power he exercises, real, imagined, inferred or contingent belong to and are exclusive to Tinubu.
Take away the President and Wike would turn to a political meek-lamb or a jellyfish. Fubara would have eaten him for lunch a long time ago. So, Tinubu it is – the reason the klieglights must be beamed on him. That is why he must carry the can in this odious construct in Rivers in particular and the entire Nigerian political scenario in general.
With the picture that assaulted Nigeria regarding the APC primaries that have just held, what is different from the edition we saw in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of old? Is it not worse or the worst in real and imagined terms? What then has Tinubu been fighting all these years?
Incidentally, where we have Wike today, we had Lamidi Adedibu, the Amala Politics exponent, Tony Aneni of the Mr. Fix-it fame and the Uba brothers in Anambra to whom the political firmament in Nigeria once bowed, among many plethora of examples.
So, there is nothing really new about the development, but for the fresh dimension that has been introduced into the narrative by the Wike phenomenon, which is totally novel. Before now it was a case of one behemoth in a political party rampaging the system.
But today, it has gone beyond that. Wike has developed the penchant for taking no prisoners. In his own strange construct, he has now coalesced the entire APC and PDP structure into his shoulder basket, from where he dispenses favours.
Imagine Kingsley Chinda, purchasing APC governorship election form, as a PDP federal lawmaker without first resigning from his original party. That is how wacky it has become. Wackier still is that nobody – not even the APC apparatchik has been able to raise a finger. Why? Obvious answer – the Tinubu factor.
Now, here is the danger. By the heist in Port Harcourt adding to the sequence of political oddities and absurdities since the Tinubu years, it has become obvious that Nigeria is headed towards a Paul Biya’s Cameroun, a Yoweri Musaveni’s Uganda and Zimbabwe under the late Robert Mugabe.
Tinubu, has shown obvious incapacity to tackle the parlous economic crisis in the country with 150 million Nigerians plunged into multidimensional poverty and many more growing the list daily, while also displaying uncommon powerlessness towards addressing the debilitating state of insecurity.
Under his nose citizens are daily being forced from their homes into the forests by terrorists, with some of them taken from their crutching positions, positioned before the camera and slaughtered – heads cut off like animals at an abattoir and video images freely displayed on social media.
Yet, by what has now happened in Rivers State, it has become obvious that Nigerians are not being factored into the whole equation and if they were, scant regard is paid to their opinion, ending in their powerlessness to change the situation. That is the tragedy!
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