BUHARI AND ATIKU, GIMMICKRY OF A NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT?

Nigerians, Icheoku urge you not to believe the hype that these two despicable and desperate men are what the doctor ordered for Nigeria at this particular time. Whatever you do, please do not fall into their trap, do not buy the fake goods they are selling because both are spent corrupt people who can only do more harm than good to Nigeria! Their souls are restless and a restless mind cannot direct a restless Nigerian society; therefore they must be stopped by any means necessary before or at the gates of Aso Rock.

According to Governor Aliyu Babangida of Niger State, it is an Islamic tenet, perspective and guidance on the selection of leaders, that those who desperately seek leadership should not be considered for leadership positions!” Icheoku says, Governor Babangida spoke very well for Nigerians and Nigerians must hearken to him and reject this duo as too desperate for any leadership position again! We categorically state that 'never in the history of Nigeria has anybody been this desperate for power as is the case with Muhammadu Buhari and his fellow traveller, Atiku Abubakar? Regrettably, both are supposedly Muslims but chose to ignore the injunction on leadership desperation. The crucial question is why the desperation, especially of Muhammadu Buhari whose 'terroristic-tenure' at Dodan Barracks left so much to be desired and the memory is still sore. What about Atiku Abubakar, who was described by a person who should know and a former boss as "too corrupt to be allowed to preside over the affairs of Nigeria?" What a damning referral indeed. As for Atahiru Bafawara, Icheoku will not waste precious time discussing such a localised politician of Sokoto State without any tangible or reasonable national stature and/or presence. We shall therefore, confine our discussion here on Buhari and Atiku; and their mad quest to wrestle power once again. The premise being that they were once there but did not render any worthy account of their stewardship.

So we ask, what is the hullabaloo that these two conniving and contriving despicable men are once again scheming to weasel their way back to power. Should Nigerians allow them to again get hold of the levers of power? The answer is a resounding big NO, except of course they want to do it at a great peril to whatever holds and keeps them together as one state? The duo of Buhari and Atiku are not what any moderate Nigerian should wish for the country and particularly not this time when there is a continuing seismic movement on the tetronic plates of the Nigeria state. Icheoku warns Nigerians to be very wary of these strangely odd bed-fellas who are both as deceitful as they are conceited! They tried in 2007 to ride on the back of the South East into power but failed and they were advised against the futility of over-challenging the charade that put President Umaru Yar'Adua in office but they will not listen to any counselling until the resulting disgrace at the Supreme court. Atiku Abubakar is the worse of the two regarding the election challenge because he is himself a master-rigger who twice rigged himself with Obasanjo into power in 1999 and 2003; and you wonder why his complaint in 2007? Now that the election of 2011 is around the corner, both men have made a u-turn to the South West seeking their 2011 bride in the waiting. Where were both men when one of them, the midget of Kano, Sani Abacha was methodically exterminating the people of Yoruba of the South West? But for these men to now go back to the same land of Oduduwa seeking their hands in political marriage towards 2011 smacks of a desperate desire from Hell to step into Nigeria's White House or Black House aka Aso Rock, This should raise every Nigerian's sixth-sense and we shout from the roof-top of our existence, it is very ominous!

What Buhari could not do while he had all the dictatorial, unquestionable powers of a military maximum ruler, he now wants to attempt to do as a civilian president? A dispensation which must defer to the wishes of Nigerians, by listening to their representatives at the National Assemblies? Olusegun Obasanjo proved to Nigerians that once a dictator always a dictator, and that a soldier is always a soldier; which by implication, means that a Buhari will not be any different.

Which Nigerian wants to go once again, through the experience of the hellish eight years witnessed under Olusegun Obasanjo infamy? Definitely not those ones we know and we bet you are thinking the same. A man who would kill Barthlomew Owo and two others for an offence which they committed before it was made a death penalty offence? This highly emaciated-looking angry army man from Daura Katsina State, promulgated a death decree after Batholomew and co had already been arrested for illegal drugs dealing and retroactively applied same to their case; and executed them despite deafening outcry against the injustice of such retroactive death-decree? But like the trait he displayed when his political party ANPP counselled against going to court to challenge the election of President Umaru Yar'Adua, and went ahead anyway, he did not listen then. A typical Islamist fundamentalist, Buhari does not accommodate differing viewpoints since he believes he is directly wired to his Allah who talks directly to him and directs his actions. Nigerians you are warned, be very scared and wary of Muhammadu Buhari because he is not a civilian nor a democrat and desperation to get back to power tells a lot about his intention. He may not only embark on Islamisation of Nigeria but may re-introduce his signature draconian actions such that every Nigerian would desperately wish and pray for the "good-old" days of Olusegun Obasanjo to come back?

Buhari's co-traveller in this self-effacing journey of no convictions, Atiku Abubakar is another Nigerian, who were Nigeria a functional country, would have since been locked away and forgotten in a prison cell somewhere in Nigeria desert north. His friend in the United States, former Louisiana congressman William Jefferson is awaiting sentencing and possibly could go away for a very very long time for alleged business deals with Atiku Abubakar? Whether he has paid back his overdue bank debt to Nigeria banks, Icheoku does not know; but suffice it to say that any man who would use his privileged position to take out loans he did not intend to pay back until forced by the public odium that unearthed his indebtedness, might as well not be good for a Nigeria leadership.

Atiku helped rig Olusegun Obasanjo and himself to power twice in 1999 and 2003 respectively; and now he is preaching democracy and ganging up to steal power if need be? Icheoku says, if only President Umaru Yar'Adua had guts, he would have since arrested and tried these two men for breach of public peace or even treasonable felony for unnecessarily creating public tension in the land? Both men have severally increased apprehension in Nigeria by categorically stating publicly that Nigeria is a failed state which may soon cease existing? If this is not enough to cause apprehension and panic amongst Nigerian citizens, then nothing known to Icheoku has such capabilities. These two men's sordid past say a lot about the kind of bleak future they will bequeath on Nigeria if allowed or given the opportunity; therefore, they must and should not be allowed to venture back near the presidency! Both men have ulterior motive for so desperately seeking and coveting the office of the presidency of Nigeria and must be stopped forthwith.

While addressing his NDI, Muhammadu Buhari said, "The leaders of the new movement are propelled by the need to urgently salvage the Nigerian nation from collapse and are left with no option than to answer the call of duty “and accept the burden of history” and initiate and give leadership to a process of extensive consultation on the way forward. The emerging coalition is hinged on the principles of federalism and multi-party liberal social democracy and “we believe in and will always promote laissez-fair economic policy that is fully grounded in state welfarism.” Like the South Carolina hillbilly, Icheoku screams, You Lie!

First of all, you are not a known democrat but an unrepentant mean dictator who killed innocent people based on a retroactive decree. You also recently would not listen or accommodate a different opinion on your former party's way forward. You also allowed your then ADC Major Jokolo to bring into Nigeria 53 suitcases which content nobody knows; while you were pontificating and prosecuting your then war against indiscipline (WAI). Buhari, Icheoku says, may be you can start your democracy initiative and movement by first apologising to Nigerians for your coup against democracy in 1983? Thereafter, apologise for the affront on rule of law for killing three innocent Nigerians based on a retroactive decree? Following which you then pay compensation to the families of Bartholomew Owo and co; and finally explain to Nigerians the content of those 53 suitcases. Do this for your absolution, and then may be, Nigerians will be prepared to hear what you want to tell them.

The consolation for Nigerians however is that none of these 'conspirators' ganging up under the National Democratic Movement (NDM) has any serious followership in Nigeria anymore; as would be a cause for serious concern? They are all marooned politicians trying desperately to find some degree of relevance in today's Nigerian polity and invent one if need be? Luckily enough, Nigerians have severally in the past told these two men, thanks but no, thanks! But like an old penny nobody wants they keep recycling themselves back into national discuss each time.

But just for the heck of it, lets sift through the pile of spent Nigerian politicians in this movement:- who is Atahiru Bafarawa, Olorunnimbe Mamora, Prince Tony Momoh, Tonye Princewill, Ben Obi, Olu Falae, Duben Onyia, Mike Ahamba, Great Ogboru, Usman Bugaje, Buba Galadima, Tom Ikimi, Lawal Keita and Supo Soyibare among the others to cause sleeplessness in Aso Rock? Our answer is none, as they all appear to be nomadic political leftovers seeking for some fodder and shelter? Of all the poeple in Western Nigeria, only old man Olu Falae of the the SAP notoriety could they mobilize? From the Niger Delta South-South, of all the people there only the man whose government killed Ken Saro Wiwa, while he was serviving as then foreign minister, Tom Ikimi and a coup plotter Great Ogboru are all they could mobilize? And when you check the people with some followership from the north, only Bugaje and Bafawara were their best options? From the South East, Dubem Onyia; and you ask yourself which followership does this Dubem of a man command in his Enugu State or even village, talkless of the entire South-East? And same goes with Senator Ben Obi and Lawyer Mike Ahamba too? The NDM conveners are really very serious indeed, except they only allowed 'yes people' who will not constitute a barrier to their selfish ambition to rule Nigeria at any and all cost payable? Echoing the PDP, Icheoku agrees that "these participants are adventurers and an assembly of bad loosers with unstable agenda and futility of ambitions."

Icheoku reiterates the alert of PDP "on the “instability of character of the principal conveners of this charade who have consistently displayed a lack of principle, discipline and patriotism by their nomadic political nature." Instead of trying to reinvent and rebuild their already formed and existing political parties the Action Congress (AC) with two states and All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) with five states, these charlatans, Muhmmadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar are busy trying to create a private fiefdom where their words are the command and where they will not have any strong voice to question their dictates? Nigerians should first find out why these despicable men abandoned the ship of their respective parties AC and ANPP and are now venturing out again to form a new political party? What went wrong with where they were previously making the need for a new one suddenly imperative? Could someone out-there please help Icheoku tell these guys that democracy is about dissenting opinions!

Icheoku predicts that the NDM if it makes it into a full fledged party will eventually split into two groups, along the fault-lines of Buhari and Atiku? Like 'the moribund Mega Party idea that found itself embroiled in mega confusion,' the NDM will soon find itself being tugged apart by the irreconcillable conflicting interests of Buhari and Atiku? In the words of PDP national chairman Vincent Ogbulafor, “surely they shall gather, but surely they shall scatter because they are strange bed mates.” Icheoku says, the PDP chairman spoke wisely and correctly articulated both men as the strangest of all strange bedfellows ever to seek to forge a common alliance in Nigeria? Both Buhari and Atiku have different character, personality, temperament and political background; such are the glaring disparities that Icheoku queries, how can oil and water easily mix and very well?

Icheoku asks, what does these two men know which the rest of Nigerians does not about the "imminent or impending total collapse of Nigeria into a failed state?" May be the SSS and other security agencies of the government should invite them or take them in for questioning? If the country did not collapse during Biafra or when the infamous midget of Kano, Sani Abacha, attempt to kill off Nigerians of the South-West, Icheoku says, never again and not a million man army of Buhari and Atiku combined can accomplish that now. Their needless fear mongering is just to make Nigerians capitulate and in their fear call for their knight in shinning armour to come and rescue save them? What a weapon of fear-mongering being deployed by these men to force a concepted situation into play and for their benefit.

Icheoku says, the present shenanigan of the duo is not borne out of any patrotic zeal or sincere attempt to forestal a possible collapse of Nigeria; no, it is out of their selfish feeling of self-importance, which both men have arrogated to themselves, that they cannot be ignored or permanently consigned into the dustbin of political irrelevance in Nigeria. So, they have to scream lungful that Nigeria is on the verge of collapse; but does anyone in today's Nigeria really care if Nigeria goes to hell in a hand's basket?

Now listen to Atiku Abubakar addressing his NDM gathering, “That is why a number of us Nigerian leaders have come together to try to build a broad mass-based movement of committed democrats and patriots to save this country from imminent collapse. We must leave behind a country that our children would be proud of; a country whose best and brightest do not have to run to other countries in order to find good education and well-paying and professionally and personally fulfilling jobs; a country where citizens will be free to move about without the fear of being kidnapped; a country whose leaders understand the centrality of electrical power, education and health in economic development and job and wealth creation; a country whose citizens do not have to take up arms in order to secure justice and equity; a country whose leaders would be found in the company of other world leaders as they try to deal with the key challenges facing the contemporary world.” Icheoku says, easier said than done; this is the same Atiku Abubakar who with Olusegun Obasanjo sent Nigeria adrift for eight long hellish years, now trying to cash in on the very short memory Nigerians are notorious for? When was his epiphany, that he now preaches democracy that Nigerians can believe in? Icheoku says, do not believe the hype of a marooned politician still seeking relevance in his enstranged island of political oblivion! What a gimmickry of the highest order!

The irony of this gang up is that it is just Katsina, Sokoto and Adamawa that are represented in this "Operation Save Nigeria National Democratic Movement?" If indeed it is national in outlook as its name seem to suggest, why the geographical restriction of the major stake-holders to just north east and north west; with the remaining four geographical belts in Nigeria sitting in the lurch? Icheoku surmises that it is just another vanguard of divergent northerners desperately scheming for relevance and playing their usual political chess game against the rest of Nigerians? They are so infatuated with power that whatever gets it for any of them, is oh well and dandy and including the devil? If it is a national opposition to the seating PDP, what happened to the rest of the opposition? Why did they not invite Ikemba Ojukwu's APGA or Orji Uzor-Kalu's PPA or even the Labour Party to give them that sense of a Nigeria that is more inclusive? No, they are just looking for 'yes men and women' to dominate and ride their backs back to power. But they shall be disappointed as Nigerians have known what this two men, Buhari and Atiku represent and their gang-up shall not be allowed to prosper but shall woefully fail. Our advise is for this two men, Muhammadu Buhari and Atiku Abubakar, to just quit politics and disappear from the Nigerian political scene for good; they now constitute avoidable nightmarish eyesores just like Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida!