Icheoku says when the world was expecting African leaders to now begin to look to Abuja-Nigeria, to enroll into the newly opened President Goodluck Jonathan's school of how to yield power in the interest of peace, Sudan's Omar al-Bashir preferred instead to look to Harare-Zimbabwe, at the school of President Robert Mugabe on how to sit tight, no shaking? This is despite Western pressure and sanctions as well as a long lasting travel restriction and ban from traveling to and within Western countries and their controlled territories at the pain of arrest and trial for war crimes? But the strong man in Khartoum simply ignored them, as according to him, like late Moummar Gaddafi, his own Sudanese people loves him and that is what matters most and should count and controls his decisions and not what some pin-heads Western leaders would like to dictate to him.
The 71 year old President Omar al-Bashir, just two years younger than Nigeria's president-elect Muhammadu Buhari at 73 years old, and who first came to power in 1989, six years after Muhammadu Buhari's first stab at power in 1983, again stood for election and is now "reelected" president of Sudan and for a sixth term? Unlike Nigeria's President Jonathan, Sudanese Omar al-Bashir knows how to get it done and also thrives amidst opposition - they just don't exist and/or are not allowed to rear their ugly head. They are simply crushed and banished from all lands and territories controlled by the government in Khartoum. Such was his drastic antagonism against the opposition, many of whom are behind bars if not already decapitated; and not allowed access to any government licensed media operating in his country, talkless of allowing them the unlimited access through which to tell lies and offload fabricated propaganda like President Jonathan did with the "victorious" APC, that many Sudanese voters did not even know of the existence of any opposition whatsoever? As one would be voter, who wanted to vote for somebody other than President Omar al-Bashir, but could not find any, quipped, "I only see Bashir on TV and elsewhere. It doesn't feel like Bashir has any other contesting against him. The state TV and private channels are all pro-Bashir. I don't know who the other candidates are and what their election programmes are."
Icheoku says this is how to win elections in Africa and other third world countries - muzzle the opposition, drive them out of town and do not let them drive the narrative. But in Nigeria, lucky were the APC, who not only got a level playing field but an incumbent who loves Nigerians so much that he effortlessly yielded power and without having to shed any Nigerian's blood, engaged in a power struggle. Icheoku asks, could the APC have survived in Omar al-Bashir's Sudan? Your guess is as good as anyone's else who can figure the answer to two plus two. Icheoku says if Omar al-Bashir is good for the Sudanese people, who is Icheoku to query their voting for him? On this note, Icheoku hereby extends congratulatory message to the newly reelected President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan. Hopefully the reelected president, alongside Robert Mugabe and Muhammadu Buhari can now establish a truly African Council of Elders, with admission strictly restricted to very, very old African leaders. Way to go all despots of Africa and before Icheoku forgets, Cameroon's Paul Biya, who himself has been in power in Younde since 1985, also eminently qualifies as a bona fide candidate for membership of this anticipated council. But hey......
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