Looking Beyond Electoral Promises In Nigeria Elections

0

It is extremely difficult to count your eggs before they are hatched. This statement is made to controvert the belief that two birds in the bush are better than one in hand.

Jonathan and Buhari
Jonathan and Buhari

Elections are much like the theory of eggs and hatchery, riddled with disappointments, shocks and miscalculations. In the wake of this election postponement, to whose advantage and to whose disadvantage cannot be expressly determined or calculated until the last hour of the election. However elections in Nigeria have never been conducted before without innocent blood soaking the soil and from the sound of war gong in every nook and cranny of this nation presently, this election is most unlikely be different.
Setting aside the discussion of how civilized or barbaric our conduct of election is and focusing on the major candidates, is genuinely in line with the focus of every electorate in deciding the direction of our future. It is undisputable fact that the continuity of President Goodluck will certainly take Nigeria through a definite path, equally bringing Buhari to power will also certainly take Nigeria through a definite different path as well. How good each path is for Nigeria and the best for Nigeria as a country is hugely dependent on what one sees, what he chooses to see and what he wants to see. This is why looking into the past history of every candidate is where the discussion of issues begins. Before bringing some of the things known of the two major candidates of this election, there is need to state the fact that the personality and persona of each of these two candidates is more important than what they say they will accomplish if elected. Either of them is going to take the mantle which comes with it the power to take decisions that play pivotal roles in deciding the fate of Nigerian nation.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan a PHD holder, prior to 1999, was a lecturer in the University of Port-Harcourt and as an environmental-protection officer having obtained all his post-secondary education in same institution. He became deputy governor to Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha from May 1999 to December 2005 when his boss was removed under controversial corruption-related circumstances. It was said he was nearly forced to take over power after his boss? removal, a move an average Nigerian politician will jump into even before removal of the boss. This left an estimable truehearted imprint in watchers? memory especially the then President Olusegun Obasanjo who was alleged to be behind the whole brouhaha. His utter dedicated loyalty endeared him to many which was the deciding factor for his choice as Ya?Adua?s running mate by Obasanjo in 2007 presidential election. Again, his boss did not finish his tenure in office as the cold hand of death snatched him away from the lofty office. His becoming acting president through to getting elected in 2011 have been immersed in the kind of strong opposition that does not recognize nor respect the sanctity of human life. Brutal hegemonic opposition has been established ever since some northern miscreants boasted to make his government ungovernable. Some of these threats laden with dangerous comments saw to the upsurge of barbarous Boko Haram in the region adjudged to be the most backward and poorest in Nigeria.
General Muhamadu Buhari on the other hand is a septuagenarian grandfather Sunni Muslim who overthrew a democratically elected government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari on 31st December 1983 and enthroned a Stone Age iron fisted brutal regime. His government was overshadowed with arrests and backdating of military decrees to robe in the regime?s enemies, the height of which was failed London illegal kidnap of Umaru Dikko, a former transport minister and an adviser in the government he overthrew. His regime?s huge appetite to hunt down and arrest people hobbled it from the real administrative business of the government, driving Nigeria into a future without direction, focus or purpose. Under his government, Nigeria became a frozen terrified country and an undesired destination for international diplomats and tourists alike. Thirty years have passed since General Babangida quietly deposed Buhari?s government by a bloodless military coup.
Since he left power, he has never enrolled into any self-development program, in fact his purported highest and last known certificate is missing which has been part of the most heated debates in the build up to this election. The ruckus surrounding his certificate brouhaha has prompted thinking people to start asking some logical questions like, ?if he cannot provide the minimum requirement for the office he is vying for, shouldn?t he be disqualified?? At the heated point of the certificate uproar, he grudgingly came to the media to state that his certificate was with the military which the military promptly denied its possession. The status of his certificate on whether he actually had it or not is still not cleared. He has been battling the image of religious begot than any other subject since coming to limelight. Winning the election this time around and ruling Nigeria appears to be his last opportunity to public life considering his age.
But when Buhari was in power, he never introduced or facilitated any policy that suggested he desires Islamization of Nigeria rather it was Babngida?s regime that registered Nigeria as a member of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) not minding the fact that Nigeria is a secular state at least on paper. He has not directly proven to be a religious extremist but he earned the Monika, ?religious bigot? through his unguarded comments and quotes. One of his infamous of these comments was made on 15th May 2012 where he was quoted as saying that ?God willing by 2015 something will happen, they either conduct a free and fair election or they go a disgraceful way. If what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the Dog and the Baboon will all be soaked in blood?. He made some other comments filled with threats that many believe triggered some riots and killings but except his comments on election and stance on Sharia, nothing indicates his religious belief going overboard.
Build up to this election preparation, President Jonathan lost media fight which is tantamount to losing the election itself. His media aides and publicity officials ought to have been sacked long time ago. His achievements in office are hugely under reported actuating one to believe that his media officials are either incompetent or simply compromised. From the moment the slogan, ?clueless president? came up, his media team ought to have known that signal for media war just started but they turned out to be the clueless department of the presidency. Another pitfall of Jonathan?s government is myriad of corruption allegations his government has been submerged in which many of them are either exaggerated or fictitious. His media team failed to match or tame the trend of accusations against Goodluck?s government. They should be the ones churning out topics of discussion and controlling the flow of public opinion through the media. What is amazing about this whole corruption allegations is that most of accusers were public office holders in Nigeria and deeply dirty and yet to return their loot as sign of repentance. They adopted Hitler?s propagandist method which entails telling lies over and over and over again and people will believe it to be true and many Nigerians as expected fell for it.

 

Source:? Obi Ebuka Onochie
Writes via [email protected]

Send your news stories to [email protected] Follow News Ghana on Google News

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here