When Will Buhari Stop?

Comfort Obi, Editor-in-Chief/CEO

While this magazine was on its annual end of year break, during which time it takes stock of the exiting year, a couple of serious things happened. They include the fatal Christmas day bombing of a church, the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan at the Supreme Court, and the shame of Commissioner Venatious Ikem in Cross River state. I will handle the bombing incident at a later date. Let me, therefore, start with Jonathan's victory.
For Major General Muhammadu Buhari, the failed presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, the year, 2011, ended on a sad note. On December 28, the Supreme Court told him that he wouldn’t be the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That he did not win the 2011 general elections. That President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan defeated him fair and square.
So, the next day, Thursday, December 29, Buhari made front page news, not to give up, be a gentleman or a good loser, and congratulate the winner, but in his usual manner, to threaten fire and brimstone, and throw tantrums like a spoilt baby. His photograph – with those of Chief Tony Momoh, and former FCT Minister, Mallam El-Rufai, splashed in the pages of newspapers told his story of bitterness, anger and frustration at finally losing a chance to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. He riled at everybody. From INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, the Justices of the Supreme Court, to the President, Buhari had something petty and bitter to say. The Newspaper headlines said it all! Buhari Spits Fire. Buhari Warns of a Revolution. Buhari Warns of Breakdown of Law and Order. And all because Buhari lost an election.
Obviously, Buhari knew he was going to lose the case. The questions then are: Why did he go to court that day? Why was he present? The answer is simple. He loves drama. He wanted to grab the headlines. He did. But not as a Statesman. Solid Statesmen choose their words. They don’t use the type of words Buhari uses. Such words, unfortunately, come very easily to him. Statesmen don’t threaten fire and brimstone. They don’t threaten the peace of their country. Unfortunately, this comes very easily to Buhari.
In the run-up to the presidential election, when it was pretty obvious that he would lose, he riled to high heavens. When he eventually lost, he threatened fire and brimstone. In fairness to him, both descended on Nigeria, and cost the lives of scores of innocent people, including Youth Corpers and security personnel. He may not have asked the criminals to destroy and kill, but if he had chosen his words carefully, perhaps, the story would have been different.
This other day when he lost at the Supreme Court, the third consecutive time he would be losing, he resorted to the usual. He dismissed the judgement as politically motivated, and without content. How? He never said. He riled at Jega, and dismissed him as incompetent, and a man without integrity. He said Jega’s handling of the election had rubbished whatever record he had. Buhari: “Initially, there were high hopes that after 2003 and 2007, a semblance of electoral propriety would be witnessed. The (new) Chairman of INEC, Professor Jega, was touted as competent and a man of integrity …. After asking and getting close to N100 billion for the election, including biometric data, he botched it.”
Turning to the Supreme Court, Buhari dismissed it as no better than those of 2003 and 2007. In those two years, he had also lost woefully. “This Supreme Court has proved no better than the Supreme Courts of 2003 and 2007.”
Then, he described the country as presently in an emergency situation, warning that law and order could break down at anytime.Ah! Only he can fix it!! Na lie.
For the records, Buhari is a perennial presidential election loser. This is the third time he would be losing at the polls, and in the courts. He never asks why he loses. Something is wrong with his style. He thinks he is the only clean person, and has an exaggerated opinion of himself. Why does Buhari think he is the only good man Nigeria has? Why does he think that except he is the President, Nigeria will not move forward? Why does he think that the country would burn because he lost an election? When will Buhari stop?
Lest anybody forgets, Buhari was not a super performer when he was in office as Head of State. Not many Nigerians have fond memories of his tenure in office. The only positive thing the regime is remembered for is the War Against Indiscipline, WAI, driven by his second-in-command.
If Buhari wants to continue to contest the presidential election every four years, it is his privilege to do so. But could he please give us some peace of mind? His constant threats are becoming really irritating. For a former Head of State, it is unbecoming. And that is putting it mildly.

Venatious Ikem’s Shame
In Cross River state, a shame of indescribable proportion has taken place. The Commissioner for Works, Venatious Ikem, was involved in a public brawl. Ikem was, at some point, a top official of the PDP at the National level. So, how did he descend to this sorry level? A social event, a party, did him in. He got into an argument with one Boniface Ishamalu, pulled a knife, and stabbed him. The victim ended in the hospital. Ikem was picked up by the police, detained, and granted bail. Samson Wudah, Police Commissioner, CRS, revealed that Ikem would soon appear in court. Wudah: “Except the complainant would withdraw the matter, at the end of our investigation, we shall certainly charge the accused person to court soon. He was released (on bail) but would soon be charged to court for attempted murder." The state government has suspended Ikem indefinitely.
Ikem does not deserve a second longer as a member of the CRSG Executive Council. By allegedly stabbing a man with a knife, he has brought his office to public ridicule. By not resigning from office immediately after he was given bail, Ikem has shown that it was an unforgivable mistake to appoint him to such an exalted office. He has also shown that he holds his office, and the CRSG in contempt. He does not understand the gravity of the offence he committed.
He is the average Nigerian politician. They are never too ashamed, or embarrassed to resign from office. They sit tight. They are shameless. And they are dishonourable. In the instant case, the CRSG owes the people a duty. And it is to sack Ikem with immediate effect. He deserves no less.