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MARCH 12, 2007 VOL. 20. NO 22

Buhari’s Troubled Ambition

Mohammadu Buhari

While All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) leaders are increasingly dumping the party, its presidential flag-bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari, appears to embark on an alienation agenda that has almost turned him into a political orphan
By Suleiman Anyalewechi, Kano
he hope of General Muhammadu Buhari to once more occupy the exalted office of Nigeria’s presidency come May 29, 2007, appears to be receding by the day. Only last week, the Daura- born former military Head of State’s ambition, which has been faltering since he declared an intention to re-contest some months back, suffered a serious setback, following the heightened antagonism between him and most of the All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) gubernatorial candidates from, especially, the northern states.
General Buhari, who ruled Nigeria as a military Head of State between late 1983 and the middle of 1985, plunged into active politics in 2003. He subsequently contested for the presidency and lost to President Olusegun Obasanjo in the 2003 general elections.
But while his initial attempt could be said to be potent and meaningful, owing to the massive support from northern regional power brokers, who were eager to have power back to the region, his present and second move may prove insignificant.
For one, while the former Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) boss' ambition has been suffering serious political dislocations from the Democratic Party (PDP) and Aso Rock, as well as debilitating political intrigues and manipulation, it has of recent been threatened by myriads of insurrection from within the ranks of ANPP itself. The Source's investigations, indeed, reveal that apart from been deserted by most serving ANPP governors, the former Head of State may have equally been dumped by most of the party’s gubernatorial candidates and party bigwigs, who are said not to be happy with his role in the current disqualification saga, occasioned by the indictment of some persons by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sources revealed last week, that many ANPP chieftains from the North are worried that while the other opposition parties, especially the Action Congress (AC), have consistently been defending both their parties and candidates against the onslaught of the EFCC, Buhari has continued not only to openly support the action, but also allegedly been selling out his party’s candidates to the anti-graft commission for possible disqualification.
The former PTF boss, alleged connivance with the EFCC to disqualify some of his party’s gubernatorial candidates has presently put his presidential ambition on the line in some states of the north, namely Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Borno, Zamfara and his home state of Katsina. The Source authoritatively gathered that Buhari had a few weeks back, submitted the names of Governor Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano State, Senator Ahmadu Aruwa, the ANPP gubernatorial candidate for Kaduna State, Nura Khalil of Katsina State, Governor Ali Modu Sheriff of Borno State and Senator Usman Albishir of Yobe to the EFCC for disqualification. Sources, however, revealed that, while it may seem that Buhari is pushing for their disqualification on the grounds of alleged corruption, his personal disagreement with most of the candidates remains a major issue.
Although before now, the alleged political and personal differences between the ANPP presidential flag- bearer and some of the party’s gubernatorial candidates had been kept away from the public, it nevertheless blew open in Gusau, Zamfara State penultimate week. At the North-west rally of the party held at the Ali Akilu Square, Gusau, Buhari left no one in doubt as it concerns his problems with some ANPP gubernatorial candidates, when in his speech, before presenting flags to the candidates, he told the people that by March 8, the Independent National Electoral Commission may be dropping some of the party’s candidates from the zone. He stated that the presentation of the flags in Gusau would not be final, as some of the candidates would be disqualified by INEC when its final list of candidates comes out on March 8, on account of a Government White Paper indicting them for corruption.
His statement drew instant murmuring and condemnation from most party supporters at the rally venue and beyond, who felt that Buhari, by his utterance, has not only openly shown his hatred for some of the party's flag- bearers, but is indirectly goading INEC into disqualifying his party’s candidates.
However, the situation was worsened by the refusal of Buhari to present flag to Senator Aruwa of Kaduna State, with the Senator's supporters, who came to Gusau in their thousands, going wild and pouring invectives on the former Head of State. The enraged supporters who later blocked the road linking Gusau with Katsina State, in search of Buhari, later issued a warning to the former Head of State not to bother coming to Kaduna to campaign. The situation would have gotten out of hand The Source learnt, but for the intervention of Governor Ahmed Yerima, who, against the wish of Buhari, presented Governor Shekarau with his own flag, thus averting a total breakdown of law and order in the state. For one, ANPP supporters from Kano, aware of the frosty relationship between Buhari and Shekarau, and also anticipating the refusal of the ANPP presidential candidate to give Shekarau the party’s flag, had stormed Gusau in several thousands, poised for a showdown should anybody deny their gubernatorial candidate the flag.
As at last week, while Governor Shekarau and Sheriff had managed to retain their gubernatorial tickets, albeit temporarily, not so for others purportedly on the black book of Buhari and on the EFCC list. In Kaduna, Senator Aruwa has been replaced by Sani Shaaban, while in Yobe, Alhaji Mamman Ali has been put in place of Senator Albishir. Similarly, Engineer Khalil has made way for Alhaji Abu Ibrahim in Katsina State.
The Source’s investigations last week revealed that if by March 8, INEC confirms the disqualification of the affected ANPP gubernatorial candidates, Buhari may as well bid a farewell to his hope of winning the presidential election come April 2007, as he may have wittingly, or unwittingly fallen into the PDP's political trap of using ANPP members to destroy ANPP. Findings, indeed, reveal that most of the candidates being threatened by disqualification remain the back-bone of the party in their various states, and represent hopes of electoral victory for Buhari in the April presidential election.
For instance, in Kaduna State, Senator Aruwa has remained the symbol of ANPP since 1999, despite the huge presence of the PDP in the state. Against all odds, including the rampaging forces of PDP, Aruwa has managed to retain his senatorial seat. His Kaduna Central senatorial zone, remains a no-go-area for the PDP, and many observers believe that only an Aruwa gubernatorial candidacy, for now, presents hope of electoral victory for ANPP in the State.
Besides, Aruwa'¯s purported replacement, Shaaaban does not possess the kind of political profile and resources required to displace the PDP in the state.
Similarly, Engineer Khalil since 1999, has been the sole financier of the ANPP in Katsina State, as well as the rallying point for its members. His importance to the party manifested during the 2003 general elections, when he reportedly spent over N400 million on Buhari’s presidential campaign. The Source's finding indicate that Khalil represents the only hope of ANPP making any impact in the April elections in Katsina, despite being the home state of Buhari. Surprisingly, Khalil, until some months back, was a close ally of the former PTF boss and was said to have made his fortune from the Fund, when Buhari was in charge. When and how he fell apart with the former Head of State, remains a mystery to many.
In the same vein, Senator Albishir is widely seen as the only ANPP pillar still standing in Yobe, after the decamping to the PDP of Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim. Although he recently joined the PDP officially, Governor Ibrahim’s soul has been with the PDP since the time of the third term imbroglio. He was believed to have entered into an agreement with Aso Rock to work for the PDP and the realisation of the third term agenda, while in return, he would be offered protection against any alleged wrong- doing in office. With Governor Ibrahim in PDP with his people, Senator Albishir, watchers of Yobe politics believe, remains the only one with the needed resources and political clout to sell the ANPP in the state, as well as the candidacy of Buhari.
However, the problem in Kano State remains the most dangerous and damaging to both the ANPP and Buhari’s ambition. For one, despite not been from Kano, the ancient commercial city is regarded as the main support base of Buhari. This was aptly demonstrated in the 2003 elections, when the ANPP not only took the state from the PDP, but cast the highest number of votes for Buhari.
But with the PDP bent on re-claiming Kano, many analysts believe that only the support offered by the incumbent governor, Shekarau, can systain the ANPP in the state. However, fears are rife that with the political differences between Shekarau and Buhari deepening by the day, and with the latter working towards stopping the former from contesting, the ANPP and by extension Buhari, may be only inches away from losing Kano to the PDP. The Source’s findings last week revealed that should Governor Shekarau be disqualified by INEC, he and his supporters may work against the interest of Buhari.
It was gathered that apart from being in the fore-front of having Governor Shekarau stopped, Buhari and his close allies such as Senator Rufar Hanga and Alhaji Yahaya Sule Hamma, are believed to be the authors of the petition on which basis Shekarau was indicted by the EFCC.
The Source authoritatively gathered that Buhari’s recent wrangling, not only with some of his strong party candidates, but the national leadership of the ANPP, is being celebrated heavily by the PDP, which is seeing the development as being in tandem with its overall plans of thwarting the presidential ambition of Buhari, through the systematic destruction of the party.
The destruction of the ANPP recently climaxed with the decamping of almost all the ANPP governors to the PDP. Their decamping is said to be in line with the game plan of laying the party bare and toothless before the 2007 general elections. The calculation, according to sources, is to deny Buhari the party’s structures, necessary for him to win election in the affected states.
As at last week, The Source’s finding revealed that only Governor Shekarau of all the ANPP governors is truly with the party. So far, Governors Saminu Turaki, Adamu Aliero, Bukar Ibrahim of Jigawa, Kebbi and Yobe States respectively, have left the party to join forces with the PDP. However, while Governors Sheriff and Yerima of Borno and Zamfara states respectively, are yet to formally renounce the ANPP, not a few political watchers believe that they are nevertheless working for the PDP and would show their real selves at the appropriate time.
Although Governor Yerima recently donated his campaign structures and vehicles to Buhari, The Source gathered that he may not be genuinely working for the former Head of State.
Indeed, the PDP and Aso Rock’s war plan against the ambition of Buhari commenced in earnest about two years ago, during the ANPP leadership of Don Etiebet. All throughthat period, Etiebet was believed to have faithfully implemented the PDP's agenda of holding down its rivals. The climax of the alleged destructive role of Etiebet in ANPP, was its factionalisation in 2005, with Governor Attahiru Bafarawa and General Jeremiah Useni breaking away to form the Democratic People's Party (DPP).
Governor Sheriff, who took over from Etiebet as caretaker National Chairman, continued with the implementation of the alleged Aso Rock plot of destroying the ANPP, as he not only ensured that it remained in limbo, but tirelessly campaigned for the tenure elongation plot of a rival party, the PDP. However, when the third term plot hit the rocks, Governor Sheriff in continuation of the implementation of the alleged PDP plot of frustrating the ambition of Buhari effectively shut out the former Head of State from the control of the party’s leadership. At the convention of the ANPP, held in Abuja mid last year to elect national officers of the party, Governor Sheriff and his colleagues ensured that none of the candidates put forward by the Daura- born general succeeded. Although the party explained away the development as the decision of the delegates, not many were convinced that it was not part of the Aso Rock- induced moves to frustrate the presidential ambition of the former boss of the PTF. In fact, authoritative sources revealed that the ultimate aim of denying Buhari the control of the party's leadership structure was to prevent him from emerging as the party’s presidential candidate at the ANPP’s presidential primaries late last year.
Although Buhari eventually emerged as the presidential candidate of the ANPP, against the expectations of Aso Rock and the PDP the development, The Source gathered, immediately forced Aso Rock think- tanks back to the drawing board, with a view to fashioning out a novel means of dealing with the Buhari conundrum. Sources revealed last week that the recent moves aimed at reducing the ANPP's strength numerically and structure- wise, using the instrumentality of the EFCC, INEC and the decamping of serving ANPP governors is Aso Rock's answer to the surprise emergence of the former Head of State as the party’s presidential flag- bearer.
In fact, the alleged plan to destroy the ANPP, it was gathered, is being concentrated mainly in the North owing to some obvious reasons. For one, the region is perceived as the stronghold of the party, being the only place it has managed to win some states since 1999. In the 1999 general elections, the party not only won nine states, it also produced more of its National Assembly members from the North. Similarly, while it failed to once more secure any state in the south, it nevertheless succeeded in winning about seven states, including Kano which it snatched from the PDP. Aso Rock and PDP think- tanks are believed to be working on the theory that the South being a no-go-area for the ANPP, weakening it in the North would effectively make its presidential candidate a non-issue in the April 2007 general elections.
On the other hand, Aso Rock and the PDP are said to be banking on the feeling that the South may not be favourably disposed to a Buhari presidency, going by his controversial antecedents which include his despotic rule as military Head of State and the alleged call on moslems to vote only for a moslem as the country’s leader. Besides, many southerners are said not to be happy with his reign as PTF chairman, as they strongly believed that he marginalised the region in project execution and as such fear that he may continue with such acts of favouritism and nepotism if elected as president.
Although for now, the crisis in the party appears manageable, it is nevertheless feared that it may escalate after March 8, when INEC is expected to make public its final list of qualified candidates for the April 2007 general elections.