EXCITING NEWS: TNG WhatsApp Channel is LIVE…
Subscribe for FREE to get LIVE NEWS UPDATE. Click here to subscribe!
By Godwin Etakibuebu
In five days from today, Nigerians shall be trooping to the polls in enforcing their rightful franchise of electing a president for the Federal Republic. By exercise of that mandate, the curtain over the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari would have been drawn, albeit temporarily, until May 29, 2019, when a President shall take oath of office and sworn-in. Wait a moment and try to understand me better before this statement is misconstrued.
On February 16, when the date for the Presidential election shall be keeping appointment with destiny, we may be having on parade, for that exalted office, more than only two candidates. Yes, we may not be having up to 71 presidential candidates; representing about the number of the Political Parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to participate in political electioneering in Nigeria, but we must not expect less than 30 personae dramatis in that category, maybe.
Either the number [of the presidential candidates] is five, ten, thirty or even more, our own dear President Muhammadu Buhari; having adamantly signified his intention to run again, remains astutely one of them. As he comes forward for attempt in capturing the laurel of second tenure, he would be acknowledging the fact of putting an end to his incumbency. On the morning of that day [February 16], he will be dropping the prestigious emblem of the exalted office at the “feet of the ballot box” before stepping forward to cast his vote “for renewal of another mandate”.
Expectedly, he shall only know about the result of the bargain; which itself is a risk to some extent, late that evening or even the next day. He shall be going to the polling booth to cast his vote as incumbent President for a renewal of another four years, step out after casting his vote; though still as the President constitutionally, and embark on some restless hours waiting for the result of the exercise he undertook to come out.
These few hours of waiting for the result can really be angonising and torturous for an incumbent president than his other co-competitors in the same race for just one simple reason. The result of the exercise could be positive for the candidate; just like to everyone in such venture, and could as well be negative. If it is positive, the winner gathers his garment and turban of celebration and enhances a microscopic peep into another four glorious years ahead. But if the result is negative, regrets, weeping [may not be externally exposed] and gnashing of teeth becomes inevitably, almost a permanent feature.
It is with this understanding that my opening paragraph that stated “by exercise of that mandate, the curtain over the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari would have been drawn, albeit temporarily, until May 29, 2019, when a new President shall take oath of office and sworn-in” should be seen. it is also for the same reason that l urged readers to “wait a moment to understand me better before this statement is misconstrued”.
Now that we know about the sacrosanctity of February 16, as the day President Buhari is embarking on the risk of “trying again” or staking his luck for “the return journey to the Villa”; a gamble that might pay off positively and might as well open a door to an end, we would rather have the President, Muhammadu Buhari, telling us a few things “before stepping into the ring again”.
Nigerians, whom l speak for at this crucial time, expect their President to tell them truth – nothing but the whole truth – about three things essentially. Each of these three things is major and matters to us as a people – they are listed below for his action thus:
- A comprehensive list of all those that looted the Nigerian common wealth, amount looted by each of them, total loot recovered till date and most importantly amount recovered from each of them. You promised this many times and you owe it a duty to tell us before you embark in staking your popularity; which can only be validated through the people’s collective mandate, for a second tenure.
- We, the Nigerian people, collectively and unanimously resolved and agreed, that you, our elected President, should and must tell us the whole truth – and nothing but the truth – details about Abdulraheem Maina; the man dismissed from the Federal Civil Service by the Administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, for allegedly [primarily] being involved in major fraud of Billions of Naira of Pension Fund and [secondarily] absconding from Service, whom your Administration reinstated “through the backyard door” on promotion, with all his salary cum allowances of the period when he was dismissed from the Federal Civil Service fully paid. The Nigerian People want to hear the details from you please.
- We, the people of this great Country, want a full briefing from you; as our elected President, about what happened to Sani Baba-Inna, a Chief Superintendent of Police and an aid-de-camp [ADC] to your wife, Madam Aisha Buhari, at a time [or is he still?] whom; it was alleged, scammed our beloved First Lady monies within the region of 2.5 Billion Naira at a time. We want to hear from you directly the result of investigations conducted on this greedy Chief Superintendent of Police as a prima facie case of “defrauding unsuspecting associates and officials as initial investigations have shown,” as a statement from the office of the First Lady affirmed.
The people of Nigeria are expecting that you will honourably give details of exact true position of above three episodes before you step out on February 16, to renew your mandate of continuing. More importantly my dear President, your answer to these requests from the people who elected you in 2015, will go a long way in rekindling their confidences and assurances of rushing to the polls to do with a didactic vigour in repeating what they did before, albeit massively voting you back to office for another tenure of four years.
NB
I am going to supply the facts of each of the three cases mentioned above on this page, starting from tomorrow till Thursday this week, by the special grace of God Almighty. Keep a date with us ipso facto.
Godwin Etakibuebu, a veteran Journalist, wrote from Lagos.
Contact:
Twitter: @godwin_buebu
Facebook: Godwin Etakibuebu
Phone: +234-906-887-0014 – short messages only.
You can also listen to this author [Godwin Etakibuebu] every Monday; 9:30 – 11am on Lagos Talk 91.3 FM live, in a weekly review of topical issues, presented by The News Guru [TNG].