As Nigerians mark Democracy Day today, elder statesman and Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo takes a look at President Muhammadu Buhari’s three years in the saddle and says, contrary to the change he [Buhari] and the All Progressives Congress promised, the administration has brought more woes to the nation.
By OLAWUNMI OJO
Looking at President Muhammadu Buhari’s three years in the saddle, what achievements can Nigerians celebrate under his administration?
Nigerians have nothing to celebrate because President Buhari has failed and disappointed them on virtually all fronts. I am, however, not surprised because I cried out before his election that the man has nothing to offer the nation.
All those who saw my action in bad faith at that time, including former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, now know better. President Buhari has exhibited all the traits I highlighted when I openly opposed his election. He had never been a democrat and so could never have been able to achieve most of what he promised; you cannot give what you do not have.
Obeying the rule of law was a cardinal tenet President Buhari promised to uphold. But there have been quite a number of court pronouncements which the administration has failed to obey. Does this disturb you?
This administration’s disrespect for the rule of law is alarming and must be disturbing to those who believed in him and elected him or pushed for his election. I am not disturbed. When I was saying it, people like Obasanjo said ‘no.’ What Obasanjo is crying to the people now is what we had seen long before Buhari’s election.
Are you saying categorically that you knew President Buhari was going to fail before he was elected?
I said it openly; I even granted an interview to a national newspaper, saying that the greatest mistake Nigerians were going to make was to vote for Buhari. It is on record. Those who elected him should look at all the fears I expressed at that time and allegations I raised against the President that I have not been vindicated on.
But the administration claims to have done pretty well in the area of security, especially with regards to the decimation of the terrorist group, Boko Haram. Don’t you agree?
They can only say that to the marines. While they are making this frivolous claim, there are killings and bombings across states, there are kidnappings, supposed herdsmen are having a field day; who are they fooling?
In certain parts of the country, because of mindless killings people can no longer go to their farms for fear of herdsmen. There have been talks of these acts been ethnic cleansing. The administration suggests that the killers are mere criminals. But if they are criminals, are they impossible to be arrested?
Besides, how many of those that have been arrested have the administration prosecuted to show Nigerians that, indeed, they were not herdsmen but criminals as being suggested. Who are they fooling; we are not morons in this country. Today, these Fulani men that we are talking about go to places raping and assassinating innocent citizens. How many have been brought to prosecution to show that you are not privy to their actions?
Are you insinuating that government’s action with regards to how it has handled the Fulani herdsmen killings across the country suggests complicity?
That is what I have been alleging and I want to be proved wrong. If you are not privy to it, in 2016, 800 people were murdered in Southern Kaduna. The military was ordered to go there and intervene. Thereafter, there were killings in Agatu, Enugu, Makurdi, Adamawa, and so on. Up till today, these killings are ongoing. Does this trend show somebody who is in charge? And the President keeps fooling us with some supposed achievements in the area of security.
The Commander-in-Chief told us that he gave an order to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris in January. And in March or April, he realised that the order was not carried out. Yet, that Inspector General is still in office. Can you see how effective that Commander-in-Chief is?
This particular IG, Idris is the same man who rigged election for President Buhari in Kano where all the registered voters voted for one party and an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official in that state was burnt with his family. Till today, nobody has been arrested or prosecuted for that incident.
How do you score the administration’s anti-corruption fight?
Let us not even talk about that at all; it’s all to rubbish the opposition. Where we you start from. Take for instance, all the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members being accused of corruption, the moment they join the All Progressives Congress (APC), they become saints. These are all known names and they are still in this country.
Your former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Babachir Lawal was found to be guilty of corruption, a panel found him to be guilty and you just removed him and put him away somewhere; there has been no prosecution till today. The man is still walking about and I understand he is one of the campaign managers of APC. And this is happening under the nose of a president who claims to have zero tolerance for corruption
So, are there no positives you can point at in this administration’s three years in office?
Buhari’s government is black record all through, no positives; nothing to celebrate. Even on the corruption one that it could have stood out, it has been so partisan. How could officers of your government be accused of corruption and you just rub them on the head to continue.
In the Ministry of Health, the Minister, Prof. Isaac Adewole sacked somebody for corruption, Buhari sent him back. There was another Mohammed Maina who was guilty of corruption involving a lot of pension money. Former President Jonathan’s administration sacked him, he left the country and Buhari’s Attorney General, with the support of some security people, went to interview that man outside the country, brought him back, reinstated him and promoted him. We are no longer hearing anything about that case till today. And this is a president with zero-tolerance for corruption. These are facts that cannot be disputed
What can Nigerians look forward to in the last year of President Buhari’s administration?
Nothing. I say it with all sense of responsibility. If any Nigerian still expects any good thing from this administration, I want to know it. What has this administration done well? Is it the power sector, is it the construction of roads, is it the value of Naira or is it our standard of life? Economically, it is zero. Politically, it is nothing to write home about. The education sector is in shambles. We are only praying to God to save us from the regime of Buhari and the APC.