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Continued from Part 10

A good example is the best sermon (Benjamin Franklin)

Be modest, be respectful of others, try to understand (Lakhdar Brahimi)

Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them (Aristotle)

There is no respect for others without humility in one's self (Henri Frederic Amiel)

ow is the time to look at Buhari; his problems and the advantage he has. Before moving on, let's start with the current happenings, and how they might hurt or help Buhari's ambition of winning the presidential election. After INEC shifted the dates of the election, Buhari came out to say that "they can postpone the election, but, they can't postpone my win". What makes Buhari cocksure that he will win the election? He must be living in a fool's paradise to think that the perceived momentum on his side would translate into a win for him, if he fails to work harder from now till the election. Buhari is going the way of Mitt Romney of the Republican Party, during the last United States' presidential election, where Romney erroneously thought he would win the election, to the extent that he refused to prepare a concession speech, because, for him, there was no need for that. So, he wrote only the victory speech! For Romney then; as the prospective winner he thought he was, he had no need to write a speech meant for a loser. What happened; he was forced to scramble a last minute concession speech, when he lost woefully to Obama. Romney and his wife were so devastated by the defeat that it took them more than a year to accept the fact that they are not going to park into the White House afterall. The wife cried her eyes out after the defeat! Buhari should watch it before he goes the way of Mitt Romney. International Business Times of November 08, 2012, wrote: "After all the major networks had called the election for President Barack Obama Tuesday night, Sheppard Smith of Fox News sat across from a panel of politicos wondering why Mitt Romney hadn't yet conceded. Earlier in the day the Republican candidate joked that he was so confident he'd only written a victory speech. To an audience of millions, Smith wondered aloud: He couldn't have been serious, could he? "I just finished writing a victory speech. It's about 1,118 words long," Romney said. "I've only written one speech at this point. Intellectually I've felt that we're going to win this, and I've felt that for some time." "We went into the evening confident we had a good path to victory," one senior adviser told CBS News. "I don't think there was one person who saw this coming." "There's nothing like when you think you're going to win, and you don't," another top aide said. "It was like a sucker punch."

Buhari might see himself to be a skookum right now; he might think that everything is working out well for him; that his campaign, supporters and himself are all in "seventh heaven", but, things are not always what they seem. Buhari might not be exposed enough to know the meaning of the "Brady Effect". Someone should tell him that elections are not won until the results are announced. Brady Effect is a theory concerning observed discrepancies between voter opinion polls and election outcomes. The momentum Buhari thinks he has, might as well be dubious, and might fail him when it matters most. Many of those shouting "Sai Buhari" now, might step into the polling booth and vote for a different candidate. Buhari needs to work harder, and make sure that those who are shouting "Hosanna, Hosanna" today, will not shout "crucify him" on the Election Day. To understand my point here: Obasanjo endorsed Buhari on Monday February 9, during an interview with the Financial Times in Nairobi, Kenya. Obasanjo said: "The circumstances [Buhari] will be working under if he wins the election, are different from the one he worked under before, where he was both the executive and the legislature - he knows that. It's a question of leadership - political and military. He's smart enough. He's educated enough. He's experienced enough. Why shouldn't I support him?" Buhari, while speaking in a live CNN interview anchored by Christiane Amanpour, welcomed Obasanjo's endorsement, saying: "Well it will certainly bring more supporters to us and more confidence for those who were sitting on the fence because General Obasanjo is highly respected and as far as the nation is concerned, there is no issue that can be deliberated upon without people seeking his opinion." Before the jubilation was over, Obasanjo dropped a bombshell, saying that "he has not yet endorsed any presidential candidate". Obasanjo said that while he supported Buhari, he had not endorsed any candidate, maintaining that he will endorse the candidate with the best credibility. In his words: "I will not go into argument about that. I did not unendorse him or endorse him as such. A question was asked and I said I will determine, based on the track record of those candidates who are contesting and who ask me for support, and when I do that, based on my own assessment, I will support the candidate that I believe has the best track record. And I am still in the process of that." In a very similar way, Buhari's campaign train stopped recently in Minna, Niger State, and then, he visited Babangida in his Hilltop mansion. There and then, Babangida told Buhari and his campaign team that "The Generals would support him", but, people misconstrued that to be an endorsement. Then a week later, Babangida endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan, when he paid him also a visit during his own campaign stop in Minna. All these signify that nothing has been decided, and nobody has the election in his bag for now. So, Buhari and President Jonathan should continue working harder, making use of the extra time the postponement provides, to woo the undecided voters, the swing voters, who would make the difference in this election, because the core voters, of the candidates, have already made up their minds by now.

What a difference an election can make: Buhari ruled Nigeria as head of state, and was also the Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund at a point in time. While his colleagues have one charity work or organization or foundation in their names, nobody heard from Buhari or his wife since he left government. Now, he wants votes, and all of a sudden, his wife has started warming up as a potential first lady, and is now doing charity work. Now, the poor masses must be courted for votes; who are they trying to fool here? This was a woman nobody saw or heard of until few weeks ago, becoming Mother Theresa from nowhere. It's good to help people, but, not only when somebody needs something in return. Buhari's wife donates N135m drugs to Adamawa IDPs is the news. "Hajiya Aishatu Buhari, wife of the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on Wednesday, February 11, donated drugs worth N135m to the Internally Displaced Persons camps in Adamawa State. The wife of the presidential hopeful, who was in accompany with former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen; wife of the governor of Rivers State, Mrs. Judith Amaechi; wife of Nasarawa State governor and others, stormed Yola and visited two IDPs camps in Demare and Saint Theresa. While presenting the donations at the IDPs camps, Hajiya Aishatu expressed regrets that thousands of Nigerians were displaced by Boko Haram insurgents, insisting that this was due to lack of good leadership in the country. She said, "It is unfortunate that Nigerians have been turned to refugees in their country, Nigerians are in dire need of change. While we commiserate with you over the most unfortunate incident that befall you, which have also brought you here, I want to also stress the need for Nigerians to consider a candidate with integrity, devoid of sentiment. It is our fervent prayer that the problem will be over for peace and normalcy to return to the land. Let us join hands to rebuild Nigeria that has been put in disarray by a weak leadership." Ms. Buhari failed to tell her audience that it was those who promised to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Jonathan who indirectly caused the plight of those Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Odera wrote: "You would recall that Buhari took a bank loan to purchase the APC N27 million nomination form, but lo and behold his wife donated N135m drugs to Adamawa IDPs, Is either that APC are hiding things or they are fooling their followers" Onuoha Ukeh wrote: "Come to think of it, what really have been the contributions of Buhari to the socio-political development of the country since he left office in 1985? I have not seen him chair much major national events, like other former presidents/heads of state do. I do not see him on international diplomacy for the country or the United Nations or African Union (AU), as other former presidents/heads of state. I have not seen him make major comments on socio-economic and political development in the country, to help in shaping policy or governance, apart from when he's running for president. What I see is a man who goes into his shelf after elections, since 2003. And in between elections, nobody hears from him much. Nigerians only hear from him when elections come near. What do you make of such a leader?"

BUHARI'S PROBLEMS

Buhari is not what he wants people to believe he is: Speaking during the CNN interview anchored by Christiane Amanpour, Buhari affirmed that the Boko Haram insurgency would be upstaged by his administration "through blocking corruption and other leakages". That was a vague statement; Buhari is still to tell us why he feels he can handle Boko Haram better and how. Unless he wants us to believe that his election victory will bring the insurgency to an end. Asikason Jonathan wrote: "The other day Osinbajo - a professor and pastor - publicly averred that Buhari will lead the war against Boko Haram on being elected president. I wonder what Osinbajo meant by this assertion? Will Buhari - a 72 year old soldier who is fading away if I can employ Gen MacArthur's maxim, will wear khaki or agbada to lead the war against Boko Haram? I hope this is a joke! Well, let us believe that by `leading ', pastor (Prof) Osibanjo means marshaling out strategies for fighting Boko Haram. But even at that Nigerian electorate are oblivious of such programme if at all it exits, for what we often hear is this: `I will fight Boko Haram if elected`. Rtd Gen. Buhari, tell us how you will fight Boko Haram? Must you be president before you help Nigerian to fight insurgency? As an elder statesman what stops you from telling the president or Nigerians your undisclosed elixir to bokocracy? Let me not talk about fighting corruption because he who goes to equity -as one legal maxim runs - must go with clean hands. It takes an incorruptible to fight corruption. The quadrumvirate that rule Nigeria with Buhari if elected are corrupt. So translating the clause `fighting corruption' in APC lexicography could denote fighting political foes - remembering Obasanjo's rollercoaster with EFCC"! Shaka Momodu wrote "For those who still doubt that Boko Haram is political, the recent escalation in the murderous reign of terror by this devilish sect as the election approaches is your answer. It confirms the long-held suspicion of the true motivation of those behind the sect. Of late, the sect has become more audacious in its activities, killing and maiming thousands all in a bid to create more resentment, disenchantment and fear in the minds of the people and consequently influence the upcoming election. But more specifically, give momentum to the APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari. Interestingly, it is achieving that objective, as Buhari has been harping on the deteriorating security situation as a campaign strategy at every stop in his tour. It has become a vote winner for the old soldier who some now believe may well possess the magic wand against the sect. With each new attack, he wins new converts and the deadlier and more audacious the attacks, the more converts are won for the general. While it may well be true that the satanic sect acts on its own, this probability pales in the face of statements from some leaders of thought from the region. If this is a coincidence, how many coincidences do we get before they stop being coincidences?

It is doubtful if the level of insecurity we have seen and experienced in the country, especially in the North-east wasn't this bad whether Buhari would have been a strong contender as he is today. The violence we are seeing today bears a direct correlation with the avowed commitment by elements of the northern establishment to make the country ungovernable should one of their sons not win the 2011 presidential election. They have done just that, and have left no one in any doubt about what they want for peace to reign. Those same elements came out to announce to the whole world that "Buhari is the candidate of the North." I waited patiently to no avail for our reformed and rebranded "saint Buhari" to disown that statement. Instead, he basked in it, as he accepted the regional candidacy of the North, contrary to what his promoters want us to believe that he isn't an ethno-religious bigot". Read more below (very interesting indeed)!

Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi (1869 -1948) said; "We must be the change we wish to see". Unfortunately, Buhari's attitude and body language don't depict him as the changed man he wants Nigerians to believe he is. When Christiane Amanpour asked Buhari if being a former military dictator with a bad human rights record, is not going to work against his ambition, he said: "All those things you mentioned were done under military administration; if we did not suspend the constitution then, it would have been difficult for us to operate under those circumstances. So I do not think I should be judged as an individual for those things that happened then." Buhari lied here; he's not a changed man yet. He is so angry and vengeful to be a president. He has no respect for constituted authority, and for that, may not win the election. Buhari attended the last Council of State Meeting on Thursday February 5, for the first time in a very long time, because, a matter of concern to him was to be discussed, otherwise, he would have been absent. There, he showed no respect for the office he wants to occupy again. We were told that a mild drama however played out before the commencement of the meeting when Buhari did not join other former leaders in the President's office. The tradition is that the former leaders would converge and join the President to arrive at the Council Chamber, venue of the meeting together. But Buhari, on arrival, went straight to the Council Chamber. It took the intervention of Anyim (Secretary to the federal Government) and some other top government officials for him to be prevailed upon to join his colleagues. At the close of the meeting, Buhari also refused to leave the venue with his colleagues. He left through a different door. So, how can somebody say that Buhari is a changed man? Onuoha Ukeh wrote on Feb. 6: "It's this same feeling of self-importance that makes Buhari not to attend Council of State meetings for a long time. When I heard that Buhari attended yesterday's meeting in Abuja, my question was: So, he could actually be part of this meeting? This is interesting. However, it's obvious that if the meeting was not going to discuss what would have affected him (the holding of the elections), Buhari would be absent. Somebody once asked me what was the big deal attending Council of State meeting, in reaction to my earlier article on Buhari's consistent absence. The answer is now obvious. Now, we know why Buhari should be attending. If he thought the meeting is not necessary, he could have stayed away yesterday while the esteemed body decided his fate, as it affected the election. But he did attend because he knew it would benefit him. I will continue to say that Buhari's attitude of not attending statutory meetings with other former president/heads of state and others is not a good testimony of a man who wants to be president. If Buhari becomes president, perhaps, he would be happy if other former presidents/heads of state don't attend the Council of State meeting. Or wouldn't he?"

John Bacon (1740 -1799) wrote that "It comes down to the way you treat people. When you treat people with dignity and respect all the time, you can work through anything". Buhari is not setting any good example in words and deeds; his hatred for President Jonathan has beclouded his sense of judgment, leading him to diminish and undermine the Office of the President, and whoever does such things, might not get any chance to occupy that office, that's nemesis! Buhari should be told that Jonathan Lockwood Huie wrote that "To be a person of true greatness...Live with honor. Respect yourself. Respect others. Act honorably".

Read more:

https://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/-boko-haram-rampage-propelling-buhari-campaign-/201399/

https://www.nigerianfm.com/boko-haram-1-issue-the-notherners-are-rooting-for-buhari-new-york-times-special-report/

To be continued!

TIT BITS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arCTOMGT9do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrdxnpTb3Kk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDzeRnToMhM&list=RDUDzeRnToMhM#t=0

THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!!

Continued from Part 10