RULE BY TULASI EVEN IF PEOPLE HATE YOUR GUT
Hold your IBB loser-celebration. If we want a worthy Northern democrat, relatively new skin and young, for a good fight to dig it out with Ebele, find one like Gov. Shekarau of Kano State. He may turn out well after scrutiny as our tested old Buhari. What we want is a vigorous and unblemished campaign in a situation where the best man will struggle to get our votes. There must be no easy rider or moon walk after all the issues facing the Country are discussed. They must tell us how each of these problems is going to be implemented step by step so that those of us with only common sense can understand.
Some claim that Ebele is up against more formidable opponents that are well versed in dirty politics and must outplay them to be able to win this election. We will be seen as naïve if we do not know that but our wish is not to be cynical. A good fighter must be ready and be expected to play each hand depending on which hand is encountered. One fact is clear, it is one cold day in hell to defeat the power of incumbency by dirt in Africa.
Many Nigerians are not enthused about those politicians running. Babangida has been rejected North, South and Center but don’t count him out as a military power broker. Whoever wins the Presidency in PDP camp, will ask him to name his consolidation price. There has to be more than the passion to rule the country when you confess people hate you more than others and even subject you to different standard. Yet he still insists on coming again as a head of state. May God save us from those that love us to death.
The fact is that the North is tired of IBB as the best attack dog against the South and IBB using the North as a front to commit his atrocities. In the face of resistance in the polity and the Army, he bowed out or stepped aside waiting for another day and opportunity hoping these mumu must have forgotten his evil days. His relevance diminished. As they watched Abacha declawed him and Obasanjo tamed his passion to rule, the face of a coward was exposed that was ready to sacrifice others’ lives in the name of the North to preserve the most important and dearest life to him: that of IBB.
Some people are rejoicing, not because Atiku was picked but they think their worst enemy is knocked out cold from the game. It is too soon to rely on Atiku as someone that dished it out with OBJ twice: by enticing the governors to his side during the 2003 PDP primary, and also exposed OBJ in a tit for tat battle later. Despite early unity; to ram up his price from Atiku and Ebele, Banbagida would be “invited” by another (APP) party to contest as their presidential candidate. In politics you do not resign completely out of the game, you must remain a godfather or a power broker of some special relevance so that you do not end up in jail like OBJ. By tulasi, it may not be the last act of the devil.
If you want a clean break from Babangida, only Buhari can stifle him of any influence.Buhari’s loyalty to representatives of the same king makers that chose Atiku robbed him of evenhandedness in the South. Atiku is not as trusted as Buhari in Nigeria because of the OBJ-Atiku Show we all witnessed. As the campaign continues, more revelation will come out about Atiku including his dealings in the United States with Mr. Jefferson. So his celebration may not last too long. The situation as it is, still gives the upper hands to Buhari in the South than Atiku until a young dynamic candidate appears from the North.
Sorry, it cannot be Ribadu. Those that are cheering for Ribadu as Presidential candidate are gradually developing cold feet. The more Ribadu talks, the more uncomfortable he makes his supporters. He was never ready to become the President and most of us never expected him to leap that high, but his hidden ambition knows no bound. Those of us encouraging him in the past know that there are many ways each of us can serve Nigeria, which he did well. We do not all have to be jump to presidency to contribute.
Ribadu betrayed his motive by invoking some exalted glory of his birth and status of a major ethnic group that are shadows, not substance. In Nigeria, he has nothing over Ebele in terms of the size of their ethnic groups. A child born and bred in Nigeria no matter where he or she comes from should be able to aspire to the highest position of leadership. Those of us born in the slums of environmental degradation neither carry the gene of poverty from our parents nor are we going to pass it on to our children.
Some people are warning Tinubu not to trust Ribadu that may come back and bite him. If you know Tinubu very well, he does not need the advice. He has already got what he needed from Ribadu; that is a clean bill for past financial misappropriation that Ribadu had claimed stunk to high heavens as anticorruption Czar. You may not like Tinubu but a fool, he is not. Nobody has been able to outsmart Tinubu so far, ask Lagosians. Ribadu will be chewed and spat out like an unpleasant gworo. He will not ride Tinubu to power as a means to justify his presidential end without solid endowment. Ask Gov. Fashola.
It will be interesting to watch people of the South-south, North-west and North-east vote because traditionally they have voted for the same party most of the time. During those times, Niger Delta areas have always supported the party from the North for the president for fear of domination by their Igbo and Yoruba neighbors. So it remains to be seen if the North will reciprocate and vote for a president from Niger Delta or the people of Niger Delta will vote for their Northern candidate as traditional ally.
The race for the Presidency may not be fought on ethnic lines but on ideologies and realities of corruption, infrastructure, education and provision of local jobs for our restless youths taking up arms against helpless Nigerians instead of their oppressors. Every Nigerian has a role to play if we get a clean election where we will be looking for the best candidate with the sincerity in implementing programs.
No matter whom all Nigerians are disposed to, we are certainly going to get one of us as the President of Nigeria after the election. God is not coming down to help us and will not send any of his angels down. God only helps those who help themselves. So it is going to be one of us in this Country (Naija); guide your votes jealously before and after the election.