President Muhammadu Buhari’s Most Convoluted Explanations

President Muhammadu Buhari's explanations of why he is holding Messrs. Kanu and Dasuki despite court rulings exposes PMB for who he is as opposed to who he wants the world to believe. It brought out the forgotten fact that he is innately a dictator; that he is ill prepared for the office he holds; and that he is ignorant of the constitution he swore to defend and uphold. His explanations show that he is either ignorant or is a liar. You take your pick. I have below the extract of his explanations as published by the Daily Sun. After you read the explanations, I have the basis for levelling the points I made above. And I want you to be the judge.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari yesterday explained why his administration is still holding the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (retd) and leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kalu despite being granted bail by relevant courts. He said the security agencies are still holding the duo because their offences are serious and they could jump bail,… said the law would take its course with regards to both of them. He regretted that the IPOB leader who had both Nigerian and British passports entered the country and could broadcast against his nation. His words: “The one they are calling Kanu, do you know he has two passports? One Nigerian, one British and he came to this country without tendering any? He came into this country with sophisticated equipment and he was broadcasting against his country. “The group says they are marginalsing Biafrans but they have not defined the extent of marginalisation and those who are marginalising them”. The President dismissed insinuations that his administration has marginalised the South-East and explained that his actions are usually guided by the Constitution. He observed that some of the critical positions in his government including the Ministry of State for Petroleum, Ministries of Science and Technology, Labour and Employment, CBN governor, among others are being occupied by the Igbo and wondered why some say he is marginalising them. On Dasuki, he regretted that the former NSA could be involved in frittering away monumental resources belonging to the country when so many Nigerians are dying in the Internally Displaced (IDP) camps in various parts of the country. By Iheanacho Nwosu, Willy Eya, Ndubuisi Orji and Chinelo Obogo Daily Sun http://sunnewsonline.com/new/

The critical points PMB made are underlined and I proceed to show that the President is either under-informed or is stingy with the truth.

1. the security agencies are still holding the duo because their offences are serious and they could jump bail, said the law would take its course with regards to both of them. Has the law not taken its course? Two courts have ruled on their cases, one a lower court and the other a higher court. Is the president not aware of the rulings or is he fudging the facts? Who determines the seriousness of a case: the prosecutor, the defendant or the judge? The judges looked at the cases and ORDERED immediate release of Mr. Kanu and granted bail to Mr. Dasuki. From where did the president get the authority to override the courts?

2. could broadcast against his nation. PMB was speaking of Kanu. Here is what the constitution says about free speech.1. Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference. (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, every person shall be entitled to own, establish and operate any medium for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions: Chapter IV section 39(1)(2). According to this section Mr. Kanu has the right to the equipment he brought to the country and to broadcast to the people of his country. That is the constitution which the president swore to uphold but is violating. Is the president properly informed or is he again fudging the facts?

3. The one they are calling Kanu, do you know he has two passports? Is this the way a Head of State describes his constituent? Is this the way a father addresses his errant son? What is even more amazing is how visibly upset PMB was when he was addressing the matter of Mr. Kanu. There is what President Kennedy described as Grace Under Pressure. PMB lacked it at this juncture. He felt irritated at the questioner as if to say “who are you to be questioning my actions? He was rattled. What does he mean by “the one they are calling Kanu?” Is he not Nnamdi Kanu? What else could they be calling him, a trash perhaps? In case PMB does not know the gentleman's name is Nnamdi Kanu.

4. and he came to this country without tendering any (passport)? This is a mystery. How did he get in? Do we have entry points and rules or did he sneak in through Benin, Cameroon, Chad or Niger republics?

5. On Dasuki, he regretted that the former NSA could be involved in frittering away monumental resources belonging to the country. This might as well be true but it is left for the courts to determine. The courts have agreed to hear the case against him and granted him bell. Why is he still being held?

6. his actions are usually guided by the Constitution. PMB is speaking of himself here. And this is will be laughable if these matters are not so serious. Does PMB take himself seriously when he utters this sentiment? Here is the violator-of-court-orders-in-chief saying that he is guided by the constitution. Who is he fooling?

Nigerian constitution envisions a governance by the rule of law. In this government there will be a trinity: coequal and coeternal and consubstantial. The members are the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. The legislative makes the law, the executive executes the law and when there is conflict the judiciary interprets the law. If a law is found unworkable or not serving the intended purpose, then the legislative arm amends the law. The executive has no hands whatsoever in making the law on in its interpretation. Yet PMB is both making and interpreting the law. Where there is this combination in one person, it is called dictatorship. PMB was once a dictator and this inclination is showing up once more. And he ought to be stopped.

Some of my friends have called or emailed me to back off from PMB's administration if I still want to come to Nigeria or face any consequences. I told them that I am in full compliance with the laws and that I will keep coming and going as I please; that I have a home in Enugu and a country home in the village built from my own sweat. I added that what I write is consistent with my view of the rights of man and that I wrote the same way under Jonathan's administration when it detained both Emeka Ugwuonye and Okey Ndibe. That people should not fear their governments; that governments are there to be serve the nation. I still believe in the fundamental human rights be it for Dasuki or for Kanu. If one of us is in jail for trying to express him/herself then we all are in jail.

As we enter 2016, may God help our government to recognize that sovereignty is with the people and not with the nation's governors?

Happy New Year to everyone.
May God save and protect Nigeria.
Written by Benjamin Obiajulu Aduba.