“The story of this nation is one of sickening corruption in public and private places, where massive fraudulent activities are the order of the day; kingdomism, nepotism, ineptitude etc, are common words. The story of Nigeria now is serious, mysterious and alarming, the gap between the rich and the poor people is widening by the day… Nigeria is indeed in search of a coherent ideology to bail her out of the mess she dumped herself” – Quoted in WHERE WE ARE (Page 81)
Come Valentine day (February 14th, 2015), the struggle for the control of Aso Rock Presidential Palace, will unarguably going to be between President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Part (PDP) and General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Corruption which has been a cancer tearing the soul of the nation to pieces is going to be a major issue that will work for or against both General Buhari and President Jonathan, as the nation decides which road to take in the presidential election. Between Jonathan and Buhari, the 2015 presidential election is going to be the toughest, scariest and ground breaking in the chequered history of Nigeria.
A look at one or two incidents/issues that have become thorny in recent years will tell us how the battle will be fought and won between General Buhari and Dr. Jonathan. Let’s quickly look at them.
Early December 2014, I went to a cement shop not too far from my house to buy cement. I bought at the price of N1, 500 per bag. By the time I returned about a week later the price of cement had gone up to N1,900 (One Thousand, Nine Hundred Naira) per bag.
I felt terribly bad that despite various pronouncements from the presidency that the price of cement has been forced down to accommodate those Nigerians who are not super rich, so that they can conveniently erect their houses, the price of cement continues to sky rocket.
The way things are in the cement sector, it is clear who is calling the shots and manipulating things against the general interest of poverty stricken millions of Nigerians. Is Alhaji Aliko Dangote bigger than the presidency? Is it only the Dangote Group that elected the Jonathan presidency into power?If not why the arbitrary, heartless and unreasonably increase in the price of cement just like that, and the presidency is looking the other way?
Once again, on the streets of Benin City, Nigeria, unbearable pains are being inflicted on the people as long queues have resurfaced in the filling stations, not even after the oil workers have abandoned their warning strike. Who do we blame in this emerging reoccurring nonsense starring all of us in the face? Honestly the many challenges in the oil industry have not been handled frontally by the Federal Government of Nigeria. What business does the Federal Government still have in running the refineries in the face of criminal neglect and massive fraudulent activities? The Turn Around maintenance (TAM) is enmeshed in mind boggling corruption as the refineries have remained comatose.
The Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which would have brought a lot of sanity to the oil sector is being ignored and dumped by those who should have facilitated its passage at the highest levels of government, because of parochial issue of corruption. One can go on and on, the fact of the matter is that Aso Rock is not behaving like a government on the issue being thrown up in the oil industry.
Now who is supposed to be monitoring the petrol stations hoarding fuel, and creating artificial scarcity on the streets of Benin City? What we are seeing is nothing but a failure of government, as helpless citizens continues to groan mercilessly on the reckless cruelty and antics of a tiny group of petroleum dealers. We have issues in the power sector, the educational sector etc.
Recently, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) along with it supporters within and outside government circles threw caution to the winds and spat on the electoral financial provision for running a presidential election in Nigeria, when it raised billions of naira to prosecute President Jonathan electioneering campaigns.
By going clearly and mischievously against the electoral stipulation of the land, regarding financial bar for running presidential election in Nigeria, the PDP and its avalanche of stalwarts have declared in an unequivocal terms that they are ready as usual to dole out raw cash to sway the votes in their direction, come February 2015.
Now given what Nigerians have gone through in the land since the PDP presidency began on May 29 1999, will they allow their conscience to be bought? Between Jonathan and Buhari, the issue of morality and unimpeachable background will favour the duo of Buhari and Prof. Yemi Oshibajo, his running mate. Do we have morality in Nigerian politics? But if Nigerians are going to the presidential election without looking for vision, mission and pedigree in their presidential candidates, between Jonathan and Buhari, the PDP will have an easy ride back to Aso Rock Presidential Palace.
The medieval barbarism being displayed by adherents of Boko Haram is an issue before the presidential candidates in the February Presidential Elections.But, given how the way the PDP manhandled the 2011presidential election, which led to some of its prominent members promising hell and brime stones, between Jonathan and Buhari, the APC candidate is having an upper hand on the scale of terrorism.
On the political turf, between Jonathan and Buhari, a Buhari upset is possible because this is the first time ever that the Yorubas (Lagos, Osu, Ogun, Oyo, etc) are coming together with the North (Kaduna, Kanu, Sokoto etc). And we must have it at the back of our minds that these are the swings states in Nigeria with heaviest votes. The implication of this fact is that what Obafemi Awlowo did not have in 1979 presidential election, is perfectly available in Buhari/Oshibajo ticket of today.
Between Jonathan and Buhari, the issue of corruption and unlimited impunity in the land have become worrisome issues, which many Nigerians are dog tired of .Corruption is an issue which sampled opinions on the streets want to be addressed, if we must move forward from today’s cauldron of stagnation. Indeed nothing can explain the sheer waste and ineptitude that have bedeviled our country.
Between Jonathan and Buhari, except the unforeseen happens, a Mahammadu Buhari’s presidency is possible after February 14th, 2015.
