Impeach Buhari now to save Nigeria.

By this time last year, those who claimed to have massively voted for Buhari and his party APC knew that the presidential campaign theme, change, with brooms as party logo was one of the most expensive political gimmicks ever in the history of Nigeria. After six months and what passed for a charade as ministerial screening drama at the not-so-hallowed chambers of the national assembly, it dawned on Nigerians that Buhari wasn’t the messiah heralded to take the country to dizzying heights of self-rediscovery, that the renaissance promised Nigerians was only a pipe dream.

For the second time in their history, they saw Buhari for what he was, and still is, a dictator to the core. In essence, when Buhari mentions democracy, in his heart he actually dreams of fascism cum a totalitarian society. He is a chip off the old block who thinks repression is the only way to define leadership. This apart, Nigerians are finding out he has remained a religious bigot and irrepressible tribalist whose temperament isn’t suited for leadership under a democratic society. His medieval mindset and insensitivity are all cast in stone. That’s not all, Muhammadu Buhari is one of the most corrupt leaders ever s/elected as president of Nigeria. The issues of missing $2.8m dollars from the petroleum ministry under his watch and billions of naira said to have been mismanaged at the defunct PTF still haunts him. But he pretends there are no evidence to such allegations. When the Justice Oputal Panel was established his and other cases of malfeasance, the general took a pass. So much for Mr. Integrity.

To cover up for the skeletons in his cupboard, Buhari has undertaken to witch-hunt perceived enemies real or imagined on the guise of fighting corruption. What’s worse however, is his determination to inflict pain on anyone or region seen to challenge the north’s grip on political power forever. Buhari’s fake crusade to preserve Nigeria in her seriously flawed architecture through corruption histrionics is one political agenda too many. His thinking to use overwhelming instruments of state security and brutality to subdue the voices of dissent will unravel over time, and what is left of Nigeria is anyone’s guess.

The whole world is now seeing the hypocrisy inherent in his anti-corruption posturings. While bringing his vendetta to bare on only opposition members, he has continued to cuddle some of Nigeria’s fantastically corrupt leaders this side of our universe. In every recurring narrative, Amaechi, Bola Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola has popped up as some of the most corrupt leaders the EFCC ought to have first prosecuted. Millions of Nigerians express their frustrations to see these wolves in sheep’s clothing continue to walk as free men. Many wonder how he could be surrounded by these men and still fight corruption. Many wonder at his moral compass, if any. Ah, one almost forgot the well padded, well designed and well doctored missing national budget. And then, some. The vanishing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Rail line project. Oh, how about the obscene millions listed as rent for Aso Rock, Aso Rock beauty salon, president barber’s corner, presidential clinic and what have you. Don’t forget, the presidential fleet of expensive jets and exotic Mercedes Benz S600s are still with the president. Tell someone about cutting waste! Let’s even forget his family still have ties to opulence in the high brow Mayfair sections of swanky London.

While the core of Buhari’s anti-corruption fight is mired in hypocrisy, lies and propaganda(remember, he is yet to fully declare his assets said to be around $I.2b billion dollars), it is his thoughtless handling of other issues that seem to hold Nigeria by the jugular. Buhari thinks the only way to hold Nigeria together is to snuff the oxygen and life out of her! After several weeks of deafening silence in the Agatu massacres, his thesis that the Fulani herdsmen are from Libya, Chad, Niger and possibly other foreign countries exposes him as a parochial, yet insensitive tribal bigot and warlord who has a hidden agenda that’s inimical to the “indivisible” Nigeria he likes to saute with his speeches. As commander in chief, he has not explained how hundreds of AK 47 and advance assault weapons wielding Fulani herdsmen practically in ballroom dancing fashion waltzed into every nick and cranny of the middle belt, south south, south east and parts of south west undetected, and leaving in their wake atrocities reminiscent of the Rwanda massacre?

On one hand, president Buhari is ready to treat Boko Haram terrorists as his “misguided” brothers with kid gloves, feign ignorance about the Fulani herdsmen massacres, but on impulse roll into the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s military might at his disposal? His current dealings with the Avengers where the battle lines have been drawn doesn’t potent well for the country. It is okay to impress on his core north he is one tough general ready to vanquish the south on their behalf, but the question remains, at what cost? 

President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s imminent and present danger. Nothing assaults the country’s democracy as Buhari’s disrespect for the rule of law and the constitution. In his disdain for the judiciary arm of government, the country is daily becoming a volatile breeding ground for anarchy. The arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention of perceived enemies in the name of fighting corruption, the arrest of critics and attempt to muscle freedom of speech may end up as Buhari’s undoing. The history of leaders who tried to practice civilian dictatorship in a democracy have a bitter experience as postcripts under their resumes. Their countries aren’t better than banana republics ready to go with the wind.

If you think hypocrisy is the only absurd gene in the DNA of this administration, hear what Buhari’s minders are saying now about the flip-flopping on the removal of fuel subsidy. They say in 2012 they opposed it becsuse it was a year they remembered Jonathan was the president. This is 2016, the year a former dictator came to power. Fuel subsidy removal couldn’t be sweeter! Most of the apologists are singing from the tower of babel. It is well.

The economy is in a tailspin, marauding Fulani herdsmen, a grazing reserves bill ready to rock the cradle of civilisation, the Avengers on a prowl in the Niger Delta, foreign oil workers on the exodus, there is conflagration of pent-up emotions. All this under a dictator as president. The ominous clouds hang in the far horizon. When will the national assembly take a cue from Brazil and impeach president Buhari to save Nigeria? Dancing on the brink is not one enthralling, pulsating and exciting movie.

                _________ Ebi B Asain

” A nation of sheep

  will beget a government

  of wolves.”

               __________ Edward Murrow