By Lawan A. Kazaure.
From 1999, when Nigeria returned to Democratic Rule, spanning into Six transition programs, Nigerians have never witnessed a change that is so significantly terrible, tense, and unpredictable! Over two third of Nigerians are not finding it easy with life. Right from on set, APC, as a Party in governance has woefully failed on the contractual agreement it so duly signed with the Nigerian Electorate while in desperation of their individual votes!
Unfortunately for Nigerians, they were hustled into buying-in the most aggressive propaganda with the hope of more improved living conditions and a shared prosperity. Consequently they became overwhelmed with high expectations and thus blindfolded with deceptive promises, to the point they could hardly read in between the lines to distinguish between reality and fiction!
Nigerians perceive President Tunibu at a far distance! As a grassroot politician sported in 1992 as part of the team of the Presidential Campaign Council of Chief Mashood Abiola, under the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP). His zeal and commitment in the fight against the annulment of June 12 1993 Presidential Election gave an assumption of an emerging potential democrat to the core.
More importantly is that Tinubu’s tenure as the Governor of Lagos State which is one of the most cosmopolitan City States in the country between 1999 – 2003 earned him another advantage amongst his peers that eyed for the top job in the Country!
President Tinubu goofed by making a mistake right at the initial take-off of his government. His untimely and impromptu policy announcement on fuel subsidy withdrawal at his Inaugural Ceremony on the 29th May, 2023 is a clear contractual violation between the peoples and his government.
The significance of fuel subsidy to a Nigerian should not be overemphasized, as it is so critical to his decent survival, such that, in taking a decision that affects his existence as a human being without rational appraisal on the negative consequences is, just like crossing in between his life and death!
More factors to the challenges of 2027, is President Tinubu’s deliberate attitude towards the Northern Region whose cumulative votes could not be overlooked. Tinubu’s deliberate negligence in addressing the Northern Challenges are indeed too numerous to mention! However it would suffice to mention some critical ones! The insecurity challenges seem to be defying solutions as the Insurgents and the Bandits are in control of one third of the entire North unleashing misery, deaths and poverty on the defenceless communities! The Kano Kaduna Abuja Highway which is at the heart of economic and commercial activities of the Region has been deliberately abandoned and being punished for bringing President Tunibu to power! Thirdly the entire North is being grossly underserved and short-changed in the distribution of the generated electricity such that calculatively the industrial capacity of the North and its ability to generate employment to its teeming unemployed graduates are grossly undermined! doing, with a view not to support their economic activities.
His sectional bias in favour of South-West Region in terms of federal appointments and employment into federal establishments were, so glaring to the extent that, his government is finding it difficult to marched with facts and figures in defending the allegations levelled against him by Senator Ali Ndume at an interviewing program aired on the Arise Television last week.
The circumstances that triggered the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasiru El-rufai’s outburst was the derailment of the APC’s manifesto as an agenda used in marketing the party. The candidature of President Tinubu is about to hit the rock in the North in 2023 by the rejection of the Northern Elders Forum who were assumed to be the conscience of the Region.
The risk taken in countering the Northern Elders Forum’s propaganda against Tinubu by El-rufai, was alledged to have been confrontational to the mafia. It is a sacrifice too dangerous to his standing in the environment in which the former governor lives. The extent at which he speaks against the Opposition then, was too bold that nobody in the North, I repeat for the second time that, could endure to do so to such an important pressure group.
El-rufai’s frankness and boldness to the Elders brought about the paradigm shift that changed the circumstances! He said to the Northern Elders whose responsibility was to give direction to the collective decision of the North and that, amongst many of his narratives was that, “politics is not their business and if they were so passionate about it, they’re Welcome to the arena”.
No doubt Governor El-Rufai’s boldness, has immeasurably helped Tinubu in securing the much needed votes from the North towards his electoral victory in 2023
Now having been disappointed with the leadership style of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Arrow Head is now shifting grounds into another gigantic project with a view to ushering a new platform that could spring off a merger of opposition political parties to confront the incumbency factor of President Tinubu. Malam Nasir El-rufai was a principal partner in the formation of APC which was a culmination of various political parties submerged to oust PDP’s 16 years rule to the nation.
Ironically, being a strategic team player who articulates campaign promises of the APC as a Party as well as that, of the Presidential candidate Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Malam Nasir El-rufai were part of those who packaged their Product in a more customized manner and marketed it out to the general public and only at the end of the sale, customers were so disappointed with what was found in the box.
It was very sad that even Malam Nasiru El-rufai who championed the marketing of the Product was not familiar about the quality, quantity, durability as well as the commensurate value upon which the customers will, at the end of the transaction gain. That is exactly a replete with the popular Hausa adage that says, a “stick of corn fully loaded with insects and then, taken by an unknown person,” regret is the last word to vomit at the end after the harm is done.
LAWAN A. KAZAURE,
A FORMER POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT,
TRIUMPH NEWSPAPERS, KANO.
0803-786-3852.