In continuation of my discourse on the vexed post-elections violence that engulfed Northern Nigeria as the results of the Presidential elections were being released, I want to ask General Buhari some direct open question and offer him some of my sound counsel.
General, you claimed the elections was rigged in favour of the winner? How was it done? Do you have the evidence at your disposal?
I remember you commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega for being forthright and honest days to the elections? After the declaration of results, you suddenly labelled him "insincere"! What informed your sudden change of mind? The International Observers amongst other local observers who were wont to criticize our previous elections have all adjudged this one as free, fair and credible. Are they also wrong? Your colleague former heads of States in the persons of President Shagari, President Babangida, General Yakubu Gowon, and General Olusegun Obasanjo have congratulated Jonathan... are they also all wrong?
General, your statesmanship is being questioned at the moment. I want you to redeem that high profile position by towing the line of honour and concede defeat for the sake of your highly esteemed position because even if you go to courts, I am very sure you will not get a result better than what you have right now.
Let us face it General; CPC is just less than a year old. Did you in all sincerity believe you could match PDP which have had a sustained structure across the land for 12 years vote for vote? Your CPC is only popular in the north only because of your name. You virtually have no structure in the South East. That is the reason why your South East leader, Prince Chuba Ikagwu was really embarrassed to learn that you claimed the elections were rigged against CPC in the South East. He said your party sabotaged itself for not practicing internal democracy. I agree with him; Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Taraba state chapters of CPC have disputed candidatures for the April 26, 2011 gubernatorial elections. How can a house divided against itself stand? Surely not!
Prior to the elections, you and your party members became unduly violent in your comments. How can you encourage your followers to defend their votes through violent means? You knew very well that most of your supporters are not educated, yet giving them such a blanket instruction was an invitation to anarchy! General, it is time to own up to being responsible for the carnage that greeted the announcement of the results because rather than go to court, you started making inflammatory statements that further incited your supporters who went on a killing spree. To worsen the situation, you said the violent protests were "spontaneous" and a reaction to the rigging and that those who "rigged" should be responsible! How unstatesmanly could you be?
General Buhari, Nigeria has gone beyond ethnic and religious politics. It is time you come to terms with this and re-educate your supporters and may be salvage whatever is left of your statesmanship. Many people are hurting and they are right to be hurt!
General, on a final note, I want you to realize that the Igbos in the South East have a right to vote for who they want to vote for and in this case, they voted for Goodluck Jonathan... or do you want to insist that the Igbos voted for you? Did the Yorubas vote for you? If they did, how many votes? Do you have the evidences? It is time we become truly nationalistic and agree that certain things in life are either lost or won. I rest my case.
General, you claimed the elections was rigged in favour of the winner? How was it done? Do you have the evidence at your disposal?
I remember you commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega for being forthright and honest days to the elections? After the declaration of results, you suddenly labelled him "insincere"! What informed your sudden change of mind? The International Observers amongst other local observers who were wont to criticize our previous elections have all adjudged this one as free, fair and credible. Are they also wrong? Your colleague former heads of States in the persons of President Shagari, President Babangida, General Yakubu Gowon, and General Olusegun Obasanjo have congratulated Jonathan... are they also all wrong?
General, your statesmanship is being questioned at the moment. I want you to redeem that high profile position by towing the line of honour and concede defeat for the sake of your highly esteemed position because even if you go to courts, I am very sure you will not get a result better than what you have right now.
Let us face it General; CPC is just less than a year old. Did you in all sincerity believe you could match PDP which have had a sustained structure across the land for 12 years vote for vote? Your CPC is only popular in the north only because of your name. You virtually have no structure in the South East. That is the reason why your South East leader, Prince Chuba Ikagwu was really embarrassed to learn that you claimed the elections were rigged against CPC in the South East. He said your party sabotaged itself for not practicing internal democracy. I agree with him; Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Taraba state chapters of CPC have disputed candidatures for the April 26, 2011 gubernatorial elections. How can a house divided against itself stand? Surely not!
Prior to the elections, you and your party members became unduly violent in your comments. How can you encourage your followers to defend their votes through violent means? You knew very well that most of your supporters are not educated, yet giving them such a blanket instruction was an invitation to anarchy! General, it is time to own up to being responsible for the carnage that greeted the announcement of the results because rather than go to court, you started making inflammatory statements that further incited your supporters who went on a killing spree. To worsen the situation, you said the violent protests were "spontaneous" and a reaction to the rigging and that those who "rigged" should be responsible! How unstatesmanly could you be?
General Buhari, Nigeria has gone beyond ethnic and religious politics. It is time you come to terms with this and re-educate your supporters and may be salvage whatever is left of your statesmanship. Many people are hurting and they are right to be hurt!
General, on a final note, I want you to realize that the Igbos in the South East have a right to vote for who they want to vote for and in this case, they voted for Goodluck Jonathan... or do you want to insist that the Igbos voted for you? Did the Yorubas vote for you? If they did, how many votes? Do you have the evidences? It is time we become truly nationalistic and agree that certain things in life are either lost or won. I rest my case.
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