BUHARI’S SOUTH EAST VISIT AND RELATED ISSUES - BY FRIDAY EKPO

President Muhammadu Buhari's official visit to Ebonyi State. 

President Mohammadu Buhari is currently on his first ever visit to Ebonyi State and indeed the South East.

This is coming 30 months after he was sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 5 days to Anambra State gubernatorial election and 19 months to the end of his first tenure. One or all these may have formed part of his reasons to visit the South East Zone at this time.

For those that will easily adduce reasons of his ill health for this delayed visit, it must be pointed out that during the same 30-month period of his administration the President has visited well over 25 countries of the world, some of which he has repeatedly visited a number of times. And in case they want to push the argument further that the President needed to situate Nigeria “solidly” diplomatically, I must be quick also to tell them that, no foreign policy could be solid when the domestic policy is in shamble. The Bible says a man who is not able to provide for his household is worst than an infidel. In this wise, a President who is unable to build consensus and harmony among the various components of the Nigerian society is yet to be a national President.

For the record, President Buhari is not the first President of the Fulani stock to have been rejected or accepted by the South East, South South and South West.
The 1979 general elections results pattern aptly confirms this.

Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the candidate of NPN who became the President after that election, won 7 of the then 19 states (Sokoto, Kwara, Bauchi, Benue, Niger, Rivers and Cross River State). Chief Obafemi Awolowo the UPN candidate won 5 States (Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Bendel States (as it then was). The Great Zik of Africa who flew the flag of NPP won 3 States (Anambra, Imo and Plateau States respectively). While Malam Aminu Kano of PRP and Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP won two states apiece – Kano and Kaduna and Borno and Gongola (as it was then known).

From the analyses of the above winning pattern it could be seen that each of the candidates was able to maintain a stronghold only in areas contiguous to his region of his origin except Shagari who made incursions into the Southern Minorities of the old Rivers and Cross River states. But Shagari was never known to have expressed open antagonism against the then West, East and North East that did not give him overwhelming votes. He was a President of Nigeria and was also acknowledged by all.

In 2007, the late Umaru Musa Yaradua, another Fulani who became the President of Nigeria was not overwhelmingly voted for in the South West, yet he never showed in words and in deeds that, he never liked them.

So why is Buhari’s Presidency different? Why is there a seeming frosty relationship between the personage of the President and the people of South East and South South?

The reason for this is not farfetched. Apart from the brickbat that characterized the campaigns towards 2015 elections which would have ended with Buhari’s election, the open proclamation of President Buhari of “favour” to 97% voters and “detriment” to 5% voters in far away US, is at the crux of the present frosty relationship. That proclamation so to say, must be admitted to have been un-statesmanly and un-presidential. No leader anywhere in the world says that to a section of a country he rules over and expects to be cooperated with. That is the genesis of the existing distrust and mutual suspicion between the President and the South East/South South blocs.

It is upon this premise that the current visit of the President would be viewed. Some are of the belief that the President is trying to curry new favours in the South East Zone with 2019 in view, having failed the South West and its leaders that provided the crest upon which he climbed to power.

Others are saying that he may not have had anything to do with the South East if not for Anambra election that is coming up on Saturday (November, 18, 2017). Therefore his main purpose, they opine, is to campaign for the APC candidate in that election.

For me, whatever his reason(s) might be, he must be made to understand that as a President of a country, the whole country is his constituency. He must shun pettiness and primordial considerations. He must openly chastise the criminal marauders called Fulani herdsmen that are maiming, killing and destroying people’s farmlands.

His lopsided appointments which his vice and other aides have been denying but recently admitted by him must be addressed. Beyond the South East, he must begin to tour other parts of the country to see things for himself. Buhari’s sense of compassion must be activated as he currently seems to have none. A situation where his country men and women he swore to protect are slaughtered in cold blood without open commiseration and show of concern portrays him as a President without human feelings. 

If he does these, he will surely see that the fear initially created by his utterances would be dispelled by his deeds. That is my candid advice. Enjoy yourself Eze Enyi Oma 1.