By Shehu Usman Danfulani
Wednesday February 12th 2020 will forever remain a historical day in the Political struggle and Journey of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Buharist or Yan Buhari as we are called. It is a day that for the first time in his political journey he was booed in one of his Major Strong Holds politically in the country. Borno has been with Buhari since 2002 when he ventured fully into the Political arena, Governors after Governors, it remained an ANPP Control state and now APC, unequivocally, the North East axis has been showing tremendous support for Buhari. The presidential election results of 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and of the last 2019 elections from the North Eastern States of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe will corroborate my statement.
For those of us that were regular in the campaign train in since 2003, we know the kind of support and goodwill Buhari has been receiving from Northern States. We witnessed People trekking distances more than 100 to 150 kilometres to attend Buhari rallies, we saw how people will come out en mass from morning to Night waiting by the road sides in their villages to catch a glimpse of Buhari, we saw people crying with trembling chins and tears tickling down their cheek just for either shaking him or catching a glimpse of him or receiving the bad news that he changed his route and they will no longer see him.
Today, just barely one year into the second tenure, the People of Maiduguri, the same Kanuri people known for their hospitality and lavish reception for guest booed Buhari with the first degree of Political humiliation word of BA MA SO ( we don’t want you). Indeed it is time for President Buhari and the Buharist to ponder and turn back to the drawing board.
With my Little Knowledge of the political orientation of Northern Nigeria, the food cooked in Borno is what will be eaten in Yobe Bauchi and Gombe to some extent even Adamawa, the Meat slaughtered and roasted in Sokoto is what will be eaten in Zamfara and Kebbi and likewise Kano, Katsina and Kaduna are just like Babbar riga da yar ciki da wando (three sets of same cloth the agabada, the jumpa and the trouser which must be worn together). Assuming President Buhari went to Borno on Wednesday by road from Abuja, where is the booing going to start and where will it end?
One will not hesitate at this point to ponder what actually is the Problem? Is it the same Buhari that we all knew and followed since 2003 that is in charge of affairs or is it true that he has been hijacked by some individuals as earlier claimed by the first lady Hajia Aisha Buhari? (Refer to my write up Kuruwar matar Sarki, the wailing of the Queen). Naturally it is normal for a Leader to have close associates but Mr President kindly open channels of communication with those that were close, very close and extremely close to you during the campaigns and listen to people directly from the grassroots as you started after inauguration, Mr President I can recall you told some people individually and severally to feed you back with the happenings in the country from time to time to enable you know the exact Temperature of the Nation, however, it has become near impossible for such people to reach you and inform you the correct situation of happenings, this I suggest you look into as a single source of information could be misleading and dangerous to a leader.
Baba Buhari we know you are trying your possible best and you have achieved so many things that have changed the direction of the Country for good, we know you are facing enormous challenges and we equally know that the country was sliding to anarchy when you took over.
Equally we are not in any way doubting your high level of integrity, honesty and patriotism, however, more need to be done particularly on security issues that is the main crux of the anger of Borno People and Northerner and Nigerians at large. We will appreciate if as a matter of urgency you will take all the necessary measures that will improve the security situations, Nigerians have high hope in you and were optimistic and still are that you are the one that can deliver them from corruption, insecurity and lack of infrastructural development, in the two other fronts there is significant progress however Nigerians are afraid and the fear is culminating to frustration, that you may likely leave office by 2023 and leave behind the security challenges as they were or even worse. I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to fellow Nigerians and Buharist to give Mr President another chance now that he promised to sit up and face the insecurity monster squarely. As for those in the opposition we are appealing to you not to politicize insecurity of lives and properties of Nigerians in order to attain your political goals by supporting insecurity in any way including dissemination of false information to tarnish the image of Mr President.
While we continue to support the Government and your Personality as our President and Leader of Buhari Movement and praying to God to protect, guide and encourage you, we are also expecting you to be more. Finally I wish you Good Health, God`s guidance while anticipating strong and positive actions from you on this Insecurity as Prayers alone cannot solve the problem.
Professor Shehu Usman Adamu Danfulani writes from Kaduna
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Sky Daily
