By Miftahu Zakariyya
Irked by the turn of political events in the country, particularly within the ruling All Progressives Congress, a lecturer with the Mass Communication Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and the Publisher of Education Monitor Newspaper, Malam Waziri Isa Adam (Wazirin Gwantu III), has warned that he foresees worst trouble ahead that may be more catastrophic, politically, than June 12, if President Muhammadu Buhari betrayed his greatest benefactor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and caused him to lose the February 25, Presidential election, in the name of ‘Level Playing Ground’
A Press statement signed by the Publisher said, “Though I am not a politician that belongs to any organized political party, but, as a patriotic and curious citizen with the constitutional freedom to add my voice to anything that has the potentials of making or destroying our dear country, I am compelled to shed more light in what I have observed that, if not addressed, may threaten the country’s political landscape”
“Specifically, as a keen observer of political trends, scheming, propaganda and the unwarranted use of religious and ethnic sentiments, by paid business clerics and egocentric tribal lords, to manipulate the ignorant and hungry populace, majority of whom are useful idiots, not for patriotic; but, mainly, for their selfish ends; I want to advice the ruling APC government at the centre to try and live by the game of the party, and in line with the spirit of fairness and justice” he said.
“I would like to, in the first place, admit that it is no doubt a virtue to create a level playing ground in any democracy, as it is being advocated by the God made, via APC/Tinubu, President”
“However, recent revelation by Kaduna state’s Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, that some powerful forces in the President’s Office are working against APC’S Victory in the forthcoming Polls, did not come as a surprise to many people, including me, because I remember in 2015, one of the closest members of the President’s Kitchen Cabinet told me that they would never allow the Presidency to leave the North again, even as he admitted in the same breath, almost on Oath, that were it not for Tinubu, primarily, and Amaechi, Buhari could not have won the 2015 election”
He therefore cautioned that, “PMB’S refusal to use the popular slogan of ‘Vote APC only, from Top to Bottom’ which he adopted in 2015 and 2019; and which he has now replaced with ‘Vote Your Conscience’, gives cause for concern, because a lot of people now interpret that, coupled with another anti-BAT-Like slogan, ‘I will create level playing ground’, by the president, as clear betrayal of BAT”
He said this twin slogans can be interpreted, rightly or wrongly, by anybody to mean PMB is clearly working against, or sabotaging his party’s flag bearer, as already claimed by the Kaduna state governor.
Waziri said what many people expect PMB to do in the name of creating ideal level playing ground is ensuring that the elections won’t be rigged, or should ensure that security agencies won’t be used to intimidate or coerce the electorates to vote a particular party or candidate.
He adviced that what the President, as a Party man, is also supposed to do is urge all his loyalists to work assiduously to ensure the Victory of his party’s Presidential Candidate, who, it is on record that, has invested massively in the formation and survival of the party more than anyone else.
He asked that, “In the event of PMB’s refusal to ensure BAT’S victory in the polls, and God decided to help him as He did for him in the Party’s Presidential Primaries Election, what will be the fate of PMB and his cohorts in the BAT’S government?”
He opined that “the worst of this scenario is, if PMB sabotaged BAT, and he lost the election I foresee a far worst revolt than the one the country witnessed after the annulment of June 12 election”.
“Worst still is that the age long political alliance envisaged between the north and the west that was successfully sealed with the support of BAT will be torpedoed, and that will give room for irredeemable distrust and suspicion among politicians in the two most important geopolitical zones”, he said.
“For the record” he stressed, “It must be known that i am not saying all these in favour of a particular candidate, but, as a Muslim who strongly dislikes injustice, even if it were against my enemy, and as one who stands for the building of a more humane, just compassionate and true democratic society with pragmatic ethics”.
He recalled that Buhari’s open refusal to support BAT in the party’s presidential primaries was akin to stabbing him on his body, which, supporting him to win the presidential election this time around should heal. But, going further to refuse to support him to win the secondary election will be stabbing BAT on his heart, where the wound will last a life time.
“I therefore call on PMB not to allow the fear of law of Karma and the needless betrayal of his greatest benefactor push him to reincarnate June 12”, he cautioned.
He said the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from one’s enemy, which is easier to forgive than to forgive a friend.