Date: 2015-06-17

I would have titled this piece "the unwitting conspiracy of the victim" but because I had given part of this title to one article I wrote earlier on the poor management of the security situation in the country sometime in 2013, as such, I can't repeat that. It will be scary, yet again, to imagine the existence of another obvious "slip of the eyes" from this "Intel" which the previous administration failed to yield to. Like the proverbial saying, the players then eventually became the victims of their own conspiracy, wittingly or unwittingly.

Having said this, for the love this writer has for President Buhari and the sacrifices of many Nigerians to get this far, in this nick of time, it will almost be unpatriotic to maintain a sealed lip in the face of the falling implication of the unfolding political drama while we pretend all is well. Even if it will require anyone to prostrate while doing the talking so that the listener would appreciate how passionate and sincere one is in the advice being offered, I will not hesitate to bend my bones. All I abhor is President Buhari becoming the victim of his own "aloofness", for the second time.

President Buhari has only been in the office for nearly three weeks, the events of these last weeks have been overwhelming. Someone once remarked that Nigerians are measuring the government by minutes. This is not unexpected because Nigerians have put in too much and are expecting no excuse for non-performance from the new administration. Even though some would argue there appears to be no "express" policy pronouncements so far and just yet, the drama that took place at the floor of the Senate in the course of electing the principal officers of the hallow chamber has exasperated many Nigerians and has made them lower their heads in fear of a possible "high-jack" of the government. I have read different songs of praise and rebuke alike, by both apologists of the players of the drama and truly concerned Nigerians who felt the strange occurrence may be a bad omen in disguise. I cannot but add my voice to demystify the intricacies and call President to attention before he proceeds on this parade.

Let me first acknowledge the fact that I am a Nigerian and I give gleeful gratitude to God for making me so. Strangely so, this is about the only country in the world where most of the things you learn (especially on the political stage) are through bad experiment. We are already accustomed to showmanship of crookery where the winner of a political contest, though coming through the narrow back door of illegality and criminality, are quick to translate and refer to the act as new democratic doctrine, no matter how heinous the process was. Or, how could anyone, objective enough define the shameful and despicable act of political brigandage that led to the emergence of "clothes of many colors" principal officers of the senate as "evolving democratic process?

Sadly, rather than we vent a collective condemnation against the legislative coup that just redefined contest process in the senate, the "crime" has been reduced to relevance struggle between individuals. That is how low we can be sometimes in Nigeria. Surprisingly, political adversaries of a feared party leader are quick to form a cyclone of dissidents to attack an individual, whose feat, with every sense of modesty and sincerity (on the basis of his contribution to the outcome of the last presidential election), any of them can hardly reach.

I would not have been "enraged" by this "cage the lion" conspiracy against this individual, had the process been legal and moral and this individual is still crying foul. In that show of shame fanfare, I have read from some of the supposed learned individuals regrettably blunting the ball of their own pen when they painstakingly struggle so hard against their own logic by alluding to the fantasy of "look the other way" while the criminal escapes defense, ignoring all civil and criminal shortcomings against the perpetrators of this embarrassment. I have also seen a supposed media mogul, who ironically has never been seen before condoning this kind of illegality now seeking for "truce" among the gladiators. Very strange! And now I know better that indeed, politics, especially in Nigeria, is a self-serving, self-preserving, interest-based game if not a game of elimination.

However, without being deceived by the brainwashing of these nocturnal conspiracy theorists, with seeming diverse objectives to excuse this criminality, my major concern, if not fear, is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. To me, he is the victim of all this game play, if only he knows it. I am going to give in detail, why the President, when on "parade" should always close his legs, join his heels and form a v-shape to be at alert as he might need to prepare for a serious political "war" ahead against the brewing conspirators forming from business, political, financial, private and public bourgeoisie alike. The war ahead will be so tough that it might stagger him in his aloofness. I wonder if President Buhari is not reminiscing and regretting the demise of his most dogged, most loyal and most trusted right hand man now, GEN. ABUBAKAR BABATUNDE IDIAGBON (May Allah be pleased with his soul, Amin), while hoping to have a replica of him in his government.

Let me start from the senate presidential election. Before now, I have variously alerted all that are concerned on the likely game play that the person of Bukola Saraki would play but I guess and I want to believe there is a disconnect of "intelligence" sharing among those people. I have never stopped alerting everyone that you cannot know Bukola Saraki enough unless "you live inside him". I do.

As far as governance and politics are concerned, however you see it, they are two sides to a coin. It is advisable this approach is adopted for effective and coherent administration. You cannot completely afford to leave one at the expense of the other. This is the right intelligence especially in ruling over a country as complex and complicated as Nigeria.

Whatever it is, one should never fail intelligence. The backbone of any successful nation is the ability to manage her intelligence. When a nation fails intelligence, her security is jeopardized, when a government fails intelligence, opposition takes control of the government and when an individual fails intelligence, he mistakes his foes for his friends - the result will always be devastating. There is no doubt in the fact that as far as the kangaroo senate election which saw to the dubious emergence of Bukola Saraki is concerned; there is glaring display of intelligence failure from virtually all the stakeholders.

Having benefitted cunningly from the strange aloofness of Mr. President, the opportunists have widely "praised" his stance as "good" for democracy. They are happy that Mr. President hasn’t come out hard to "prevent" these conspirators from contesting national assembly leadership positions. However, I am not in doubt that if tomorrow comes and Mr. President put into action his intention to fight corruption to zero; appointing an uncompromising Czar to run the affairs of the anti-graft agency, and like he did now, he chooses not interfere with the affairs of the Agency and continues to stand aloof and neutral, woe betides anyone who cries to Mr. President to intervene to save him or her when the agency is drilling any such guilty suspect, no matter his position.

I want to believe Mr. President’s aloofness is in good faith, notwithstanding. However, the faithfulness of such stance will be lost immediately the gentility is breeding termite in your political backyard; unfortunately, what this has just grown is deadlier than termite, it might require a very "drastic", sincere and assertive surgical operation to correct this ailment; God save the President if this cancerous conspiracy wouldn’t form a barrier on his path. I have come to realize that politics and governance are Siamese twins that can hardly be separated. It will be academic and purely theoretical for a President to sit on the fence and allow himself to be schemed out of the game he cannot afford not to be an player. Unlike the Military days, whatever the President must do, in terms of policy making and law enactment, he needs the national assembly. It will be wishful to imagine that all he might be seeking from the National Assembly would be granted if he has at the leadership of such houses those who are only waiting for him to fail and fall for them to match on him. If you may take this as an "Intel" again, please do, Bukola saraki is not going to wait for 2019 to contest for presidential elections before he "sarakise" you (the sickness he infected his father with). He is going to do that by upsetting the current arrangement and attempt to "create position relevance" for himself. Let’s keep watching.

It would be complacent on the part of anyone to wave this away as impossible. The compositions of those that will be in control at the National Assembly currently are not those who care whether Mr. President succeeds or not. All they want is to "blunt out" the knife of anti-corruption which Mr. President has been brandishing to use in cutting down the corrupt people. The emergence of the leadership, especially Saraki is with supports of the corrupt elements in both private and public sectors. He is there to protect the interest of these people and frustrate the government. One cannot read the policy intention of Mr. President and not sympathize with him for the initial "poor" take off. Nigerians are more interested in the fight against corruption than anything, knowing fully well that as soon as corruption is fought to stupor, other expectations will pick up naturally. There are genuine grounds to express fear and skepticism as to the realization of that determination unless President Buhari takes drastic steps to detoxicate this political poison laden in his food by the emergence of these set of desperate and corrupt individuals championed by Bukola Saraki. He needs to be "fumigated" now!

Most honestly, I am less bothered if Bukola contests for 2019 presidential election or not as being rumored, what I am concerned about is how to prevent him from truncating this government and dashing the hope of Nigerians. He will attempt to discredit the government for his selfish gains. But once this government succeeds and the virtues of legality and rule of law are instilled, it is almost certain that crooks like him will never even near the field of contest let alone winning an election, as they will be validly prevented by law to contest, based on their previous criminal records. Even if Mr. President isn't recontesting, Nigerians need him to strengthen the system and purge it of bad eggs.

Since the eruption of this political volcano triggered by over ambitious excavation of the political land surface by Bukola Saraki, each time I flash back to November 2013 when Lai Mohammed claimed Bukola Saraki "is now a changed person", when he was trying to justify his acceptance into the APC fold then, I shake my head in pity for such a costly "mistaken identity. It was a "one chance" voyage; we can all sense the likely wreckage from the diving crash of this unholy union. How could anyone have gone to sleep, having a Bukola Saraki as the house keeper, you can be sure that house will be invaded by interlopers; this is exactly what just happened here. This warning was sounded to all the concerned but ignorantly or do I say complacently ignored.

Because we are living in a strange circumstance in this part of the world, without prejudice to the integrity of the "innocent" ones, a larger percentage of the members of the senate today are former political offices others who have one or two criminal cases with either ICPC or EFCC. In the worst case, the senate is now headed (temporarily I believe) by an individual, who has nothing less than 10 financial crimes cases against him. I ponder to wonder how Mr. President is going to realize his dreams of merging the anti-graft agencies and prescribe stiffer penalties for corrupt offences when the man holding the gavel to "hays" the enactments of those laws is dressed in abundance of those offences. It will not be long before the world will see how not to stand aloof in determining political office holders.

If Mr. President is still thinking the outcome of National Assembly elections is an accident, then, he probably needs to appoint an SA Political to appraise what has just happened and save the situation from the mirage of ordinariness.

There is no accident in politics; things happen as arranged, especially in situation like this. Saraki and Dogara, both former PDP members, defied the orders of their savior party, APC, just to have their own ambition driven through; with Saraki betraying the chances of the party, conspiring with opposition party, conceding the deputy senate position to them in the process.

Imagine two parties holding two main principal positions that should have been enjoyed by the party holding the majority by virtue of that privileged number. Imagine also that the Deputy Senate President Ekwueremadu and the senate leader, David Mark, the immediate passed Senate President are members of the opposition; David Mark being a prominent member of the junta that overthrew Buhari in 1985, Saraki senior, a former senate leader and one of the "erring" members of the senate that received a few lashes from Buhari when he took power in 1983; oh God! I just resent the implication of this coincidence! This arrangement is not a coincidence, it is meant to straiten President Buhari and frustrate his government.

There is no doubt that these political wolves are strategically converging to fall into positions, surrounding your caravan of change, once the road is clear for them to strike, they will apply PIT (Position Immobilization Technique) maneuvering that may crash this change vehicle if care is not taken. I suggest this vehicle is reinforced to stability in order to avoid summersaulting.

This brings me to the strong "warning". Bukola sent to President Buhari immediately after his fraudulent swearing in, asserting that NASS "would protect it autonomy tightly". For the discerning minds, and taking into consideration President Buahri’s "suggestion" that political office holders, especially legislators should consider pay cut, it is looking like somebody is defying that suggestion already and fanning the embers of confrontation. I am still thinking how Mr. President will realize this lofty suggestion with Bukola Saraki as a "partner".

For those who don’t know Bukola Saraki, welcome to the coven of treachery and institutional destruction, his most treasured trade mark. Let me reinstate this caveat, Bukola is on the verge of truncating the party’s hard-earned success, throwing into the dustbin of irrelevance the gains of the past. This was the same way he started to dig the grave of destruction for his former party and his father before he finally buried him. When it comes to self preservation, Bukola can sacrifice anything and anybody. His biological father was the first to be used as guinea pig to experiment his callousness and meanness. If he can throw his father into the incinerator for political sacrifice, you can be rest assured he will use anybody’s father as pyres. BUYERS BE WARNED!

However, I know there will always be a new twist to this script; it is just a matter of time. "Man only dominates man to his own injury". On Bola Tinubu, I think he has every right to "shout and fight", not because he wants to overthrow the government nor have a continous grip of Buhari’s government, but because he doesn’t want these renegades to throw away the sweat of his labour. Ironically, those members of the APC that are not comfortable with Tinubu, for whatever selfish or inferiority complex reasons, are only delivering the message of discomfort handed down to them by some unseen vested interests. Bukola’s corrupt tendencies have fetched him the impeccable credential of a super mole that can always be consulted and used for hatched job as this. No sensible and committed hero of success, as Tinubu is, will watch in indifference for a felon like Bukola to bring down the house he laboured to participate in building. We have seen an Audu Ogbe appointed as honorary Adviser on Agriculture to former President Obasanjo. Should a Tinubu be appointed as honorary Adviser on Political Matters to Mr. President, I posit, President Buhari can go to sleep, Tinubu can handle his (Mr. President’s) emerging political rivalries.

For some of us who still sojourn anywhere we go with our conscience, the unwarranted wicked attacks on Bola Tinubu cannot fly. I wouldn’t know what the thinking of President Buhari is at this time and on this issue, however, it will be unreligious and a stab on the heart of conscience for anyone to attempt to blackmail and denigrate him (Tinubu) as having "too much influence" on the government. I wish I can have the ears of Mr. President, I will remind him to flash back to the intrigues that led to his emergence as the flag bearer of the party. One doesn’t need to be a card carrying member of any political party to appreciate the singular efforts of Tinubu who ricocheted the dollar bullets ceaselessly fired by some of the co-contenders against President Buhari at the primary elections. It will be almost criminal to say a man who repelled such monetary assault where each shot from their missile cost as much as $20,000 per delegate, has bad intention for that same government. Had it not been for Tinubu’s bastion of support, we might not be where we are today. It is therefore save to say that the confected, malicious and vicious attacks on Tinubu, particularly coming from those he edged out in order to support President Buhari is not a surprise. I have read a piece of news credited to Atiku that he is ready to wrestle party leadership with Tinubu and I laughed. Surprising as it sounds, some people are now rejuvenating their aged political clout because they think they can take advantage of President Buhari’s "neutral" stance to launch orchestrated revenge on Tinubu. Hum! When an elephant dies, you will see different knives.

As far as I am concerned, Tinubu is not the victim and can never be the victim of whatever game plan that played out at the National Assembly or that may play out in the future, rather, the party, APC, is and President Buhari may likely be if the right cage isn’t constructed to restrain this pack of wolves. Those attacking him and supporting the subtle betrayal are doing so to cover their complicities.

To emphasize this caveat, I am not particularly a fan of Tinubu, I have never been, and neither am I exonerating him of any dominance intention, however, I am only an eternal student of conscience. In fact, if for anything, I have written a number of articles with "sniper missiles" fired severally at Tinubu. Ironically, even Mr. President can't but be grateful to him for the role he played in the emergence of the President Buhari. I make bold to say, without any attempt to equate mortal to the Immortal, the flight of victory everyone is celebrating today might not have landed safely had he (Tinubu) not been the lead Pilot of that change plane.

We can assert that like a mother who carried her fetus for 9 months, Tinubu is rather an asset to the present government than a threat. What hidden agenda would a Tinubu have in the government that he will want to shatter it? His insistence, if at all he single handedly did so, on who becomes what at the National Assembly, I think is to fortify the President and his administration, knowing fully well what they all went through to come this near and the characters of those other people fighting to hijack the change train. Let’s even conjure a mental gauge and measure up human intention, in my opinion, if for anything, and if Tinubu is actually "greedy" and "selfish", as being alleged, atleast on this matter, he would have insisted in being nominated as the running mate to President Buhari. This was at the time his singular support was most sought after. Rather than insisting, he gave the slot to someone else. I understand he did similar thing for Senator Ganiyu Solomon in 2007 when he gave the senatorial ticket he had earlier won at the primary to senator Solomon.

A stammerer will condemn oral debate especially if that shortcoming is even worsened by horrible diction. This is what I see the political adversaries of Tinubu are doing; those who have failed to speak and be heard now ranting in joy of conspiracy against conscience. I am worried by the struggled campaign of empty integrity and competency by some people I may refer to "tune dancers", campaigning for the incumbent NASS leadership and calling for "truce and reconciliation" without justice. You cannot call for reconciliation unless both parties go back to status quo.

I know in government, there is governance and there is politics, especially in democracy. Even in an advanced Democracy like the US, governance is mixed with politics in the most intriguing manner. For Mr. President to promote aloofness when he is supposed to play "politics" is to risk everything he labored for. To survive Nigeria kind of Democracy, at least to stabilize a government, one cannot escape political "maneuvering", overtly or covertly, except we care less about the repercussion of our inactions.

However, I know Mr. President is not without his Fulani gene, that gene is not known to betray a goodwill just like the same gene hardly flushes out, completely, the memories of those who betrayed us in the past. I am one so I know the way we feel when we are pinched, even after a century.

Mr. President, I do not know anyone, I do not always trust Nigerian politicians, I only know you and I trust you. The success or failure of this government is all about you; if you fail, it is almost likely that Nigerians hope for greatness would have been dashed but if you succeed (In Sha Allahu), the Nigeria of your dream that you envisioned some 32 years back, just like your friend, Dato Muhammed Muhathir, would be sustained and the greatness shall live with Nigerians till eternity. Like many patriotic Nigerians, I am passionate about this anticipated success, I am passionate about this legacy. I am concerned about you because I'm convinced you represent good conscience.