By Dele Sobowale
Tinubu versus Buhari war started earlier than expected, By Dele Sobowale
“It is quite impossible for those who want to gain power to avoid getting rid of those who are most likely to form the opposition” – Critias, 404 BC, VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 196.
In addition to those in opposition, power-grabbers abhor those likely to form a rival source of allegiance by the people. Tinubu is President; but, he knows very well that the allegiance of the northern masses and elite remains with Buhari. So, the ex-President remains a rival who must be deleted as soon as possible. That idea was at the back of my mind when, a few weeks ago, I got published an article titled, CBN: TINUBU VERSUS BUHARI CLASH INEVITABLE. Below, I reproduce, as usual, the prophetic first two paragraphs of the article. The war is on!! And, only Almighty God knows what will follow.
“CBN: TINUBU VERSUS BUHARI CLASH INEVITABLE
When evil men must seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo; good men must try and bring into being real order of justice” – Reverend Martin Luther, Jr. 1929-1968.
The suspension and subsequent arrest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has brought the inevitable collision between President Tinubu and ex-President Buhari closer than the two of them realise. Buhari, who hoped to have a peaceful retirement in Daura or Niger Republic, will soon discover that he had murdered sleep. Short of killing Emefiele, in order to silence him, the probe of the CBN ordered by Tinubu will reveal to what extent Buhari and his cabal, including Ministers and Advisers, privatised the bank. Since this is only a short article, and it is not my intention to reveal all the facts of violations of the Constitution, in which Buhari and Emefiele were involved, partly, this is designed to warn Tinubu that if, indeed he wants to fight corruption, he could not have started in a better place. This one will test his sincerity of purpose to the limit. To put it bluntly, the CBN was more recklessly looted, “on orders from above”, from 2015 to 2023, than even under the draconian regime of General Sani Abacha. Therefore, the first question to ask is whether or not Tinubu has the guts to step on all the toes and damn the consequences. We shall soon see”.
NO MORE NIGER FOR BUHARI
“Men make history; but, not just as they please” – Karl Marx, 1818-1883, VBQ.
Towards the end of his disastrous eight years in office, Buhari, half-mockingly, told Nigerians that if we disturbed his peace, he would move to Niger. I wrote a rejoinder asking him to go immediately – because it would be good riddance…
Now I dare him to go to Niger. Most probably, he will end up in the same black hole where the deposed President is now kept. So, Buhari is stuck in Nigeria and his successor, and leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Tinubu, had just made a pronouncement about how the CBN was managed under Buhari’s presidency. Even Bishop Hassan Kukah, who, a few weeks ago, declared the Buhari government the most corrupt in our history, did not go so far as Tinubu did in de-mystifying Buhari. This is strange politics and its ramifications are still unknown to us. This is the new President of the ruling party, not the opposition, telling Nigerians that we have been mercilessly robbed by Buhari. Please read:
Tinubu, in his address on Monday, summarised the situation under Buhari as one in which fuel subsidy payments were “being funneled into the deep pockets and lavish bank accounts of a selected group of individuals. This group had amassed so much wealth and power that they became a serious threat to the fairness of our economy and the integrity of our democratic governance… To be blunt, Nigeria could never become the society it was intended to be as long as such small, powerful yet unelected groups hold enormous influence over our political economy and the institutions that govern it.” He went further to allege that there is “the elites of the elites, who have stolen so much from Nigeria that they have become so powerful as to constitute a threat to democratic governance.”
Tinubu was, of course, referring to the immediate past government of Buhari – who spent most of his eight years in office pointing accusing fingers at Jonathan and the PDP. Tinubu has merely confirmed what I have written so many times before. Buhari is a hypocrite; and he has used hypocrisy to mask the worst corruption in Nigerian history by any government. Truth is out.
WHAT CAN OR SHOULD BUHARI AND CO DO?
“Silence is not an option when things are ill-done” – Lord Denning, 1899-1999
Denning’s observation, coupled with the fact that silence, in the face of serious and open allegation, implies consent, means that Buhari cannot ignore the accusations bordering on aggravated economic sabotage and, perhaps treason. Unless, Buhari and his cabal can offer a convincing rebuttal, the man’s life-long image has been totally destroyed. Tinubu might not realise it; he might not even intend it; but, he has “murdered” Buhari. It is now left to the old and tired ex-General to lay dead or to rise up and fight for his reputation, now in shreds, as well as his place in history. Either way, he will never be the same again. Of the two options, ignoring Tinubu would be the worse one; because, the probes which had been ordered will most probably provide sufficient evidence to nail him and his cabal members.
Fighting back also carries with it a lot of risks. To redeem his lost esteem, Buhari must prove Tinubu wrong on a lot of the allegations. Meanwhile, Tinubu only needs to prove a few things to be true for Buhari “Mr Clean” to become “Mr Dirty”. Instincts tell me that Buhari is beaten before the fight starts.
That leaves the proud General with only one option left – BEG FOR MERCY.
BUHARI SHOULD FORGET PRIDE; JUST BEG
“Pride, the never failing pride of fools” – Alexander Pope, 1688-1744, VBQ, p 200
The reader should permit me to bring in part the article published just a few weeks ago, to demonstrate the extent of Buhari’s complicity in the illegal raid on the CBN without the knowledge of the National Assembly.
RAID ON WHEAT LEVY
“ISSUE 14: IRREGULAR WITHDRAWALS FROM PUBLIC FUNDS (=N60,832,040,370.72).
Section 80(4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) states: No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.” Also paragraph 417 of the Financial Regulation states: Expenditure shall be strictly classified in accordance with the estimates, and votes must be applied only to the purpose on which the money is provided. Expenditure incorrectly charged to a vote shall be disallowed.
“The sum of N13,775,687,264.39 was withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Pool Account, while N47,056,353,106.33 was withdrawn from 15% Wheat Grain Levy…for purposes outside the aim of the establishment of the respective funds, contrary to the provisions of the Constitution and Financial Regulation…”
Despite his low educational qualification, even Buhari would be expected to understand those simple constitutional and financial regulatory provisions. At any rate, his Vice President is a Senior Advocate and a Professor of Law; he also has an Attorney General and Minister of Justice, also, sadly, a SAN. In addition, at least three SANs are members of his under-performing cabinet. So, Buhari cannot plead ignorance when he ordered the Governor of the CBN to release funds from the Wheat Levy Pool Account to pay for “the payment of earned allowance to non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities (N8,000,000,000); to finance 2019 recruitment of Police Officers approved by Mr President (N9,056,353,106.33) and funds borrowed from special account for eventual release to MOD [Ministry of Defence] procurement of Military Equipment (N30,000,000,000).” Source: AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR THE FEDERATION’S ANNUAL REPORT ON THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2019).
I have gone to great lengths to reveal how, since a fish rots from the head, the massive corruption in the Federal Government from 2015 to 2023 had its origin, specifically, in the President’s office. Buhari, contrary to the lies told by his spokesmen, was an incorrigible serial law breaker. The Wheat Levy was established to promote our self-sufficiency in wheat production and to reduce our food import bill. As we have seen, with evidence beyond reasonable doubt, Buhari illegally forced Emefiele to release funds from that account for other purposes. Abuse of power. He made the request without approval from the NASS. Breach of a financial regulation. And, he deliberately kept all the transactions hidden from the NASS, which did not ask questions. Nobody can now account for how the N30 billion released to the MOD was spent.
To cover up this and thousands of other shady conspiracies, queries by the Auditor General were ignored. Summons by the NASS were treated with well-deserved contempt; the leaders of the NASS were primed to “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” about Buhari – despite the unpleasant odour of monstrous corruption.”
To be continued…