THE present call by a group that styles itself the “Buhari Vanguard” that the revered National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor be arrested clearly amounts to an unbridled frontal assault on the collective integrity of the body of Nigerian Christians symbolized today by his person; much the same way a call for the arrest of the person of the revered Sultan of Sokoto means to the Muslims of this country.

The fact that the Federal government has owned up to the responsibility of the $9.3 million cargo, in the same manner that present operator of the leased aircraft has owned up to the responsibility is quite enough reason to absolve the respected CAN President of any culpability. But this position does not seem good enough to satisfy the desperate political garbage-mongers masquerading as agents of opposition.

First it was the disused, abandoned and desperate once self-acclaimed “Governor” of the Federal Capital Territory Malam Nasir el-Rufai who had the audacity to vilify the person of the CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor. One wonders where he should have been had a southern President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not brought him to limelight? One fact which most Nigerians have failed to acknowledge is that the North is poorer and would continue to be even poorer in future because of the likes of Nasir el-Rufai whose fundamentalist-feudalistic mentality has remained a fortress against the growth of the common-man in the North.

Appointed over and above their more qualified Hausa and Middle Belt counterparts on account of their Fulani blood, their mission in Government has always  remained to protect the vexatious feudal structure in the North, maintain the sorry poverty level among the talakawa class and used Islam as a perpetual political bait court the poverty-striken mostly un-educated masses of the North.

If one may ask el-Rufai, how far did he use his office as both the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises superintending over the sale of Federal Government-owned companies, and the “Governor” of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to reduce the poverty in the North? Yet, this type of political torn-coats are audacious enough to cast aspersion on the person of the President and respected Southern leaders whose main concerns in government have been the overall well-being of their people.

It is only unfortunate that people like some of us in the South are not from the North, otherwise one would not see the basis of such a fundamentalist as el-Rufai, who once said that unless those he styled as devils convert to Islam he would never cross-over to PDP seeking to rule Kaduna State, a predominantly Christian enclave as Governor.

Perhaps most amusing and yet more ridiculous than the wobbly ranting of el-Rufai is the outburst of the political homunculus called Buhari Vanguard, which assumes that by riding on the back of a tiger they could as well be likened to a tiger, but who by that action only exposed their kola-nut-coated set of dentition for surgical examination. One fact is obvious, whatever angle it is taken, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor today represents the living symbol of Nigeria’s resolve to extricate herself from the virus of Islamic fundamentalism, be it in the political garb of Sharia or the monster-jihad called Boko Haram. Nigerians are not unaware of his symbolic image as the terrain-buster of Global Jihad intent in Nigeria through the twin-agencies of Sharia and Boko Haram.

The fact is obvious. Never in the history of Nigeria has  Christians  so collectively stood up under a single leadership to the audacious challenge the domineering perpetual intents of Northern jihadists. And it is not uncommon that such a gifted leader should face repeated vilification from those who see him as their stumbling block. But coming this time from no less a group that dedicates itself to the promotion of the political objectives of an incorrigible jihadist becomes a different cup of tea entirely.

The Muhammadu Buhari Vanguard should be the least of all   masquerading as  youth group because in reality, they are thugs. So to demand for the arrest of any leader in this country for whatever reason and under whatever guise is totally out of order. Today it has become a commonplace thought that the worst thing that can happen to Nigeria, even more devastating to the present raging Boko Haram insurgency, is for General Muhammadu Buhari to be elected  President of the Federal Republic  of  Nigeria. I stand by the following facts and by the same token call the so-called Buhari Vanguard to rebut as and when necessary.

First, General Buhari, the man whom the Buhari Vanguard represents  is a man who does not recognize the necessity of the Nigerian Federation to maintain its secularity. Acutely fundamentalist and ethnically bigoted in both character and outlook, Buhari does not recognize the existence of any other religion in Nigeria apart from Islam, nor does he recognize the capacity of any other ethnic group in Nigeria aside from the Fulani to lead the nation.

He demonstrated this acute political dementia through his appointment of fellow Muslim, fellow Fulani even though masquerading as Gambari-Yoruba, and fellow Northerner, General Tunde Idiagbon as his second-in-command in such multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation as Nigeria. He also demonstrated that only President Shehu Shagari, a fellow Muslim, fellow Fulani and Northerner had the exclusive right of comfort in detention at the Government Reservation Area (GRA), while the likes of Vice President Alex Ekwueme and a host of other Southern and Middle Belt State governors were only good for the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.

Second, if Nigerians speak of transparency in government today among their past and present political leadership, the likes of Buhari should be consigned to the lowest throng of the ladder. Nigerians may be treated with the communist theory of repeated lies equal a truth by telling false tales about a transparent  Buhari, but if we still believe in the theory of history vindicating the just, and the  Buhari is left to the judgment of history, then it will be established that General Buhari has  no record of transparency in the history of his  political adventure both in and out of military uniform.

If there is an epidemic of oil theft today, its original virus was transmitted from General Buhari days in office. His tenure as Nigeria’s Petroleum and Energy Minister under Murtala/Obasanjo regime institutionalized oil theft in Nigeria.

It is equally on record that Buhari’s major objective in overthrowing the democratically elected regime of President Shehu Shagari was guided more by his attempt to cover-up the $2.8 billion saga then under Senate Committee Probe under Senator Olusola Saraki, than his self-acclaimed resolve to enthrone discipline and transparency in Nigeria.

Third, when Buhari eventually took over the reins of power, as part of his strategy of cover-up, he unleashed a draconian pattern of power control enveloped in what he deceitfully termed “War Against Indiscipline” (WAI).

Yet, at the same time he closed all the nation’s borders to advance his policy of currency restriction, imposing untold hardship on the people over scarcity of the new currency, imprisoning the likes of the music maestro Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and callously executing Owo and Ogedengbe for drug trafficking, the same Buhari criminally provided a Presidential escort to 53 suitcases laden with old currency notes belonging to the Emir of Gwandu, father of his ADC Major Mustapha Jokolo, later Emir but now deposed, from Saudi Arabia through Ilorin Airport to the Emir’s Palace in Birnin-Kebbi.

Fourth, the same General Buhari sold off his kinsman and perceived political rival General Musa Shehu Yar’Adua to General Sani Abacha’s political inquisition for a price of Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). Yet, this was the same man General Sani Abacha announced his overthrow and for which reason he sacked his wife of many decades for hobnobbing with General Abacha’s wife, Miriam.

Fifth, if one may ask, why did General Buhari ask General Abacha to make him the sole signatory to PTF account if not for dubious objectives? Where had it happened in such a Federal Government entity as PTF that only one man is designated the sole signatory to the account? Could such reckless privilege have come from a man religiously attached to the notions of accountability and transparency?

If General Buhari’s superintendence of PTF could be said to be impeccable, how then could President Obasanjo’s regime have discovered that a whopping sum of N2.5 billion was never accounted for by the organization, and that what were left on ground as the PTF projects were in total and wide variance with the huge amount of money siphoned into PTF?

Sixth, that General Buhari is a religious bigot whose leadership could only plunge the nation into the deeper abyss of religious conflict is further explained by fanatical position on the controversial issue of Sharia. Recall that in 2001, not only commanded the Muslims of this nation to only vote for Muslims alone in future elections, but openly declared his intent to launch a total jihad against the Christians of this country when he called for total implementation of Sharia throughout the entire States of the Federation.

Seventh, it is no longer a hidden fact that General Buhari is not just a supporter but the god-father of Boko Haram. The fact that he and the Sultan of Sokoto were the only Northern leaders chosen by the leaders of Boko Haram to negotiate with the Federal Government on their behalf is a proof that not only has he the listening ears of the sect leaders, but works in tandem with their objectives.

This is further supported by the fact that only General Buhari of all Northern Muslim leaders sympathetic to the cause of Boko Haram has come out openly to challenge the Federal Government for the killing of members of Boko Haram, while at the same time he never saw anything wrong with the massive and countless killings of innocent citizens by the same Boko Haram.

Eighth, just two years ago, this Sheikh of jihad was reported to have stated that “if what happened in 2011 should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood”. The question here is who are the dog and baboon that would be soaked in blood, and who are those that would do the soaking? Nigerians are still waiting for General Buhari to explain this thesis of the baboon and the dog further.

Ninth and finally, today Nigeria and Nigerians are not only facing the threat of Boko Haram from the North East angle, but the Boko Haram within clad in the garb of Fulani militants called Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore devastating the length and breadth of Middle Belt killing innocent Christians. The question here is, for what objective could ordinary Fulani herdsmen be armed with sophisticated weapons if not for a greater combat operation?

Being that General Muhammadu Buhari is the Grand Patron of this group of herdsmen terrorists, the Federal Government should quickly put into motion machineries for full investigations into their activities, their sources of arm, and the role of their Grand Patron General Muhammadu Buhari. Thus the final question, how prepared are Nigerians to avert the soaking of the baboon and dog in blood come 2015?

Amid this controversy over $93 million however, most Nigerians tend to forget the collective eternal danger of an eventual Boko Haram victory; what Nigeria would look like if by chance Boko Haram over-runs the country? Many Nigerians, both Christians and moderate Muslims alike conscious of the raging Islamist assaults in such countries as Mali, Central African Republic, Kenya, Somalia and Iraqi-Syria ISIS angle would understand that the battle against Boko Haram has gone to a greater extent, beyond the Christian-Muslim divide in Nigeria today.

Agreed that the Christians in this country will definitely bear the greater brunt of an eventual Boko Haram victory, emerging events have shown that not even those who provided them with initial support and still sympathetic with their activities would be spared. Already the North East is having increasing refugee crisis that is no respecter of Emirs. Yet this obvious fact notwithstanding, the opposition and their hirelings in their desperate pursuit of political power seem to be blind to the realities of the dangers posed by Boko Haram.

They forget that the threat now posed by Boko Haram has long metamorphosed from being a tool to oust President Jonathan from power to a self-destructive tool that is now directed against the very established traditional that once stood as their protector and sponsor. The tamed lion having finished with the presumed enemy-prey of its tamer has turned against its tamer. This is the true situation with respect to the present Boko Haram insurgency.

It does not matter to these people if the parents of the Chibok abducted girls are living in perpetual anguish. What matters to them is how to exploit the situation to undermine the administration of President Jonathan.

It does not matter to these people that the Nigeria Armed Forces are made up of Nigerian citizens like them with family relations and dependants and that a number of these people are dying daily in the hands of Boko Haram equally leaving their families in anguish. All they know is that the Nigerian Army is not performing good enough to quell the insurgency overnight and that their weapons are substandard compared to those of Boko Haram.

Yet when efforts to upgrade the military weaponry are put in place as in the case of the South Africa arms purchase the same people tend to exploit any available loophole for their political gains. It does not really matter to these people if President Jonathan is having sleepless nights over the Boko Haram challenge. All that borders them is how the President would vacate the Aso Villa for his inability to personally trek to Sambisa Forest to bring back the abducted school girls.

One fundamental fact is that President Goodluck Jonathan has come to stay and every Nigerian both opponents and supporters have come to contend with the monster called Boko Haram. But those who style themselves opposition have come to believe that Boko Haram is only President Jonathan’s headache believing that the defeat of Boko Haram will only enhance the President’s victory in the coming general elections.

Thus it has become fashionable to take it that those who support President Jonathan are bound to be opposed to Boko Haram; and those opposed to the President are supporters of Boko Haram. This is the picture Nigeria is being confronted with today which has made it difficult for the nation to forge a common front to deal with the insurgency.

In any civilized democratic order matters of grave national security challenge such as the Boko Haram insurgency are treated with urgent collective resolve by both the opposition and the Government, except in a situation where the opposition are connected with the security challenge themselves.

The Nigerian scenario tends to adapt to the later situation because in every situation that tended to undermine the corporate existence of the nation since the inception of President Jonathan administration, the opposition seemed to be often more concerned about taking power than maintaining an enabling environment that could ensure the existence of a stable democratic order.

Today, Nigeria is facing her first serious challenge to her corporate entity since the Nigerian Civil War and one is yet to see one leader of the opposition APC coming out openly to either condemn in its entirety or bring up constructive solution to Boko Haram insurgency. All they are interested in is how to cash-in on the Government’s inadequacies in resolving the Islamic monster for their 2015 electoral gains. But as the Igbo would normally say, a weeping mourner still sees, Nigerians know their leaders better than those leaders think they know Nigeria.

Most Nigerians are not unaware that the present APC rank and file is dominated by sworn Islamists– those who see the vile manipulation of Islam as their only means of appropriating political power and are by the same token ideological allies of Boko Haram and their ISIS patrons. Thus one might not be surprised if the opposition are working in concert today with Boko Haram to ensure that the Federal Government fail in her efforts to defeat the insurgency.

Earlier it was believed that the Federal Government’s inability to end the insurgency was because the country’s security structure is dominated by his Christian brethren. Late General Andrew Owoye Azazi was maligned and stigmatized for non-performance as Chief Security Adviser. He was eventually removed and replaced by a son of the Caliphate. Yet the situation seems to get worst. Both the senior and junior ministers of Defence are Muslims, yet the battle against the insurgency seems to be getting worse.

Who then is to be blamed for the increasing threat of the insurgency? Are Nigerians awaiting as the only solution to the insurgency the time when this Muslim-dominated security framework would summon the President and order him to resign at gun-point for his failure to contend the insurgency?

The other day the fierce-fighting anti-Boko Haram buster General Azubuike Ihejirika was being threatened with legal action at the ICC for what they termed his senseless onslaught against those perceived to be Boko Haram in Bama.

Today this same accusers working through a White international political job-man called Stephen Davis are turning round to accuse him of sponsoring the same Boko Haram. And some Nigerians have arrived at the vile conclusion that because the hungry Australian political garbage-picker wears a white skin he must be believed at all costs.

The ensuing question then is why did he not mention the name of that particular Central Bank sponsor of Boko Haram as he did the others? One hopes that this same people would not turn around tomorrow to accuse even Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor of conspiracy with the same Boko Haram. And this one believes would be the next wish of the Buhari Vanguard.

Tony Nwaezeigwe, Acting Director, wrote fromCentre for Igbo Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

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