Feb 16 Presidential Election: Buhari Not A Candidate?

By Ifeanyi Izeze

Why are our politicians like this? Those pushing and campaigning for President Mohammadu Buhari’s second term in office, do they really mean what they are doing or just doing it for the sake of their egoistic interests?

How can those still supporting the President’s second term bid in all honesty tell Nigerians why the same Buhari we saw on NTA during the debate in Abuja, also in Warri at the APC rally and, in Lokoja and Kaduna at the various APC rallies, should continue as president?

No matter how anybody wants to look at it, there is something that’s not adding up in Buhari’s candidacy in next month’s presidential election. Whether the man himself is allowing people around him to subject him to what could now best be described as inhumane treatment or he is willingly subjecting himself to such, the fact remains that Nigerians need to rise up to save our president from this self-destruct and/or organized crime not only against him but the entire nation. .

Whether anybody wants to accept this or not, we have a national emergency in our hands again as a nation of people. Who is actually the APC presidential candidate in next month’s election? Is it a man who is mentally deteriorated with impaired memory, unawareness, and diminished quality of thought, slurred speech, physically unfit and at best generally lifeless as Donald Trump put it or a group of self-serving individuals bent on pushing this man even if it means into the abyss?  This should be an issue of serious concern to all of us as citizens of this country.

It is unexplainable that people who say they mean well for Nigeria should be pushing a man who is no longer aware of anything in and around his government even including who he is. He is unaware of the date and even the year he was sworn into office, he does not know when he was born, he does not know his deputy’s accurate name etc. Is that the quality of a man we want as President of Nigeria?

All these while, they tried to hide the President from speaking in public because they have no confidence in his ability to articulate any issue but now, beyond the Presidency and APC propaganda and cover ups, reality has taken its course. It is called gaffe when it happens once or twice, but, it is disability/sickness when it happens time again and again. The President’s characteristic disconnected look, sudden prolonged silence mid sentence, often tangential answers to a straightforward questions, all point to the fact that the President is now debilitating disabled.

In saner climes, after President Buhari’s disastrous performance on Kadara’s programme on NTA, “The Candidates”, and his scandalous outing at the Warrri  APC rally amongst others too numerous to mention, he would have been asked to go home and rest. But because the people prompting him are selfish and wicked, they will pretend that the NTA  and Warri events never happened just as they pretended in 2015 when the President was calling APC ‘All Progressives Confidence’, ‘INEC’ as  ‘Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission’, Osinbajo  as ‘Osunbade’ and Imo State as ‘Ibo’ State.

They also saw him in 2015 when he was talking about Deutsche Mark that was last spent in Europe in 1999 as currency being used in Germany, referring to Angela Merkel as President Michelle and Germany as West Germany. But they will never mind the international embarrassment that he has become as long as their hold on power is sustained and their 2023 presidential ambition is guaranteed.

Those supporting Buhari’s candidacy in next month’s election are clearly enemies of Nigeria devoid of conscience. This man should be allowed to go home and rest. Which “next level” can this quality of man take the nation to?

As said by a vexed Nigerian in his comment, “It is obvious that in leadership and politics like-minds gravitate towards each other. The implication of his much touted support could also mean that a vast majority of our country men and women are actually not in control of their senses. That explains why we have a country of organized disorganization. This is what you get when politics is devoid of godliness, patriotism, morality and values.

Farooq Kperogi in his piece had submitted that, “If Nigeria were to be a functional nation, the National Assembly would have declared him incapacitated and removed from office. And he would certainly not be a candidate for president. He should go and rest, and not rule because he is actually ruining not ruling, Nigeria.”

The long and short of this story is that no matter the qualities they say Buhari has, it is no longer relevant as he has lost the capacity to act more especially when his mental and physical condition is deteriorating. All humane Nigerians no matter the political divide should as a matter of sympathy and love for the President indeed publicly ask him not to seek re-election but rather retire honourably to rest.

It is a complete disservice not only to the nation but also to God for any sane person to continue promoting Buhari’s candidature despite the fully manifested pointers to his downgraded mental and physical health. Buhari supporters and the selfish clique pushing him on should ask themselves: is it reasonable to allow a man who obviously is not in control of his intellect and even his physical strength and stamina to continue to preside over the affairs of a country as big, diverse and complicated as Nigeria? God bless Nigeria!