“I can’t see any integrity whatsoever on the side of Mr President. Which integrity? Somebody who condones corrupt people around him”- Buba Galadima.
The event of November 19, 2019 at the floor of House of Representatives’ chamber has clearly shown that, it can only amount to suicide for a sitting president and his party to continuously take for granted, over one hundred and ninety million. Although, All Progressives Congress (APC) spin doctors effort to pin the booing of the president on that faithful day of budget presentation, on politics by the opposition elements; keeps collapsing in view of plethora of evidence debunking the claims by the president on his achievements.
On Wednesday, 26 December 2018 morning, Buba Galadima, in his usual element best, went for the jugular of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Integrity in an interview he granted to Channels Television. Here is snippet of Buba’s no hold bare interview: “I know Buhari’s relatives who were begging us for N2, 000 to go to Kaduna before 2015, who are billionaires today. Go to Daura today and you will see all houses looking like Dubai villas, who owns them—!?? This is the last time I must hear the word, integrity from Buhari people”. Surely, Buba didn’t talk in parable, the missile was guided and its destination well known to all Nigerians, including APC spin doctors.
It is obvious from social media reactions to Buba’s interview on Channels Television that the view of majority lawmakers as expressed on the day the President presented the 2019 budget was correct after all. Also, if the interview is critically evaluated and placed side by side with Buba’s antecedent, in terms of Real Integrity (RI), those Nigerians that are yet to come to term with the fact that NASS incident a week ago was no fluke; may have been converted to Engineer Buba Galadima’s school of thought.
In the Channels Tv interview Buba took a swipe at Buhari-led APC government’s disregard for rule of law and due process. Here is extract on his thought on TradaMoni, the president’s refusal to sign electoral bill into law etc: — “You have waylaid me by bringing an advert promoting APC in this programme where I participate which I rarely afford to, however, I will want to say that sharing of money, TradaMoni, in the market has a history and the history is that, can you remember Lawrence Anini in Benin who was sharing money in the market?,”. “Those who share money in the market, unappropriated money, unbudgeted money, from the so-called Abacha Loot are armed robbers because they are doing something that they cannot account for. “I also want to say that the issue as to whether general Buhari or the president will sign the electoral act in January, I want to remind the senator that the president has not said so and I quote the president he said he is leaving it to the next government.—.
This writer was made to understand that Buba’s real integrity is responsible for acceptance of PDP in the north. He has convinced the people of the region that Buhari rode on their back to power and abandoned them. For instance on November 30, 2018, information has it that Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) northern leaders dumped APC for PDP; they said Buhari was a disaster. Political watchers believe Buba was responsible for the elders move. Report has it that only recently a northern governor went to Kano and call on some leaders to help him prevail on Buba Galadima not to collect his state from him, promising to work for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition. Right now Bubas factor in northern politics is blowing like hurricane; only a political neophyte can ignore it.
As Nigerians prepare for 2019, general elections in 2019, the battle in the north will defiantly center on Real Integrity and Apparent Integrity- that is, Buba Galadima Vs Muhammadu Buhari. While Buba’s integrity appears real, that of Buhari has been dealt a big blow. The budget day presentation booing, the current frolicking involving Buhari-led APC and some alleged PDP looters taking shelter in the party, apparently to evade EFCC’s radar; and now, overnight prosperity expose in Daura by Buba, have combined to make nonsense of Buhari’s standing on integrity claim.
Emeka Oraetoka
Information Management Consultant & Researcher
Wrote in from Abuja
e-mail: oramekllis@lycos.com
