THE GOOD AND THE BAD, #2015ELECTION

THE GOOD AND THE BAD, # 2015ELECTION I have considered opinions from different angles, and with this I did few investigations on candidates from both parties. # GMB Born on Thursday,17 th December,1942 in an ancient village called Dumurkol near Daura town [now under Katsina state ],General Buhari is traced to a noble Fulani family since his father, Adamu was the village chief and his mother,Zulaihat was the daughter of Musa Sarkin Dogarai [ i.e. the Head of the Daura infantry Division] who still doubled as the son of Kauran Daura Lawal[ i.e. the Head of the Daura Armed Forces] at the time. He grew up in nobility and started his education from Daura and Mai Adua primary schools,1948—52;Katsina Middle school 1953— 55;Katsina Provincial secondary school [now Government college Katsina]1956—61 ;Nigerian Military Training college, Kaduna 1962;Mons officer Cadet school, Aldershot United Kingdom,1962—63;Defence Service Staff college, Wellington, India January –November 1973 to Army War college 1979—80 in the United States of America. I wish the space would allow me to itemize his military career for the benefit of my readers. Meanwhile, General Buhari is married with eight children. He became Nigeria’s Head of state via a military coup against the then government of Shehu Shagari on 31 st December, 1983.The aim of the coup according to Nigerian military elite was to save Nigeria from impending economic and political collapse as a result of crass mismanagement of resources, crisis of confidence and general insecurity in the country occasioned by the recklessness of the serving second Republic politicians. In his inaugural speech on 1st January, 1984 Buhari had this to say: “Fellow Nigerians, you are aware of the change in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was announced early this morning. In pursuance of the primary objective of saving our great country from total collapse, I, General Muhammadu Buhari of the Nigerian Army have, after due consultation among the services of the Armed Forces, been formally vested with the authority of the Head of state of the Federal military government and commander–in –chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and crisis of confidence now afflicting our nation.” As It is on record that Buhari’s military regime is the only one in Nigeria’s history that failed to promulgate a program for return to civilian rule. This same Buhari would now have us believe that he has gone through some metamorphosis and has become a democrat. Buhari is not, has never been, and will never be , a democrat. Only in Nigeria would a man with his track record, who came to power through a military coup that illegally overthrew a democratic government, now be acclaimed as a democrat. # GEJ Goodluck Jonathan, (born Nov. 20, 1957, Otuoke, Nigeria), Nigerian zoologist and politician who became vice president of Nigeria in 2007 and president in 2010. Jonathan, of the Ijo (Ijaw) ethnic group and a Christian, was born and raised in the region of the Niger delta in what is now Bayelsa state. He attended Christian primary and secondary schools in the area and later attended the University of Port Harcourt, earning a B.S. in zoology (1981), an M.S. in hydro biology and fisheries biology (1985), and a Ph.D. in zoology (1995). During his university education, he also taught at Rivers State College of Education from 1983 until 1993. He then served as an assistant director at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission, a now defunct government agency, from 1993 until 1998. Jonathan’s political career began when he became involved with the nascent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the late 1990s. He was elected deputy governor of Bayelsa state in 1999 under the party’s banner. He served in that position until 2005, when he was elevated to the governorship after the incumbent was charged with corruption and impeached. In 2007 he was selected to be the vice presidential running mate of the PDP’s presidential candidate, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua . He and Yar’Adua were elected in April and inaugurated in May. As vice president, Jonathan engaged in efforts to negotiate with militants in the Niger delta, who were fighting against petroleum companies operating in the delta region, but otherwise he largely remained in the political background. His profile rose considerably in early 2010 when Yar’Adua’s extended absence from the country for medical treatment made many Nigerians anxious and generated calls for Yar’Adua to formally transfer power to Jonathan. As concerns mounted and there was no word from Yar’Adua on the request to transfer power to his vice president, members of Nigeria’s National Assembly took matters into their own hands and on Feb. 9, 2010, voted to have Jonathan assume full power and serve as acting president until Yar’Adua was able to resume his duties. Jonathan agreed and assumed power later that day, but it was unclear whether the assumption of power was constitutional. When Yar’Adua returned to Nigeria on Feb. 24, 2010, it was announced that Jonathan would remain as acting president while Yar’Adua continued to recuperate. The next month, Jonathan asserted his power by replacing Yar’Adua’s cabinet. Yar’Adua, who never fully recovered, died on May 5, 2010, and Jonathan was sworn in as president the following day. Jonathan vowed to continue his involvement in the Niger delta peace negotiations and declared his intentions to reform the country’s oft criticized electoral process as well as tackle corruption and deal with the country’s energy problems. “Today, the Jonathan “Administration have spent $32 billion on security and defence, Nigeria is not any safer, with thousands of deaths, 221,000 square kilometres of territory captured by Boko Haram, 650,000 Nigerians internally displaced and also a daily harvest of death from ethno-religious crisis, clashes between pastoralists and farmers, armed robberies and kidnapping. “To make matters worse, our once proud and globally-acknowledged military has been brought to its knees by lack of necessary fighting equipment, even with $32 billion spent. One wonders where the huge funds went to.” After carefully considering both candidates, I urge Nigerians not to go for the available option all in the name of the need for a "Change ". #GMB no doubt seem to be a better option for Nigerians due to the current predicament in Jonathan's administration, but I want you to remember that as It is on record that Buhari’s military regime is the only one in Nigeria’s history that failed to promulgate a program for return to civilian rule. Buhari I fear cannot be trusted, remember the statement made in Hausa would readily be translated into English, Buhari later declared unapologetically in a BBC interview: “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.” These are the tokens of an irresponsible politician, whose ambitions for power supersede the national interest. Who then are the dogs and baboons that Buhari has in mind to soak in blood if and when he loses yet again come 2015? Are they his children or are they those of others? To the youths who are willing to tell a success story of how they shaped the future of this great Nation, I write. Don't be deceived, think thoroughly and vote wisely. Yours: Onawale Stephen.