Civil-War Threat: "Buhari is not Genocidal, only doing his Job"

Presidential aide, Femi Adesina has weighed on the recent controversy about President Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘Genocidal’ comments to the people of the South-East.

POLITICS NIGERIA earlier reported that the president faced heavy criticisms on Tuesday night over a threat he made referencing the 1967 Civil war. Social media giant, Twitter also deleted tweets from the President’s official account over the matter.

Speaking on the incident in an article issued on Thursday night titled “I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED WHY I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PRESIDENT”, Adesina argued that the President was only carrying out an oath he swore to.

“President Muhammadu Buhari spoke on Tuesday, warning troublemakers in the country that the picnic was over, and the next day, I saw this comment online from a Buharist, as lovers and admirers of the President are known: “I just finished watching the President on TV reading the riot act to troublemakers, and I couldn’t be prouder of the President. I suddenly remembered why I fell in love with the President.”

He added: “How did things unfold that Tuesday afternoon, that led President Buhari to make the speech that is perhaps the most epochal in recent times?”

“Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had led top guns of the electoral body into the meeting room with the President, shortly before the scheduled time of 3 pm.

Like clockwork, President Buhari came in at the dot of the appointed time. He never misses it. And Prof Yakubu began his briefing. What were the main points?”

“The spate of attacks on INEC’s offices and facilities nationwide has grave implications for elections and electoral activities in Nigeria. So far, there have been 42 of such attacks across the country since the 2019 General Election. The incidents occurred in 14 states for a variety of reasons, including bandit attack, 1, Boko Haram, 1, EndSARS protest, 18, post-election violence, 4, thuggery during elections, 6, unknown gunmen and hoodlums, 12.”

“Thirty out of the 42 or 71% of the attacks happened in the last 7 months. They appear to be targeted at future elections, with the intention to incapacitate INEC, undermine democracy, and precipitate a national crisis.”

“The INEC Chairman enumerated the immediate implications of the development, unfolded actions taken by the Commission, and asked for the intervention of Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Confronted by such graphic display of anarchy, what should a President do? Throw up his hands in surrender, acquiesce, and tell everyone to go home in defeat and capitulation?”

“What our country needs at this time is iron and steel. An alchemy of GMB and PMB. We are in a democracy, yes, but democracy is no byword for lawlessness. If anybody misbehaves in any part, repeat, ANY PART, of the country, they need to be whipped into line.”

“The nation needs not go into a tailspin because some people bear giant sized grudges in their hearts. By the way, is there any part of the country that does not have one grievance or the other? Is the next option then to capsize the boat of the country? Any leader that has sworn to uphold the Constitution would not open his eyes, and see it happen.”

“Leaders must do whatever they should do to maintain peace and tranquility in their countries. Their intentions will always be misinterpreted and misrepresented. No matter. The good of the larger majority must be considered at all times. North, South, East, West, anarchy should never be condoned, no matter what some people may say.”

He pointed out that the President was not ‘Genocidal’.

“President Buhari is not genocidal, and can’t ever be accused of such intentions. But a leader worth his salt cannot look on, and watch law and order break down irretrievably. It is not about a people, or region. It is about the country he took an oath to keep together.”