Garba Shehu or Buhari? Who is Nigeria's President-elect?

Garba Shehu or Buhari? Who is Nigeria's President-elect?

The first critical assignment undertaken by yet-to-be-sworn in Muhhammadu Buhari's administration was to place a ban on one of Nigeria's leading private television station, the Africa Independent Television (AIT). This was seen by experts as the first step to clamp down on press freedom and free speech. AIT ran several anti Buhari documentaries, which factually exposed all the atrocities committed by his military regime in the early 1980s. It is therefore believed that Buhari’s ban of AIT was as a result of this - vendatta. Buhari has a record of cracking down on the media, even jailing journalists during his days as military Head of State from 1984 to 1985.

Vanguard reported that the directive was given to the correspondent by one of Buhari's high-level aide, Mallam Garba Shehu. Shehu, had at the Defence House, Abuja, where the crew had gone to cover the visit of Cuban ambassador to Buhari issued the directive.

Shehu had alleged that the directive was given because Buhari’s family had raised security issues regarding AIT. 

Confirming the issue, Shehu, said that such warning was given and may be revoked when some security and ethical issues were resolved with the station.

“AIT has been asked to stay aside based on security and family concerns. In addition, Buhari has decided that they will have to resolve some issues relating to issues of standard and ethics.

“We will be talking with them to try and resolve the matter, but for now the station has been asked to stay aside, because like I said there are some family and security concerns. They have been asked to step down their coverage until we resolve the matter with them on ethics and standards.”

When asked whether he should be quoted, Shehu said, “Yes, you can quote me that I said we have asked them to step aside and that we are resolving the issues of ethics and standards with them.”

However, the furore raised by the incident, in which The Biafran played a key role forced the All Progressives Congress (APC) to overrule Buhari on the issue. This reversion of Buhari's first policy by his party, The Biafran learnt is generating tremendous bad-blood in the ranks of the APC and trust is quickly being eroded.

Few days later Buhari denied giving such directives to ban AIT. Buhari said he was neither consulted nor informed about the AIT barring, and only became aware of the matter after the public uproar it generated.

So if Buhari did not give the directive, does it mean that Garba Shehu has arrogated the powers of the Presidency to himself? Recall Shehu, mentioned Buhari while giving the directive: “AIT has been asked to stay aside based on security and family concerns. "In addition, Buhari has decided that they will have to resolve some issues relating to issues of standard and ethics."

So who is lying between the two?

If Buhari is not lying then why has he not fired Shehu for undermining his authority?

Buhari has the penchant for neglecting his duties and letting his subordinates run the show. He did it as a military head of state, with Tunde Idiagbon running the show. He did as chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) with Afri-Projects Consortium (APC), calling the shots.

The management structure of the PTF reflected how Buhari ran the affairs of the country as head of state, when he abdicated all responsibilities to Tunde Idiagbon. He was just satisfied with being the executive chairman, as he was with being called head of state and c-in-c. And, without being accountable to anybody, at the PFT, Buhari exuded the impression he was an alternate Head of State. The same way he kowtowed to Idiagbon was the same way he handed over PTF to a single consultant, Afri-Projects Consortium (APC), as the sole adviser to the Fund. This agency- Afri-Projects Consortium – was given the exclusive power to initiate projects, assess their probable cost, approve the costs, execute the projects, and assess the quality of execution, all alone by Buhari. Nobody questioned their actions and legality of the powers they exercised. After all, puritan Buhari was watching.

So who else apart from Garba Shehu will be calling the shots with the name of General Muhammadu Buhari?

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Tinubu reversal of Buhari on AIT highlights deep division in APC government. Yorubas battle Hausa Fulani for the soul of Nigeria

Buhari On African Independent Television (AIT) By Iyoha John Darlington 

Repressive rule has only just begun. We do not need a soothsayer to restate the obvious under the existing circumstances. I have often heard Buhari’s apologists say he is a turned democrat and this often makes me laugh preferably in Swahili because I remain firm and unshaken in my conviction that try as the leopard might it could never change its spots.

It would be recalled, however, that Buhari on December 31, 1983 overthrew a democratically elected civilian government. No sooner had he done that than the junta under him embarked on remorseless repression that gave many Nigerians agonizing sleepless nights. It was one vast empire characterized by reign of terror. Many Nigerians were thrown in stir on trumped up charges and in the process Nigeria’s best brains were killed among whom were Prof. Ambrose Alli, the first executive Governor of the defunct Bendel State. Pa Adekunle Ajasin, Dr. Alex Ekwueme Sam Mbakwe and many others were unduly incarcerated for crimes they did not commit while his kinsmen of northern extraction save Dr. Dikko were briefly detained and left off the hook. 

These are verifiable facts and may Heaven bear me witness this day! The promulgation of Decree Number 4 empowered him to gag the press and press freedom was withdrawn and the likes of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor became victims. This took place about three decades ago and the wound inflicted on the minds of Nigerians is gradually being reopened by his recent pronouncements barring Nigeria’s premier private television station, African Independent Television (AIT), a media organization characterized by enlightened personnel practices from covering his activities. 

This is blunder NO 1 – a clear depiction of a brainless doll who knows next to nothing about governance. One question that agitates the mind of the writer is: What moral justification has Buhari got to ever rule Nigeria again when he ought to be standing trial for being liable to a number of offences? Is Buhari not guilty after the accessory of fact for murdering three young men of Nigerian extraction by retroactive laws at Bar Beach firing range? Bartholomew Owoh, Bernard Ogedengbe and Lawal Ojuolape trafficked in drugs which was a bailable offence as of the time the crime was committed but Buhari went ahead and promulgated Decree Number 20 had it backdated and executed the above-named. Ay, these three young men were executed. 

This is MURDER in capital letters and Buhari ought to have stood trial and faced the dire consequences of this irredeemable mortal sin! This is one impunity enjoyed by military dictators implicated in civilian killings. Nigeria as a country where impunity apparently thrives, Buhari rose from behind to contest Nigeria’s plum job and amid deception and lies the gullible electorates were again bamboozled by an evil cabal who do not mean well for Nigeria. 

As the incumbent President foresees danger again hanging over our heads like the ancient sword of Damocles he was left with no option but to concede defeat and relinquish his hold on power in the interest of peace. There is doubtless a long road to peace as his behaviour is becoming bizarre following his recent pronouncement barring AIT from covering his activities which has attracted widespread criticisms from the civil populace. 

Realizing his folly or out of rude awakening or probably after a deep, soul-searching introspection how things could go wrong we see the charging bull reversing the threat which is being widely reported but fortunately or unfortunately this does not make any difference. The pronouncement has been made and Nigerians have been told what to expect in the coming years; in fact the Rubicon , if I dare say, is crossed! Be that as it may, Buhari must be reminded of tyrant’s places in history and more so that the world has gone past the era tsarist’s repressions. 

If Buhari feels aggrieved that the attack on him is libelous the best thing is to seek redress. He is no more a private but a public figure. Here in Western Europe and probably in the rest of the world private lives of public office holders are dug into by the press. Against this background AIT has not erred. If he spotted any falsehood in the purported documentary, the best thing is to sue them for libel and that is better done in a competent court of law in stead of breathing out threats that would further drag his name in the mud. Like I did say treading the infamous path of repression is no longer tenable in today’s world, in fact the incoming Abuja regime must take particular note of this. 

Iyoha John Darlington, aka Lington Donovan, a social activist, political analyst and public commentator on national and global events writes from Turin, Italy. Email: jamestmichael2003@yahoo.com