2015: Why Nigerians Should Not Support Muhammed Buhari. Muhammadu Buhari born December 17, 1942 is a retired Major General in the Nigerian Army and a former military ruler of Nigeria from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985. The term Buharism is ascribed to the Buhari military government. His ethnic background is Fulani, and his faith is Islam; he is a native of Daura in Katsina State of Nigeria. After a successful military coup detat that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari by Buhari in December 31, 1983, he justified the militarys seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt. He also moved to silence critics of his administration, passing decrees curbing press freedoms and allowing for opponents to be detained up to three months without formal charges. He also banned strikes and lockouts by workers and founded Nigerias first secret police force. His government sentenced popular musician and political critic Fela Kuti to ten years in prison on charges that Amnesty International denounced as fabricated and politically motivated. A high-profile incident that sparked a diplomatic incident with Britain caused by Buhari, British officials found the late Umaru Dikko, Shehu Shagaris former transportation minister drugged in a crate marked for shipment to Lagos . Buharis attempts to re-balance public finances by curbing imports led to many job losses and the closure of businesses. These losses were accompanied by a rise in prices and a decline in living standards. Buhari served as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a body created by the government of General Abacha, and funded from the revenue generated by the increase in price of petroleum products, to pursue developmental projects around the country but there was no single project executed by Buhari in the South Eastern Nigeria because of his hatred for the Igbo people. PTFs allocation of 20% of its resources to the military was not accountable for the revenue. In 2003, Buhari contested the presidential election as the candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He was defeated by the Peoples Democratic Party nominee, President Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, by a margin of more than eleven million votes. In March 2010, Buhari left the ANPP for the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) where he was made the Presidential candidate in the 16 April 2011 general election, running against incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), amongst others. Buhari gave support to enforcement of Sharia law in Nigerias northern states, which had previously caused him political difficulties among Christian voters in the countrys south. He failed to secure much support among Christians in the south, where he was viewed with some suspicion. Mr. Buhari has ruled Nigeria once, from January 1984 until August 1985, thus, If you choose correct leadership, there wont be any need for the military regime. And this led to continuing questions about Buharis commitment to democracy.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 08:12:55 +0000