Last week was replete with ridiculous events that drew different reactions from Nigerians of all strata. One of such events was the crossfire between President Muhammadu Buhari’s Presidency and Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu.
Other ridiculous events considered in the week’s Politics Roundup include Senator Remi Tinubu’s dirty politics, Governor Samuel Ortom’s bombshell, among others.
Read through to find out other events we picked, at least, for the records.
1. Mbaka vs Buhari’s ugly fight
Certainly, one of the most hilarious events last week was the crossfire between Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka of the Adoration Ministry, Enugu and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Earlier in the week, the Catholic priest surprised many Nigerians in a viral video, where he blasted Buhari, who he heartily supported his election in 2015 and reelection in 2019.
“I know people will say, Mbaka did you not pray for Buhari, did Samuel not anoint Saul? What are you talking about? Am I the creator of Buhari? God created him, Nigerians trusted him because he has done well sometimes ago but now how can people just be dying?
“If it is in a civilized country, by now, President Buhari will resign. Quote me anywhere and let the whole world hear it. By now, with what is happening, President Buhari should honourably resign.
“All those that will fight what I’m saying now will eventually suffer the rot. If you can’t do it, either you resign or you be changed.
In a dirty fight back, Buhari, through his media aide, Garba Shehu, on Friday, April 30, replied: “Father Mbaka asked for a meeting and to the shock of Presidential Aides, he came accompanied by three contractors; …and to everyone’s surprise, Father Mbaka asked for contracts as compensation for his support.
“President Buhari requested the appropriate authorities to deal with the matter in accordance with laid down rules and inside the Villa, discretion prevailed, that if those pictures and requests were made public, the followers will turn against the religious leader. None of it was released. Now, this is what is eating Father Mbaka.”
Implications: On the side of Mbaka, it is unfortunate that the same cleric, who boasted to have heard from God that Buhari is the leader to salvage the country from its many woes, turned around to describe the same Buhari as a failure and calling on him to either resign or be booted out.
Mbaka’s U-turn may serve as a big lesson to gullible and religious Nigerians who take hook line and sinker whatever the so-called spiritual leaders tell them.
For the Presidency, it is clear that Buhari and his media handlers, through their response, are not ready to stop attacking those who speak truth to power.
To have chosen to blackmail Mbaka rather than respond to his concerns showed a Presidency that is ready to employ all forms of tactics including intimidation, bullying to silence its critics.
2. Remi Tinubu’s dirty politics
It was not a little ridiculous how on April 28, the wife of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Remi, got offended because a party member in the Senate, Smart Adeyemi, spoke out on the worrying insecurity across the country.
Smart, a Kogi West senator, while supporting a motion at the Senate plenary said on Buhari seeking foreign support to address insecurity in Nigeria had said: “This is the worst instability we are facing. In fact, this is worse than the civil war. We shouldn’t pretend that we need foreign support now. Billions of naira have been voted for security services and nothing is coming out of it.”
But uncomfortable, Mrs Tinubu interrupting said, “Are you in PDP? Are you a wolf in sheep’s clothing?”
Implications: The action of Remi Tinubu typifies how most politicians in the country elevate their personal and party interests above the interest of the nation.
It shows how far, because of greed and avarice, most Nigerian politicians can go to maintain their leadership position at the expense of the well-being of the citizens.
The question is, do they really care about us?
3. Gumi’s threat to Nigeria
On Monday, April 26, a prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, in an interview with Roots TV, said that Nigerians will regret it if the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Sheikh Isa Pantami, is removed from office for his alleged support for terrorist organisations, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
“All his (Pantami’s actions, one hundred per cent, shows he is not a terrorist. Those who are terrorists are after his life. The minister should continue. His presence there is fighting the terrorist ideology.
“… You should get more people like Pantami and put them in power. It will stabilise. Don’t remove him. You’ll regret.”
Implications: For Gumi to threaten Nigerians over the call for Pantami’s removal shows how deep ethnic and religious sentiments have permeated into serious national matters.
It is difficult to believe that the reputable Islamic cleric was bold enough to say that one man is indispensable in a country of over 200 million people.
4. Ortom’s bombshell
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom on Tuesday, April 27, lambasted President Buhari, saying that his body language shows that he is the president of his Fulani tribe and not that of the whole nation.
The governor, who was lamenting recent killings in Benue by suspected Fulani herdsmen said, “We are being overstretched and the people are fed up. We all cast our votes for President Buhari. He must not continue to be aloof. He must tell us where we are going in this country. The body language of the President shows that he is the President of the Fulani people.”
Responding, Buhari through his media aide, Shehu, said he was disappointed and sad at Ortom for blaming him for killings in Benue.
Implications: Ortom only stated the obvious feelings of many Nigerians. Buhari government’s handling of issues of killings by herdsmen and other criminals linked to the Fulani tribe has remained a matter of serious concern to many Nigerians.
Beyond being disappointed and sad, Buhari has to demonstrate he is not what he is being accused of by outrightly condemning the atrocities being perpetrated by killer herdsmen as well as ensured security force go after them and ensure they are apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.
5. Umahi’s readiness to negotiate with bandits
The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, on Friday, April 30, declared his intention to negotiate with bandits.
The governor, speaking at an event in Abakaliki, where he presented 40 Toyota Sienna vehicles and 20 Hilux vans to security agencies for enhanced operations in the state had said:
“I want to talk to the bandits and empower them as we cannot continue to kill ourselves and destroy public infrastructure.
“The bandits are our children and I am pained when they or the security agencies are killed. I want to ascertain their grievances against the Ebonyi or federal government, collate the facts for discussions to commence.”
Implications: Umahi accepting to negotiate with killer herdsmen remain one of the reasons the insecurity in the country may not be ending any time soon.
When a government is ready to enter into negotiations with criminals who kill innocent citizens with reckless abandon points to just one thing, failure of governance.