Elder statesman and leader of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, insists that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to protect Nigerians from massive poverty and security challenges.
He warned that any attempt by the President to seek a second term next year might instigate a radical constitutional or proletarian revolution that would sweep away mediocrity in government and install credible leadership.
Musa, a former governor of Kaduna State, while reacting to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s memo to Buhari over the state of the nation, advising him not to seek re-election next year. He however Obasanjo of complicity in the nation’s woes by supporting Buhari’s electoral victory in 2015.
He said Obasanjo was part of those that encouraged the victory of Buhari to run an administration that has now plunged the nation’s economy into disarray through poor governance, pointing out that the only hope left to Nigerians now is to use the National Assembly, as the institutional organ that can retrace the nation’s present gloomy condition, by instituting radical laws to check the executive and the Presidency from misrule.
Musa queried: “In the first place, is Obasanjo deceiving us? This is because Obasanjo is one of those who supported Buhari for the presidency as a civilian candidate. Didn’t he know Buhari more than we know him, as they were in the Army together and were doing everything together? In 2015, Obasanjo knew Buhari more than we civilians ever knew him, and he recommended him for the presidency.”
“Now, he can regret ever recommended Buhari for certain reasons. Did he express such regret in his letter? Why does he want us to believe him if he is not suitable for 2019? We already know that Buhari’s government is a failure. Let us make our own decision. The situation in Nigeria today is terrible. Is this a government?” he queried.
Musa argued further: “The state of the nation is negative and it has been so since the Army took over since 1966. For some years after Army take over, we have seen traces of improvement, particularly in the case of national unity. But after four years of military rule, we saw the negative state of Nigeria growing even more.
“Now, the state of the nation in many respects has gone so bad. What we expect would happen would inevitably happen. There will be a constitutional or proletarian revolution in Nigeria with the present situation. Whether we like it or not, if constitutional revolution will not work, there would be a proletarian revolution, because the state of the nation is so negative and people are suffering so much.
“The economy is in the dark and this government is not capable of providing solution. We must change the philosophy of basing things on self-interest first and public interest second or even secondary. Otherwise, we have to change the social economic and political system controlling all areas of development in the country.
“We can do this effectively by bring in the leading role of the state in the economic development to ensure peace, equality, dignity of the human person and progressive development of the country. You cannot do this by market economy, which has never progressed any country since after the world wars and colonialism.”
Besides, Musa explained that the poor state of the economy and security challenges in the country today, which he said the government has allowed to persist through poor governance, is to say the least appalling.