Retired generals’ onslaught against Buhari may force him to stand down in 2019

The coordinated statements by retired generals scoring the administration of president Buhari poorly and urging him to honourably stand down after his first term in 2019 may force a rethink by the president not to present himself for re-election in 2019.
Following the lead of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ibrahim Babangida, on Sunday, released a statement urging the president to stand down after his first term in 2019 to pave way for a new breed leadership “with requisite capacity to manage our diversities and jump-start a process of launching the country on the super highway of technology-driven leadership in line with the dynamics of modern governance.”
Despite attempts to portray the statement released by Babangida’s long-time media aide, Kasim Afegua, as unauthorised, the former military president affirmed the authenticity of the statement while maintaining that his statement was not intended to deny Buhari his inalienable right to vote and be voted for in the 2019 elections.
IBB as he is popularly called, enumerated the various challenges facing the country, and like his boss Obasanjo, concluded that Buhari has shown that he does not have the requisite capacity to tackle the challenges and his continuing in office may imperil not only the unity and economic prosperity of the country, but its very survival.
“While offering this advice, I speak as a stakeholder, former president, concerned Nigerian and a patriot who desires to see new paradigms in our shared commitment to get this country running. While saying this also, I do not intend to deny President Buhari his inalienable right to vote and be voted for, but there comes a time in the life of a nation, when personal ambition should not override national interest,” IBB said.
Reacting to the statement, Opeyemi Agbaje, Political economist and CEO of RTC Advisory Services Ltd, said he was not surprised by the statement and it goes to show Buhari’s rejection by both the military and political class.
“Obasanjo does not walk alone. When I read his statement, I knew IBB would be next, and IBB means Abdulsalam too; and then we can expect T.Y Danjuma and Aliyu Gusau to follow. Clearly, Buhari has lost the support of the generals and as we shall soon see, the bulk of the political class too,” Agbaje said.
Last week, BusinessDay exclusively reported that the decision not to support Buhari for a second term had been taken since last year during the long medical vacation of president Buhari in London by the retired Generals and kingmakers who have been considering names of younger Nigerians to mount the horse in 2019. At that time, a confrontation was deemed unnecessary because of the president’s health conditions that would naturally disqualify him.
The decision to stop President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election ambition was led by the trio of former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Beside the trio, other prominent Nigerians and elder statesmen that attended the meetings that decided Buhari does not deserve a second term include; Theophilus Danjuma, former minister of defence, former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau and former military Governor of old Kano state Col Sani Bello (rtd). Bello is also the father of Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello. Sources say different meetings were held in Abuja Minna and Ota.
The first of the series of meeting which held on May 1, 2017, on Babangida’s Hilltop Mansion, Minna, was to review the state of the nation and President Buhari’s health.
Besides this meeting, “a couple of other meetings took place in Minna, Abuja and Ota,” a source told BusinesDay in Abuja.
However, President Buhari returned from London in much improved health, and following signs that he was preparing to declare his candidacy for the 2019, the generals decided to act before it was too late. The first missive came from Obasanjo who criticised the Buhari administration for its ineptitude and clannishness, urging the president to honourable “dismount from the horse to join the league of the country’s former leaders whose “experience, influence, wisdom and outreach can be deployed on the side-line for the good of the country.”
In the letter, Obasanjo also suggested the formation of the movement to salvage Nigeria having judged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of being incapable of repositioning Nigeria.
“If president Buhari desires a better Nigeria, he would support a younger and more energetic candidate from the north to succeed him in 2019,” Rafiq Raji, chief economist at Macroafricaintel Investment LCC, volunteered.
But just as the ex-generals have come to the conclusion that a change is needed in 2019 and have stepped up pressure on the president to honourably dismount the horse in 2019, members of the political class, especially former Lagos state governor and APC leader, Bola Tinubu, is keeping his cards close to his chest.
According to sources within the ruling party, there has been moves by party leaders to quietly convince the president to take the Mandela option going by the growing opposition to the president’s bid for a second term and the general feeling that he has underachieved and is clearly not up to the task of governing a complex country like Nigeria.
Perhaps, that is what is still keeping people like Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso back in the ruling party (APC). While former Vice President Atiku Abubakar made his move earlier last year by jumping ship to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in search of its presidential ticket, sources tell BusinessDay that Kwankwaso, who has never hidden his desire to contest for the presidency, is bidding his time, convinced the party may still be able to persuade Buhari to stand down and he will be able to mount a credible challenge for the party’s ticket for the 2019 presidential election.
For now, the president has kept mum on his ambition for 2019 and even the earlier campaign being spearheaded by some of his ministers has almost grounded to a halt. It may a sign that the president is seriously considering the Mandela option.
With the ex-presidents, who were once friends of Buhari now lined up against him, political analysts believe the president has a difficult task but not an impossible one ahead if he still insists on running for a second term in office.
Chris Akor