THE PHANTOM IDEA OF A QUIXOTIC MASARI/MANGAL COUP AGAINST BUHARI - Maiwada Dammallam
From the first paragraph of the lengthy albeit, directionless piece, it was obvious the objective of the writer was to create a problem where non exist. In the same manner "Galadanchi" (or whoever was behind the mask) strived to sell conjecture as facts, let me strive unravel the conjectural thesis of the masked writer for the benefit of the gullible who may fall for the flowery grammar and verbal acrobatics adopted by him/her with specific intention of hiding the dearth of substance evidently clear in the piece.
In the very first statement of the author on which the whole charade was rested as a foundation, Galadanchi unimaginatively alleged an imaginary 'fragile relationship' between President Buhari and Governor Aminu Bello Masari which even, as the silliest of all literary exercise, he failed to substantiate even with fictional hypothesis. Only the disenchanted and the irreversibly disconnected could claim ignorance about the robust relationship between Governor Masari and President Buhari which goes far beyond 2015.
It wouldn't require too much grammar to prove that "Galadanchi" and his masters were more angry with President Buhari's support for the gubernatorial candidature of Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari than they were angry with their individual or collective inability to make half the impact he made in the APC primaries that led to his emergence as the Governor of Katsina State. With both Buhari and Masari carrying a bold label of LOYALTY, one is left wondering when or how any of them could adopt a new identity of treachery to turn a robust relationship into fragile as opined by the dazed hired author.
Was President Buhari not accused of lavishing support on Governor Masari? Is he today (as always) not being accused of blind loyalty to people he put his trust in? Is blind loyalty not incessantly being alleged to be his greatest weakness? If your answer is yes to these questions, then why should he lavish his support on Masari and get cured of this 'blind loyalty'? The only reasonable answer is, people like Galadanchi want to have a customized narrative that could be convenient to the aspirations and dreams of their masters. I don't have problem with such overzealousness. The snag however is, why shouldn't people have the decency to separate dreams from facts when in public domain if not for posterity, at least to avoid being labelled imbeciles.
For those in the know, the robust relationship between President Buhari and Governor were built on trust and respect. It was a common knowledge that back in his days as Speaker, House of Representatives, President Buhari was his strongest pillar and inspired the spectacular and unprecedented actions he took some of which led to the sustainability of the democracy for which his name is being smeared unnecessarily and unsuccessfully. Thankfully, some of the 'offended' masters of Galadanchi had worked closely with Governor Masari as Speaker to know in finer details these details. With proper co-ordination and sharing of information in the group, Galadanchi might have been saved the embarrassment of expressing such arrant ignorance about the solidity of the Buhari/Masari relationship with the objective of confusing the public.
The conjectural attempt giving life to the lie that Governor Masari did not visit President Buhari in London for any reason other than honest only exposed the naivety and mindset of the author. For the clearheaded, President Buhari wasn't vacationing in London but nursing his health; something that to any reasonable mind should require ample rest. Does it make sense to deny him this rest especially by people who are supposed to fill the void created by his absence? Only to Galadanchi. Oh yes, Galadanchi may still argue that some Governors were arranged to visit President Buhari.
Quite true but, that was arranged to disabuse the minds of the public which was being fed with false stories of a bedridden Buhari. For Masari to be part of the visitation team wouldn't serve the objectives of the visit which, if I have to explain, was to have credible people meet the President and report back to Nigerians what they see with their eyes. Logically, any testimony from Masari wouldn't make any impact being the home-state Governor and close associate of President Buhari who's expected to cover him up no matter the odds. If this defies your thinking, I'm afraid you are due for a new or fairly used head.
In regard to Governor Masari's personal relationship with Alhaji Dahiru Mangal (or anybody at that), one is left trying to determine since when has winning elections equals abandoning friends and associates to engage politics of exclusivity? Is Alhaji Dahiru Mangal any less a Bakatsine or an APC member than any of the aggrieved member of the group working tirelessly to pull down Masari? The answer is no! Mangal is a bona fide Bakatsine and APC member who paid his dues to the party and contributed to its success to deserve some respect from the government. But for politics of mischief, Galadanchi (read, those behind him) wouldn't question the role Mangal played in the collective effort of Katsinawa to sack the gone-berserk PDP. It's petty to assume APC or the government will ignore his contributions and treat him like a pariah even if he's not a personal friend of Governor Masari. Incidentally, those calling for Mangal's ostracizing despite his contributions are at the same time crying for being ostracized for contributing less than him. Such double standards!
I don't intend to engage speculation to debate Mangal's source of livelihood but, it's interesting that despite the seemingly intimidating experience of Galadanchi's masters, the seem entirely ignorant of ways to tackle the criminality they attached to his name. Galadanchi called him a 'smuggler' and Nigeria never had it so good in the Nigeria Custom Service than now with Col. Hamid Ali, a no-nonsense and incorruptible man in charge of the NCS. Rather than bamboozle the public with unsubstantiated narratives about Mangal being a smuggler, wouldn't it make better sense for the group to write a petition to Col. Ali and have him arrested and dealt with according to his crimes? Perhaps, they enlightened enough to know that Col. Ali is truly incorruptible to work with the balderdash they are feeding the public.
In any case, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal was a high flier; a kitchen cabinet member in the administration of late President Yar'adua, the man they love to quote and revere in a belated show of appreciation just to attract undue public sympathy. Were where their voices when Mangal was calling the shots with some of them benefitting from his patronage? If he was not a criminal back then when they were either benefitting from him politically or waiting in anticipation for his support to achieve their political dreams, how's he a criminal today simply because they are not in the same camp with him. Some people are taking the "in-politics-there's-no-permanent-friend-no-permanent-enemy" ideology to whole new silly level. The masks behind Galadanchi would have made a better topic had they decided not to be cowardly and shown their faces for the reading public to assess the sincerity or motives of their allegations.
Just for fun, if, as described by Galadanchi, Mangal was a "billionaire sponsor of PDP who defected to APC at the last minute", common sense should allow us to calculate that by taking Mangal off the list of PDP sponsors, APC has denied PDP a formidable ally even if he's not going to be accorded the same status by APC. Perhaps, the trick is provoke his being ostracised just to have him back into the PDP fold. A very primitive and disingenuous trick.
That the author wasted paragraphs trying to sell the dead presidential ambition of former Governor Shema only expanded the scope of the conspiratorial motive of the article. If the writer was actually convinced Shema was concerned about anything more than the outcome of the pending litigations against him by the EFCC that may send him out of circulation for suspected vandalisation of resources of Katsina State, then, certainly the writer need to be sponsored for a crash course in Ayo Fayose's school of politics. It's quite demeaning to lower the status and prestige of President Buhari by RECKLESSLY hypothesising a crazy scenario of pairing him with a terminated local champion carrying a baggage of moral and political liabilities.
Of course, Shema is asking questions about finances of Katsina State, but then, so is Dame Patience asking President Buhari about Nigeria's finances. One cannot deny them their well enshrined constitutional rights to do so, what matters is the answer. Not even the shamelessness of asking the question by people who practically butchered the Katsina State and national treasury should matter, only the constitutionality without which probably, they won't survive a stroll in any street of any major Nigerian city. I don't intend to debate the repulsive insult any further. I will allow the courts to determine if Shema could ever be suitable for even the office of a councillor, however, that doesn't mean other people will debate what to call the over N11bn pension/gratuity liability and other contractual obligations left behind unpaid by Shema. To bamboozle the public of stories about Katsina not being indebted when Masari took over, well, primary schools are now fully functional with reasonable enrolment. The writer should take his story there for the entertainment pleasure of the pupils.
Finally, the issue of the internal politics of the APC as discussed and misrepresented by the author further exposed the trajectory of his story. Still, one is left wondering why the aggrieved group are yet in court to challenge the decision of the party. Being non-existent, Galadanchi stand no risk of losing any credibity by expressing such shallow understanding of the APC's framework otherwise, he would have been more cautious and may even not express such shallow understanding of the APC's legal framework. Those behind him knew perfectly well that nothing wrong was done. Even the shabbily put petition to the national Chairman placed on wasted advertorial was a face saving measure and an attempt in futility to enhance the impact of the negative narratives being placed in both print and social media about the neutrality of the leadership of the APC in Katsina State.
The allegation by Galadanchi that "only PDP members are being entrusted with sensitive assignments. Members of the CPC, ANPP and ACN, have been seriously marginalised" was the shallowest form of attempt to undermine the oneness of APC as a party. I thought anybody that abandoned his former party, pledge allegiance to APC and acquire membership card of the party is a full time bona fide member of the party from day one and is qualified for any consideration without ifs and buts if fairness, and politics of consolidation is a legitimate motive in politics.
In case I'm wrong, Galadanchi need to explain to the reading public how a returnee CPC, ANPP and ACN member any more a member in the APC than a returnee PDP member. "Ko dai wayon aci ne, a kori kare daga gindin kanya". You don't build political bridges by playing politics of exclusivity. Beside, politics being a game of numbers, always welcomes new members to enhance strength. Parties even go poaching to acquire members with promising muscles to enhance or consolidate the political fortunes of a party. This is elementary politics and anybody devoid of this knowledge should kiss goodbye any dream of a career in politics.
Comments
Post a Comment