Urgent need to strengthen security around the President, by Kola Amzat 

Technically, we still have at least 19 months before the 2027 general elections, but, the tension the elections is presently generating is simply incredible. It’s indeed frightening!

Key political players are busy throwing caution into the wind, making provocative political statements. They’re deploying their agents and proxies as instruments to cause confusion in the land, as well as inciting the public against the good intentions of the government.

One of such, was the unfortunate recent declaration of ADC Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdulahi, accusing the President Bola Tinubu’s government of a cynical and opportunistic attempt to exploit the death of former president, Muhammadu Buhari for political gains.

According to Abdulahi, Tinubu’s government is desperately trying to whitewash its battered image with Buhari’s death. It’s instructive to mention here that, it’s only in the assessment of power mongers that grouped themselves together under the umbrella of ADC that Tinubu’s government has a battered image. Surely, this is not the views of millions of appreciative and very grateful Nigerians.  Certainly not!

The coalition party further criticized the widely publicized specially expanded Federal Executive Council (FEC) tribute, as well as appearance of Buhari’s son at the session, as a calculated public relations stunt. How? Nigerians are asking! What connection does the good intention of the government to honour a SIGNIFICANTLY ACCOMPLISHED late former president has with public relations stunt? This is obviously a misuse of English words and it’s quite unfortunate that this blunder is coming from the office of Bolaji Abdulahi, an accomplished Journalist in his own right!

Of course, the reckless, thoughtless, ill-conceived and very insolent statement, having emanated from the office of the coalition’s publicity secretary could as well be regarded as the official position of the party.

This conveniently gives out the party, and its party hierarchy as a bunch of ingrates, unpatriotic as well as glory and attention seeking individuals, who only pay lip service to the unity and togetherness of the people of this prodigiously endowed country.

Besides this blunder, the party’s unpatriotic stance is also a testament to the widely held views that the group comprises only power-seeking individuals with absolutely no sense of what to do with the power.

And, who would fault the above statement?

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was a complete disaster as second in command to ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo for eight years their tenure jointly lasted, and so much that the latter had to sworn that Atiku would ONLY be president of this country, over his dead body!

Rauf Aregbesola ensured that he dragged Osun state to mud for eight years he reigned as governor. He masterminded enough confusion in the state, so much that it could take decades for successive governments to clear. He owed a backlog of salary to civil servants for eight years that his tenure endured. He deployed a mischievous and unorthodox educational learning model- “Opon Imo” purposely to defraud the state of several billions of Naira.  He caused confusion in all secondary and basic institutions through Hijab camouflage, which he forcibly approved for all Muslim students to wear.  He only handed over a state that has become a caricature for former governor, Oyetola to administer.

Aregbesola should be apologizing to the nation, particularly, Osun people for inflicting so much pains and confusion into the mentality and psyche of Osun people, instead of enlisting in ADC coalition group as member bidding for power at the federal level.

Rotimi Amaechi is well aware that this is just motion and no movement! Down in his heart, he’s aware that he’s already extinct politically.

With Wike Nyesom, who knows him in and out, as well as his political antecedents, he’s conscious of the fact that, politically, it’s bye-bye for him! Where would he start from!

Who would take care of his dirty past? Who would recover several billions of Rivers resources that he squandered in broad light!

And, who would forget in hurry El-Rufai’s regime of horror and carnage in Kaduna state? The massive destruction of properties and human carnage that were hallmarks of his 8 year regime, should have by now confined him into dock for GENOCIDE!

And, this is not to forget the recklessness and impunity that associated with his reign as FCT minister, as well as DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises during the inglorious and despicable PDP regime!

It’s important to note that El-Rufai is presently entangled in debt of more than ₦400 billion he contracted for infrastructural facilities, as well as about $500 million for the same purpose, which he couldn’t account for up till now.

The infraction is dangling on his neck like the SWORD OF DAMOCLES.

As I write this Piece, the Tribunal has found him guilty of these infractions! This is why he’s running from pillar to post.

David Mark, the coalition’s Interim Chairman would soon realize that he’s occupying a seat he’s unworthy of!  He’s obviously undeserving of presiding over the affairs of any political party in Nigeria as Chairman. If he’s not conscious of this, Nigerians are! He may have been a senator or senate president, but he shouldn’t have accepted to be the chairman of a party that is bidding to take over the reign of power at the federal level.

His Otukpo senatorial districts people who were coerced to vote for him, are totally different from Nigerian people.

David Mark has never be on the side of Nigerian people and this won’t change now, that he’s been co opted to provide leadership for a hurriedly arranged political party.

It was David Mark as Federal Minister of Communications, who made that infamous declaration that mobile phones are not meant for all Nigerians, and that, it’s for privileged few.

How would he reconcile this statement with his aspirations of leading a political party to take over power to rule over the same poor people he had derided and insulted?

He was also a central figure and key player of the team that collaborated to annul Chief MKO Abiola’s mandate. So, what are we talking about?

Meanwhile, back to the effrontery and recklessness of ADC party hierarchy in challenging President Bola Tinubu’s patriotic efforts in according to the late former president, Muhammud Buhari a state and dignified burial rites!

This Writer and perhaps, generally of Nigerians are of the strong view that ADC party hierarchy should cover the faces and bury themselves in shame for their obvious indiscretion in castigating the president for honouring the late former president with state burial.

It’s apparent that they’re blinded to under listed facts:

Buhari’s public service career spans over six decades in both military and civilian service. He jointly shared that honour of presiding over the affairs of the country as a military and democratic leader with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. For the avoidance of doubt, no other Nigerian is in that league!

He ruled Nigeria as a military dictator from 1983 to 1985 and later served as the democratically-elected president of Nigeria from 2015 t0 2023.

By the end of the 1970s, Buhari had served as a governor of the north-eastern states, and as a de facto oil minister under Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government.

General Buhari was appointed Executive Chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) by the Sani Abacha administration in 1994, an assignment he executed with aplomb.

Until he breathed his last, General Buhari public career and private life was marked by an unyielding commitment to discipline, integrity, countrywide security, and public accountability.

Renowned for his Spartan lifestyle, and very principled approach to governance, former president entered into Nigeria annals as the first opposition candidate to unseat an incumbent president through the ballot box in 2015.

As a civilian president, Buhari bolstered the operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), launched the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to consolidate government revenues, as well as championed whistleblower policies that led to the recovery of several billions of looted funds.

The late president also instituted reforms to improve transparency in budgeting and public procurement.

Largely, General Buhari legacy in governance rests on a foundation rooted in extensive infrastructural development across the country.

Amongst other justifications, these are the key accomplishments that propelled President Bola Tinubu to accord the late former president that commendable state burial that would be a reference point for successive governments.

It’s the same event that unpatriotic and thoughtless leaders of ADC were condemning.

So, what’s the grouse of Atiku Abubakar’s led ADC coalition group on the impressive state burial accorded the late ex-president?

Nigerians need to enquire: which other form did members of coalition groups expect the burial rites to take, other than how the federal government conducted it?

Who did ADC coalition group expect to claim glory of how fantastic and awesome the state burial accorded to the late former president turned out, other than the organizers-federal government?

The late former president was the immediate past president and indeed, was a celebrated landlord and occupier of Aso Villa for 8 solid years, alongside his family. How else could he have been honoured?

What’s even bad in honouring him with an expanded Federal Executive Council session that featured his family members? This is a novel initiative this writer is recommending to other countries around the globe to emulate, in order to ensure that good stewardship while in office by former leaders is recognized and applauded by their successors.  .

It’s instructive that billions of people around the world, as well as key global leaders have applauded and congratulated President Bola Tinubu and his cabinet members for the tremendous and fantastic job they’d made of the special FEC session in honour of the late former president late, as well as amazing state burial accorded him.

Without any atom of doubt, ADC coalition group members have now become object of ridicule, scorn, embarrassment and derision in the assessment of Nigerian people and international community for their acute display of shallowness and emptiness, when the world expected them to display equanimity, political maturity and wisdom.

Meanwhile, the centerpiece of this Piece is that, it’s an AUSPICIOUS time for the security team and DSS to URGENTLY consider tightening, as well as strengthening security around the presidency henceforth in all his outings-local and international.

Justifications for the above are clear: It’s apparent that opposition groups particularly, those in ADC coalition are becoming dangerously desperate and are capable of orchestrating anything in order to grab power.

Without doubt, the power mongers who formed the ADC party hierarchy have identified President Tinubu as the ONLY hurdle to their aspirations to occupy the Aso Villa at all cost, and may therefore consider extinct the president as other plausible option, since their quest for power would obviously be impossible and difficult through the ballot box.

This is a clarion call to heed, by the combined team of security men around the president, as well as the vibrant men of DSS.

Surely, prevention is better than cure! The case of assassinated Murtala Ramat Muhammed readily comes to mind! With these people, just anything is possible!

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB),

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.