{"id":2088,"date":"2020-10-29T20:40:49","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T20:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/?p=2088"},"modified":"2020-10-31T19:02:23","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T19:02:23","slug":"the-buhari-dictatorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/2020\/10\/29\/the-buhari-dictatorship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Buhari Dictatorship?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Satish Sekar \u00a9 Satish Sekar (October 28th<\/sup> 2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far Too Little, Far Too Late<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

On behalf of The Fitted-In Project<\/strong> it is my duty to stand with Nigeria\u2019s demonstrators against police brutality \u2013 the notorious SARS. The demonstrations in Nigeria started over this weeks ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week the situation degenerated as demonstrators were targeted by the army and murdered in cold blood. President Muhammadu Buhari fiddled while Lagos burned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His belated and weak responses to deplorable crimes against Nigerian citizens will not be forgiven or forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Creeping Dictatorship<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Events in Nigeria were appalling. They are getting worse. Nigeria has had a sad history of military dictatorship. Few can forget the crimes of the late military dictator Sani Abacha, but before Abacha there was a long list of shame \u2013 military dictators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That included Buhari. On New Year’s Eve 1983 a military coup ousted the democratically elected government of Shehu Shagari and installed Buhari. He led a right-wing military dictatorship until 1985.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buhari claimed to have learned from the errors of his past, claiming to be a \u2018converted democrat\u2019 when he contested and won the Presidency of Nigeria in 2015. His predecessor may not have been a great President, but he has a legacy that Nigerians appreciate and respect. Goodluck Jonathan accepted the result and peacefully handed over power \u2013 a first!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathan has a legacy. Buhari, the converted democrat, is no democrat, converted or otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year he won another four years. His opponent Atiku Abubaker wanted an intervention from the USA and EU, warning the future of Nigerian democracy was at stake. It didn\u2019t happen even though Buhari had flouted the Constitution by dismissing the country\u2019s top judge, Walter Onnoghen, weeks before the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No doubt it was a coincidence that this was judge who headed the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court was responsible for resolving electoral issues. Buhari won re-election, but look at his record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Previous Form<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Today we stand with Nigerian demonstrators. These people request our help. \u201cOur government is killing us,\u201d they say. \u201cTell the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also say they have never seen anything like this. Sadly, just two years ago Buhari showed that he had reformed in words not deeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The irony of seeing football players take a knee for Black Lives Matter \u2013 a protest movement that started due to outrageous and excessive killing of black people by law enforcement officers in the USA with little or no consequences \u2013 is not lost on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where are the sports stars taking a knee for Nigeria\u2019s victims of police and armed forces brutality?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faced with this, we cannot and will not stay silent. #WeStandWithNigerianDemonstratorsToo. #WeKneelForNigerianDemonstratorsToo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Buhari\u2019s Watch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is not the first time Nigerian police have used brutality on Buhari\u2019s watch. This is not the first time peaceful demonstrators have been shot and killed on Buhari\u2019s watch. This is not the first time that innocent demonstrators were blamed by lies \u2013 victim-blaming at its worst. The \u2018investigations\u2019 into these crimes followed a time-honoured practice \u2013 sweeping them under the carpet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The killings of October 2018 followed this pattern. Vote-rigging is almost an accepted practice. Buhari\u2019s opponents such as Atiku are far from squeaky clean. When in government vote-rigging was not stamped out \u2013 it thrived. Buhari, too, thrives on his critics having skeletons in the closet, so much so that he can openly move the goalposts and get away with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has done that before as well. Last year, he won another four-year term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

No Justice, No Peace<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The failure to investigate these crimes and misdemeanours adequately over a long period of time encourages the perpetrators. Why would they fear being brought to justice when history \u2013 even in Buhari\u2019s \u2018democratic\u2019 regime \u2013 showed that there would be no consequences? And for some, the tables have turned \u2013 the vote-riggers of yesterday are today\u2019s victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can they complain credibly? Being purer than C\u00e6sar\u2019s wife is hardly a recommendation if the C\u00e6sar\u2019s wife was Messalina Valeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There cannot be peace in Nigeria without justice \u2013 something Nigerians still await. Instead of peace and justice, Buhari has brought discord and injustice. His government has harassed journalists and opponents alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three media were fined a total of 9m Naira ($23,566.38) by the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission for reporting the SARS protests. And this is the reformed democrat?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

No President<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m old enough to remember seeing a documentary over 20 years ago. It included a small segment of Nigerian TV. The presenter had to say a word \u2013 one that had nothing to do with the programme or journalism. The word she had to say enthusiastically was \u2018Abacha!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long before Nigeria\u2019s media have to enthusiastically say another word, \u2018Buhari!\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Silence speaks loudly. It is not diplomatic to remain silent in the face of injustice \u2013 it is cowardice. Nigeria needs a statesman \u2013 a leader who defends the rights of his country\u2019s citizens. Nigeria does not need mealy-mouthed pleas for understanding and calm \u2013 there\u2019s no understanding of the indefensible. Nigeria needs peace and justice. You cannot have peace without justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Dictator in the making, you are no President!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As the Vice-President (International Affairs) of Freedom First International, it is my duty to stand with Nigeria\u2019s demonstrators against police brutality \u2013 the notorious SARS. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2088"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2096,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2088\/revisions\/2096"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}