MEGA PARTY: HOW FEASIBLE IS THE MOST REALISTIC WAY OF OUSTING THE APC?

Soon after the 2011 general elections which the PDP won by a landslide,Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the media calling on all opposition parties to form a mega party.By 2013 he had reached out to every component of what is today known as the APC and sold to them the idea of a coalition that would produce the most popular opposition figure and perennial contestant; Muhammadu Buhari as presidential candidate.That singular move cemented his status as one of the greatest politicians in the history of this country and not a few of those that voted him into power in the 2023 election hope we will all benefit from his wisdom.

The NNPP's leader and former Kano Governor,Rabiu Kwankwaso met with the PDP's presidential candidate in the last election,Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday and that had tongues wagging.With the PDP now the opposition amidst a Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party that have both grown some teeth,it appears the only way to not split but pool the votes of everyone dissatisfied with the APC is by borrowing from the Bola Ahmed Tinubu hand book-form a mega party.The APC currently controls 20 states while the PDP has 13.Each of the new players; NNPP & LP have 1 each while the only major party that refused to join Asiwaju's coalition in 2013; APGA also has 1.If one considers that Wike's man is in place in Rivers which effectively makes it an APC state then even after conceding Kano to NNPP,the APC is in control of 7 out of 10 of the most populated states in Nigeria.So it is not just about the number of states the party has but also the 'quality'.Note also that as is the norm,we would likely have governors crossing over to the winning team with none in any other direction.While a mega party may be the most viable option of ousting the APC,its feasibility is another thing altogether.I will highlight 2 main factors.

THE NATIONWIDE STRUCTURE OF THE PDP

Frankly speaking,the APC was mainly comprised of 3 parties; the ACN which was more or less a South Western party,Buhari's CPC which was without a doubt a northern party and an ANPP which had become comatose no thanks to Buhari depleting its ranks in its strongest base; the north to form his own party.None could realistically do it alone so it was easy for Tinubu to sell the idea of unification especially after guaranteeing his biggest ally,Buhari the 2015 presidential ticket as we had all heard even before the party was formed.

The PDP whether we like it or not is still big and remains the only opposition party with a nation wide structure so it might be difficult to convince them they can't do it alone.Would they enter into an alliance without not only insisting on producing the next presidential candidate but also on having the main say in how the mega party is run?.

INDIVIDUAL EGOS OF KEY PLAYERS

Before the 2023 presidential election there were negotiations for an alliance between the camps of LP's Peter Obi and NNPP's Rabiu Kwankwaso which ended in a stalemate because of the refusal of either to drop their presidential ambition for the other.Even with the already very clear indication that Obi enjoyed way more support and that no one could sell Kwankwaso's ambition past Kano,he did not align himself with him.Those who excel most in politics are those who manage to balance dreams with reality.Tinubu did not insist on the APC's presidential ticket in 2015 despite forming the party because he knew then that a northerner was best for their collective goal of ousting the PDP.He didn't even do so when he held the keys to the ACN in 2011 because he knew at that time,a northerner stood a better chance at opposing Goodluck Jonathan than a fellow Southerner.A lot of individual interests would need to give way for them make the most of any arrangement.Here we have 'small' parties who cannot even agree amongst themselves before you factor in a PDP which would likely want to boss them both.

For our sake,i pray the Tinubu administration succeeds so we wouldn't have to look elsewhere in 2027.Otherwise we will most likely with eyes wide open embark on a journey to no where.

SCRUTINIZING TINUBU'S CHOICES FOR NASS LEADERSHIP...

President-Elect Tinubu and his people started preparing for the 2023 elections just months after President Buhari was sworn-in for a second term in 2019.He was choosing allies,building bridges and assessing strengths and weaknesses before most of the candidates had even made up their minds to contest.That speaks volumes of the man's ability to prepare adequately for a task.That quality along with how President Buhari made a mess of the National Assembly Leadership elections in his first tenure by sitting idly and refusing to choose a path early for his party by rooting for the candidates he felt he would work best with meant no one was suprised by media reports that the Jagaban had chosen his preferred National Assembly leaders.

In 2015,a villain ex-Governor who was being stoned in his home state conned his way to the leadership of the senate and became a national hero only because he was using the senate to fight back a President who was hell bent on destroying him.Many did not see that,they only saw a brave warrior who refused to be intimidated by Buhari.The lessons of that point in time will always be available to the political class for reference.

Moreso a Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has to deal with a National Assembly where a 2/3 majority will no longer be a stroll in the park considering the amount of lawmakers from other parties.The total amount of opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives exceed the APC's 179 members and the APC's 60 out of an available 109 senatorial seats all but ensure the National Assembly will not be a family affair.

Below i have tried to discuss in as much detail as possible,the people Tinubu has identified to help him navigate the challenges likely to be posed by a polarized National Assembly and the politics behind his decisions.

GODSWILL AKPABIO FOR SENATE PRESIDENT,BARAU JIBRIN FOR DEPUTY SENATE PRESIDENT

The choice of former Akwa Ibom state Governor,Godswill Akpabio for Senate President all but confirms one thing-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not bow to the North.The North West is the largest voting bloc in Nigeria and the weight the region carries has always influenced the choice of political bed mates by those from other regions.

When analysts were busy speculating on who Tinubu's North Western VP would be,he shocked everyone by going to the North East.This is the first time since 2007 that the North West has not either produced a President or his Vice and being a man of great political acumen,Asiwaju was going to hand over the Senate Presidency to stay on friendly terms.He was going to endorse unarguably the most loved APC politician in the NNPP Kano, Sen. Barau Jibrin who would serve as not just an olive branch to the North West but also as the most viable means of opposing the NNPP with a view to recovering the largest state in Nigeria; Kano.But No.

Jagaban obviously doesn't think anyone is entitled to anything and has chosen to carry everyone along so Akpabio from the South South is his pick.Godswill Akpabio may not be as white as snow but he is dogged and committed with the right incentive is in play.These attributes made Buhari and his people reach out to him in time for the 2019 elections and the APC ended up winning 2 LGAs in a PDP strong hold and getting over 175,000 votes.He was rewarded with Minister despite being a new member of the party.

Akpabio will be expected to not just run a senate hoping to get APC votes alone but one that will look to make a lot of friends from other parties and possibly get them to jump ship.He has the experience,clout and most importantly, political connections having being a 2 term Governor in the major opposition party and a Minister in the ruling party.We may see a lot of division created in the opposition parties to enable cross-carpeting members fulfil constitutional requirements.

In line with Jagaban's philosophy of shedding heavy reliance on the North, Akpabio will also be required to make in-roads into the South South and make the APC a major player across all 5 states.

TAJUDEEN ABBAS FOR SPEAKER,BEN KALU FOR DEPUTY SPEAKER

The North West was a definite choice for Speaker if it didn't get Senate President.It was only a question of who.Alhassan Ado Doguwa is a known favourite of Tinubu and he went on to indicate interest in the seat despite having accusations of murder and arson hanging on his neck but of course the optics of endorsing him have to worry any sane person.If you add the fact that Tajudeen Abbas has been in the House of Representatives since 2011 to the fact that he represents Zaria Federal Constituency; primarily consisting of Zaria Local Government Area; the LGA famous for giving Buhari 111,082 votes in 2019 in Kaduna state which is the 2nd largest state in the North West after the Deputy Senate President's Kano,his choice is a no-brainer.

Abbas may not be reputed to be a mobilizer or outstanding leader of men but he provides the North West its consolatory slot.The one thing analysts doubt he has the ability to do unlike Akpabio in the senate,is protect efficiently the interests of the APC amidst 181 opposition members.

Unlike President Buhari's 2019 choices which had a North Westerner as President and Deputy Speaker and a South Westerner as Vice President and Speaker,Tinubu's choice of Ben Kalu from the South East means Tinubu's government if all goes how he intends,will have a national outlook.Every region is represented in the top heirachy of government.Personally i think Rep.Miriam Onuoha from Imo state would have been a better choice for Deputy Speaker considering the fact that she is a woman.That would have added a little something extra to the nationality of his government but either way,the intentions of Jagaban have been noted.He wants to run a Nigeria that will carry everyone along.

Though there have been reports of several aggrieved candidates in both houses forming alliances to sabotage the President-Elect's choices as endorsed by the APC,it is left to be seen how things will play out.But going by antecedents,it is never safe to bet against Jagaban in a game of politics so barring a miracle of humongous proportions,these men are all but in already.

EMIR SANUSI REVIEW: ABBA YUSUF MUST PLACE KANO FIRST BY SEEING THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE

I remember the only time i had ever seen deposed Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi in person.I had just discovered a mechanic in April 2017 who told me of a work-around i had never before heard of to elevate the rear of my car.The whole process cost just a fraction of what i would have ordinarily spent and i was ecstatic.I left the car with him and couldn't wait because i had some where else to go so i boarded a tricycle.I didn't notice anything special happening along the Murtala Mohammed Jumaat Mosque Road in Hausawa,Kano though they actually was.It was only when we got to the entrance of the mosque that i noticed Emir Sanusi doing an open top procession.

Whether or not it was a calculated move to bond with his people i still cannot say but he wasn't heavily guarded by either conventional law enforcement agents or his palace guards.He was so unlatched,pulling up to his side was very easy but no one seemed the least interested in doing that.No one was cheering and as a matter of fact,no one was as much as giving a second look.It dawned on me more than ever that Sanusi wasn't adored by his people.

I read an African Report article on Thursday and it told me more than anything else, just how far the story of the incoming NNPP government's promise to review Emir Sanusi's dethronement had travelled and just how keen even those outside these shores were to watch it unravel.Whatever the incoming Abba Yusuf administration does,it must put the interest of Kano people first.I wrote an article calling on the outgoing administration to do same when it suspended the probe of Sanusi for misappropriation of funds due to the intervention of 'prominent persons' and i am sure Ganduje regrets back-tracking on that today.

He cannot convince anyone he did not create additional emirates and placed them at par with that of Kano just to spite Sanusi when they fell out before of course, Sanusi's eventual dethronement.It doesn't matter what Ganduje has to say in his defence,that is what everyone believes and as far as they are concerned,Kano funds that could be better utilized are now used to operate a structure put in place only to belittle an Emir.I may not be the most knowledgeable in matters of tradition but i know for a fact that the North has the highest reverence for traditional institutions in Nigeria.The turban of an Emir being tied to drop low and cover his mouth emblematizes the need to guard his utterances.

A monarch must never place himself in a position where he will engage in a back and forth; via the media or otherwise, with a political office holder or his aide.He must be heard advising a government as a father of all and not criticizing it.Like i always say,there is no such thing as a modern day traditional ruler.Governors and Presidents go to bow at their palaces despite having the power to unseat them when the sanctity of the institution has not been desecrated.

I supported Sanusi's enthronement on the basis of equity and the need to spread it across the ruling families whenever the chance presents itself but i was quite vocal also in the need for him to conform to the demands of the position and relinquish it if at all he can't.Those of us that supported him then were no doubt in the minority as reference to the ensuing protests that greeted his appointment would prove.People eventually let go because the deed was done by a very popular Kwankwaso administration that had endeared itself to the people of Kano.The consequences of that act were felt most after Kwankwaso had left office.

It is a well documented fact that Sanusi sent his daughter Shahida to represent him at the inaugural Chibok Girls Lecture in Abuja in 2017 instead of any member of his council.She did not only brag openly about being the first female to represent an Emir,her father via a video message,eulogized her before the audience for slapping a boy once.It is no secret,this is in the public realm.

Ganduje may have gotten it wrong with the creation of emirates but he got Sanusi's dethronement spot on.Just like there cannot be a digital Hawar Daushe horse procession for Sallah,there cannot be an activist or feminist Emir.

I call on the Abba Yusuf administration to in addition to feeling the pulse of Kano indigenes regarding Sanusi and also considering the imprioriety of switching Emirs in their lifetime,to also thoroughly scrutinize the corruption allegations against Sanusi.He did not appear before the committee set up to probe him to defend himself neither did he send it a written defence.

The innocent; especially those passionate about exposing corruption and waxing sanctimonious about fixing societal issues would ordinarily jump at a chance to defend themselves against such damning allegations.Why didn't Sanusi do that?.Very basic questions as to how N113M was spent on travels not budgeted for amongst other expenditures totalling N3.4bn were left unanswered.At the very least,government has to consider the costs of maintaining the expensive lifestyle of an Emir.Such blatant flamboyance amidst so much suffering is never a good look.

Engr. Abba Yusuf must shed whatever personal sentiments he or any one he is loyal to may have and worry about what is best for Kano people.They deserve it.They voted for him en masse against a party in power and stood so solidly behind him after voting had ended,it would have been practically suicidal to rig the results.Let the best interests of Kano people come first.

POLITICS IS NOT FOR SAINTS, IT IS MEANT TO BE PLAYED BY MEN LIKE ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu wasn't lying when he said he made Muhammadu Buhari President in 2015.Tinubu as National Leader of the ACN did not just float the idea of a merger in the press,he reached out to the other components of what is known today as the APC; notably Buhari's CPC and an agreement was struck in 2013 for the retired army general to run on the party's 2015 ticket.Buhari faced far more richer opposition in Former Vice-President and wealthy businessman Alhaji Abubakar Atiku and then Governor of Kano,Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso who had both just moved into the APC with loaded GMGs (Ghana Must Go) and were also vying for the 2015 ticket but Tinubu ensured they didn't buy over the delegates and kept his promise to Buhari.He was the leader of South West politics and it was with little or no effort that he delivered what Buhari had lacked in his failed attempts at the Presidency; the bloc vote of a region other than the North in a Presidential election.

You may however be right to say Tinubu wasn't doing all these from the goodness of his heart.It all looked like the pieces were falling in place perfectly for him; Crown a President who will forever be in his debt and have him deploy everything at his disposal to back him after 8 years.There were no flaws.

Buhari finally became President and things took a wild turn not just for the 15 million nigerians that voted him but also for the man that got him that far.Buhari handed the reins of the party entirely to party chairman,John Odigie Oyegun and denied Tinubu any wriggle room as Party Leader.When the Kogi gubernatorial flag bearer,the late Prince Abubakar Audu passed away before the state elections,what looked like an easy stroll to the ticket for his running mate and Tinubu boy,James Faleke turned out not the case.A certain Yahaya Bello who finished second was instead asked to run.Then came the Ondo APC gubernatorial primary that produced Rotimi Akeredolu SAN as winner.Tinubu's preferred candidate was Olusegun Abraham,an international businessman and despite getting party leaders to label the process as 'corrupt and laden with irregularities', all efforts to hold another primary were thwarted by an Oyegun strongly backed by President Buhari.Tinubu had had it.Or so we thought.

When Atiku Abubakar couldn't run in the PDP for the 2007 Presidential election no thanks to his battle with President Obasanjo,he teamed up with Tinubu who also was an arch-enemy of OBJ's to form the ACN.In 2016 it was Tinubu reaching out to the ever desperate Atiku to unite and either form a new party or decamp to their old party in the '90s; the SDP.Perhaps it was a bluff intended to make Buhari jittery and prompt him to extend an olive branch but the President didn't budge.

Leaving a house he built was never really an option and an open show of opposition against the President from within the APC would necessitate the enthronement of a new guard in the South West to demystify him completely.Tinubu made the best choice for his career; he was not only going to take whatever the President threw at him with a smile and bid his time,he was going to support the President and make it difficult for the man to declare war against him.

When he mobilized his political capital of Lagos to deny incumbent governor, Akinwunmi Ambode an APC return ticket,a committee was sent from Abuja to hold a fresh primary.But of course common sense prevailed as it would be unwise to fight a man as influential as Tinubu was in the entire South West with general elections just months away.Ambode's ouster was allowed to stand and Tinubu never took offence.He worked hard for Buhari in the 2019 elections and won him Lagos by every means necessary.

Like they say,no one knows the corners of a house better than the man who built it.Soon after the 2019 election,Tinubu set his 2023 machinery in motion.He was silently making allies and making sure he kept it difficult for Buhari to fight him openly.When Mrs Funke Olakuri; the daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was gruesomely killed by suspected herdsmen,Tinubu said at his residence that he didn't know who did it but he knew it wasn't fulani herdsmen before ending his interview with the now famous "If so,where are the cows?" line.

When the South West was being ravaged by insecurity and other leaders of the South West were championing the establishment of para-military outfit, Amotekun and fighting the refusal of the Buhari administration to allow it,Tinubu laid low and pretty much sat on the fence when he was made to say something.When he was being blamed for the killing of End Sars protesters by soldiers in Lagos,he never directed them to the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces.He only denied sponsoring the protests and asked protesters why they were there in the first place.If he couldn't win Buhari's support,he might as well keep the hate at same level and not be made a blatant enemy.

By the time the APC 2023 Presidential primary came,Tinubu had made inroads to just about every corner of the party and was undoubtedly set to clinch the ticket.Insane money had been piled up while he was scheming behind the scenes and there was simply no way even a sitting President could fight him dollar for dollar without raising eyebrows.Tinubu and his people had identified what needed to be done and had gone about it before others even had one foot in the race.

The only available option to the President was to push for a consensus candidate.The APC primary was postponed by a week and series of meetings held but it was already too late.The lame move to push forth an argument that only a Northern candidate would be able to match the PDP's choice of Atiku Abubakar was met with stiff resistance by the Northern Governors who were supposed to back it.Tinubu had them in his kitty.

The primary finally held and delegates were said to have gotten $40,000 each with the intention to go higher if his foes wanted a dollar war.A video that emanated from the venue of the primary showed Northern APC governors queuing up to receive cheques.Tinubu achieved what everyone thought impossible-win the APC ticket against Buhari's will.

That Tinubu has still chosen to bow before Buhari despite the opposition to his aspiration tells you just how shrewd a politician the man is.With his campaign team on one hand headed by Gov. Lalong of Plateau state,a presidential campaign council was also established with Buhari as the head.The story about Buhari sponsoring Atiku's victory at the PDP primary was lent credence to by Gov. Wike who all but confirmed same at one of his numerous musical speeches and Tinubu is keeping his enemy closer to feel safe.His patience has not run out and his focus on the long run has not wavered.

With the APC in control of 22 states plus a foot hold in 9 others at the very least,Tinubu is the realists' favourite to win the 2023 election.It doesn't matter whether you hate or love the man,you just have to salute the man's political prowess.

Politics is not a game for saints,it is meant to be played by men like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

THE REALITY OF NIGERIAN POLITICS AND WHY PETER OBI IS DAY DREAMING

The growth of social media has succeeded in making the world a much smaller place but that hasn't at all meant a good thing through and through.An easy point of reference is the conventional media.Following a number of sensational victories at elections by opposition candidates that have enjoyed massive support from the online community in Africa,the foreign media has grown lazy and instead of analyzing forthcoming elections on the continent based on concrete on-ground reports,they are doing so based on online polls.It is imperative these lot stick to their figures on internet accessibility in Africa and let that serve as a basis why any online data should serve as a corroborative source and not an outright yardstick.It breaks my heart to see outlets like The Economist judge the chances of a candidate like Peter Obi of the Labour Party based on online polls.

2023 will teach a lot of lessons and those that stand to benefit most asides foreign media are the Obidients; the name coined by supporters of Peter Obi,the Labour Party's Presidential candidate to describe themselves.The passion with which they go about campaigning for their man is incredible but then it is shocking that quite a number of them not only think they stand a chance of winning the 2023 Presidential election,they deem themselves the number 1 contenders.It is commendable that a number of young people have become interested in governance but it is important they dig beyond what Google has to offer as far as Nigerian politics is concerned.There are 2 key players in a Presidential election.

THE REAL STRUCTURE

Members of the NASS are captured here but the main components are the Governors and their God fathers (if any) across the 36 states.They are in charge of the campaign for their states.In addition to the South West votes which the APC states availed Buhari in 2015,another reason why he won was the nPDP Governors that moved to the APC.Senators and Reps may prove instrumental but certainly not as much as the Governors.Anyone of them not in good terms with the Governor and lucky to still be in office goes the extra mile to work for the party's presidential candidate even unsolicitedly because it is his chance to not only gain potentially his biggest ally ever but to also impress the party heirachy at the top and prove his usefulness.So essentially,having the state party leaders handles everything.

THE FOOT SOLDIERS

Like Walter Annenberg so succinctly put it-"The Greatest Power is Political Power".There are a million and one politicians; big and small eager to maintain or create ties with the current person in power for their own good and these set of people serve as his/her link to the grassroot.These people are behind the scenes and run the actual campaign.Their supporters mobilize for rallies and facilitate financial inducement (a lot of Nigerians are hungry); which has proven very useful in voter accumulation.They also provide the muscle to fight dirty before or on election day.

Opposition parties that upturn the status quo don't just spring up overnight with sweet talk of what Nigeria ought to be,they usually have prominent politicians in their midst that have created a formidable presence in those states amidst a gradual or rapid movement to them from the second set of players especially.

Typically however, having the first set of players means having the second as well and even the most revolutionary election in our history; that of 2015 is down to the existence of the 2 aforementioned players.A new data puts the number of actual voters not active on the internet at 90%.Obi and his people may wax motivational about suffering teachers and tailors being the real structure but no matter how hard they run away from the truth,it is there to stare them right in the face.They stand absolutely no chance against the octopus reach of the APC and PDP.There is what Nigeria ought to be and there is what Nigeria actually is.2023 will teach lessons and i hope they learn.

WHY LOOT RECOVERY SHOULD FORM A HUGE BASIS FOR CHOOSING OUR NEXT PRESIDENT

If there is anything the indictment of suspended NPA boss,Hadiza Bala Usman by the panel set up to investigate her for failing to remit N165bn into government coffers has highlighted,it is the need for Nigerians to rigourously pursue a government that will go about recovering the humongous sums looted under the Buhari administration.Nigeria has effectively been reduced to a borrowing country over the last 7 years not by a government providing massive infrastructural development but by one that plunders what it brings home content in the fact that it can always go and borrow more.

The revelation by Rotimi Amaechi,the Minister of Transport that China is no longer interested in providing funds (loans in more honest terms) for the financing of joint projects calls for concern.China took over a Ugandan airport and some other assets over an unfulfilled loan obligation last year and would gladly encourage us to keep borrowing to lay their hands on as much as they can.If they aren't then it could very well mean that we have a debt portfolio so unhealthy they can no longer provide even money they have under-taken to.

Quite frankly,no one expects anything serious to come out of the Bala Usman indictment.Before her,there was the case of Ibrahim Magu,the former EFCC chairman who was indicted by a Presidential panel.Before his appointment as EFCC chairman,Magu had been indicted by the Police Service Commission for removing and tampering with EFCC files and by the DSS for living in a N20M per annum apartment paid for by shady persons he was moving around with.Buhari knew all these and still insisted on him after he had been rejected by the Senate perhaps because Magu fitted into his plans.It took a face off with a closer associate of the President, the Attorney General,Abubakar Malami for him to lose his seat and despite strong recommendations by the Salami panel that he be prosecuted,the Buhari administration has looked the other side.

The NDDC which once famously claimed it spent N187bn in 7 months amidst scandalous accusations of fake,unfulfilled and over-inflated contracts including some by the current Minister of Niger Delta,Goodswill Akpabio is more or less a dead case.To speak of loose change,the President's son-in-law absonded with $64M and he is still no where to be found because he is not Sunday Igboho or Nnamdi Kanu.Buhari will always go and borrow more for the party to continue.

Nigeria is steadily edging closer to the N40trn debt mark; a shocking N32.5trn difference from the N7.5trn this administration inherited from the GEJ administration.As Nigeria hangs on for dear life,it is very important that loot recovery forms a very vital consideration in who should become Nigeria's next President.While of course there is the need to have a shrewd administrator to aggressively trim the excessive costs of governance like a Peter Obi is sure to do,the fact is there is very little or no room for growth if we are servicing existing debts and borrowing some more to stay afloat.

The most practical solution to this problem is chasing down the massive sums looted under this government in the name of palliatives,maintenance of refineries and the sorts and put them to beneficial use.If that will happen,then to be honest,no one from the APC fits the bill.Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi whom many deem the brightest prospect in the party has already promised to 'continue where Buhari stopped'.He and others with their heads up Buhari's ass cannot be trusted to go about recovering the scary figures borrowed in our names; monies we will still be paying 2 generations from now.The President's support for 2023 comes with INEC and the whole security apparatus and as such,no one can be trusted to look Buhari et al straight in the eye after so much 'help' and do what is right.

With APC governors,Vice President Yomi Osinbajo and Party leader,Bola Tinubu saying Buhari is doing his best with regards to insecurity,no one in the party can be trusted to go back and eat their vomit by asking questions about the trillions purportedly spent on defense over the years.Excluding all allocations for 2022,this government has spent a purported N10.06trn on defense since 2016 while of course,Nigerians have been left to depend on a virtually non-existent military.

Buhari himself told the Saraki Senate he withdrew $496M from the Excess Crude Account to pay for 12 Super Tucano Airplanes without Senate approval as the law demands because he had to meet a deadline.That contract wasn't awarded till 7 months after he had written the Senate and the details released by the US Pentagon on its website show the contract was for $329M with a not-too-exceed sum of $344M.Buhari owes us an explanation as to where $167M or in the latter case,$152M of our money went.That is just one case.No ally of the President can be trusted to retrieve these sums supposedly borrowed for our collective good and put them to judicious use.Buhari is working,isn't he?.

The 2023 elections are a make or mar occasion for Nigeria.We are swimming in huge debt with little or no chance for significant growth but the good news is that all hope is not lost.The bulk of these huge sums can be recovered from the very few persons in government that have commandeered them for themselves while Nigerians have been left with a comatose economy and huge debts to pay.All that will depend on who becomes Nigeria's next President.

Yes,there is a need to distance yourself from any candidate talking trillion naira plans because they clearly don't have a grasp of the situation at hand and Yes,there is a need to take seriously anyone focused on cutting costs and growing the nation with realistic plans.But above all,side with anyone who in addition to that,is honestly worried about what the sums looted under this administration would do if recovered and why Nigerians shouldn't be left to suffer for their leaders.

FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL AND THE MADNESS OF MAINTAINING REFINERIES WITH AN AMOUNT THAT WILL BUILD 4 NEW ONES

Removal of fuel subsidy has become the Buhari administration's way of announcing an impending increase in fuel price.Before coming into office,his official position regarding subsidy was made categorically clear when he said-"Whoever says he is subsidizing fuel is a fraud".Buhari himself is calling Buhari a fraud.

When the news was all over the place days ago that there would be a N5,000 transport allowance for the poorest Nigerians next year; the same class of Nigerians that were promised the same amount every month by this same administration, it was obvious we were looking at a huge 'subsidy removal'.The figure being quoted currently is N340-N500 per litre which means even in the best case scenario,we are looking at an above 100% increase in 'subsidy removal'.

One need not be a petroleum expert to know the easiest way to drive down fuel price is to refine all our oil at home and one of the main promises the Buhari administration made when it came into office was to not only have our refineries up and running in no time but to also build new ones.A proposed $2bn refinery in the President's home state of Katsina rang out loud.While all of the country's 4 refineries are as comatose as they have been for years,the NNPC told Nigerians in June 2020 that a whopping sum of N1.47trn had been spent on 'revamping and maintaining' the refineries in 5 years.Refineries that don't actually refine oil.

That figure had increased by about N800bn by March this year when Buhari approved $1.5bn for the 'rehabilitation' of the Port Harcourt refinery.The Dangote refinery will cost $19bn with a refining capacity of 650k barrels per day that surpasses the combined 445k barrels per day capacity of all our refineries by 205k barrels.A thorough break down of what has been spent on our refineries viź-a-viź their operational capacities will show very clearly that $26.5bn will comfortably build us 4 new refineries at the very least.Yes 4.As a matter of fact,Buhari's proposed Katsina refinery project is 150,000 barrels per day (more than the existing Kaduna Refinery's 110,000 barrels per day capacity) and has a total cost of $2bn.Also note that this sum covers the purchase of pipelines that will link the refinery  to Niger Republic as well.

Buhari will not tackle this problem both as President and Minister of Petroleum because he doesn't want the madness to end.While he is borrowing endlessly to fund 'maintenance', the NNPC is telling us on the other hand it will borrow to buy into Dangote's refinery to further lend credence to the theory that our refinery problem will not end because there are people at the highest levels of government and their families that have invested in Dangote's project.What is more?.Dangote will sell back refined oil to us at the international market rate and not at a suitable price.

With the maintenance culture of Nigeria in mind and the uncertainty that other administrations would be as committed,a well meaning government would have prioritized the privatization of these refineries a very long time ago.It would only look to give the ones on ground a face lift with a view to enhancing their value and placing it in a good bargaining position with investors.

Instead of functional refineries to make the lives of Nigerians easier,the poor man is now being promised N5,000 for transport amidst a satanic increase in fuel price.

A N5,000 disbursement he has no guarantee will go beyond the first few months at the very best while President Buhari keeps borrowing to do all he does that only he sees and 'maintain' refineries.Buhari appears hell bent on not only destroying this country but also on bringing untold pain and suffering to its people.When they fashion out a viable means of survival like cryptocurrency trading,he shuts it down.When doctors interview for foreign jobs abroad,the DSS is sent to the venue to disrupt the process.

Our main source of revenue; crude oil has doubled since the global lock down but our finances appear to be far worse of.Borrowing trillions of naira abroad to embezzle under the guise of refinery repairs and such other schemes is the reason why Nigeria may never be the same again after Buhari is done.Previous governments may have looted our resources too but they were never this inconsiderate to the plight of Nigerians.No one borrowed as much as N30trn and no one is likely to either pay thugs to disrupt protests against fuel price and charge the protesters for their crimes or get policemen and soldiers to shoot them outright.

Money that will build 4 new refineries from the ground up is being used to rehabilitate old ones while this government is teasing its third and most crushing fuel price increase since it came into power.God save Nigeria.