I am writing this open letter to the 8000 delegates expected to participate in the APC convention scheduled to hold at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, Lagos to select their presidential flag bearer among four aspirants on December 8, 2014.
Among the four aspirants, General Muhammadu Buhari is the leading contender for the exalted position of potential president of the country. I wish to advise the delegates to the convention not to select Buhari as the APC Presidential flag bearer in view of the following scenario that will happen if the delegates makes the mistake of picking him as their presidential candidate for the May 2015 presidential election against President Jonathan.
South-South Zone/South Eastern Zone: PDP has continued to use Christian-Muslim sentiments in its propaganda campaign against the APC in those two zones, coupled with a divisive president whose stock in trade is promoting tribal and religious sentiments to gain sympathy and political support from the two zones in view of his incompetency in managing the affairs of the country.
Almost all the voters in these two zones have never voted for Buhari and will never vote for him because they consider him as religious apologist, an Islamic fundamentalist who could promote Islamic and muslim interest more than national interest once he has access to the political power as Nigerian president and nobody in this world can change the perception of the voters from these two zones. The main reason Buhari lost in the previous presidential elections in those zones is still alive if not worsened by the Boko Haram attacks on Ibos and other Christians living in the north eastern part of the country.
South Western Zone: It is most likely Asiwaju Bola Tinubu would intimidate the South West delegates to support General Buhari against their interest. Tinubu does not have the grass root support like Awolowo, he doesn’t have that capacity and mass appeal to make Yoruba vote for Buhari. PDP would definitely exploit the political rivalry between the far north and the south west that existed right from the first republic and already two states are with PDP almost all the Yoruba christians and other Nigerian nationalities residing in the south west may not vote for APC if it fills Buhari as presidential candidate.
Like it was difficult selling Awolowo outside the Yoruba land especially to the Northerners and Easterners Buhari also is unsaleable in the South West. Religious and regional sentiments will dominate the Nigerian Political landscape in 2015 not ideology or manifestos. If APC fields Buhari, the party will lose the 2015 presidential election in the South West like it happened in 2003,2007 and 2011 because Tinubu cannot market him in the zone.
North Central Zone: PDP would continue to drum to the many Christian minority tribes that APC is a muslim party and the party is the sponsor of Boko Haram. The truth is that 2015 is the APC’s best chance of getting into power in view of the apparent incompetence and failure of Jonathan administration in all spheres of the economy.
If the delegates vote Buhari as presidential candidate on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, it will show that the party is unserious in the eye of southerners and Nigerian christians who are a very important component of the country. APC delegates should not fall into the hands of PDP and president sentimental and divisive politics by electing Gen. Buhari as their candidate.
The international crisis group a worldwide political think tank has issued a statement on Friday 22nd November confirming that competing for the presidency between Northern and Niger Delta politicians and along religious lines is leading the country into a serious crisis, the same prediction was made by a highly respected Islamic scholar Sheik Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gummi (probably after he did istihara).
The renowned Islamic cleric advised Gen Mohammadu Buhari not to contest for presidency due to the apparent political crisis that would cause the country but for his selfish and self-centered personal interest and arrogance he refused to listen to the word of wisdoms.
In the final note, I wish to appeal to the 8000 presidential delegates to kindly be more patriotic and nationalistic by voting for less controversial candidate with little political and religious baggage a candidate that is less controversial, less divisive that would command nationwide support cutting across religious and tribal divide, you please in the name of God ignored the directive of your political god fathers and APC big wigs and vote for the survival of Nigeria and the interest of your children and grand, great grandchildren by voting with a clear conscience.
If you ignore this advice by voting Buhari in view of the apparent catastrophy that your action will cause the country next year posterity and history will never forgive you and APC will not have another chance to salvage the country from the hands of Ijaw extremist that are running the country currently.
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Yusuf Aliyu writes from Unguwarsarki, Kaduna.
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