Politics
2015 Elections And Buhari’s Bloodbath Threat
Former Head of State, Mohammadu Buhari’s
declaration that “if what happened in 2011 (election) should again happen in
2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood”
has been viewed from various
perspectives. Expectedly, all of these views were either in favour, or
against the declaration
The most striking of the reactions were
those of the Presidency and the ruling People’s Democratic Party PDP; the stand
taken by the Northern Nigeria Governor’s Forum, and that of the Arewa Defence
League.
As expected, the reaction of the Federal
Government and the PDP was to see the declaration as a call to arms, something
which the country should naturally avoid, especially given the present
insecurity pervading the northern part of the country, no thanks to the
bombings by the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
The thinking of the Federal Government and
the ruling party may not be out of place, afterall, who would want to live in a
house that is on fire? Perhaps this thinking is guided by what Napoleon stated
years ago that for the maintenance of peace, nations should avoid the pin
pricks which forerun cannon-shots”.
For the northern Governors, who spoke
through their Chairman, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, there is nothing wrong with Buhari’s
declaration. According to Governor Aliyu, it is “merely a warning against”
alleged rigging of elections in Nigeria by the PDP. Consequently, rather than
think of what the effect of rigging would be, the governors said those who
abhor such effect should consider ways to ensuring that the act of rigging does
not take place.
“All of us who are involved in
elections-political parties, contestants and the voters themselves- must be careful
so that whatever we do, the semblance of
good will be there”, Aliyu said.
He, however, noted that “certain people are
in a position that they should be careful about certain vocabularies they use.
So both ways, let us take it on our own stride and ensure that future elections
are seen to be transparent and are seen to be good”.
In a communiqué issued last Thursday at the
end of the meeting of northern State Governor’s Forum in Kaduna, and read out
to journalists, Governor Aliyu cautioned eminent Nigerians against “making
inflammatory statements capable of affecting the nation’s fragile unity and
security”, urging Nigerians to be concerned about the unity and development of
the country in all ramifications.
According to the communiqué, the 19
Governors agreed that if their “present opportunity as Governors and leaders
cannot earn us paradise, it should not send us to hell.
“Above all, we must do everything possible
to ensure that we enter 2015 as a peaceful and united constituent, Nigeria”.
On his part, Governor Aliyu noted that
Nigeria “is passing through a very difficult phase in the history of the
nation, a period that put patriotism, nationalism, sincerity and responsibility
collectively to test.
“This is the period that we have to
demonstrate individually and collectively our abiding faith in our nation, when
we must confront the common enemies of the nation, those who are sworn to
destroying the spirit of nationhood through wanton destruction of lives and
property”.
These fine words, said the manner in which
they were stated, seem to be a contradiction of the threat of bloodbath by the
former Head of State, Buhari, unless it is employed as a smoke screen to cover
up the governors’ real intention.
While condemning Buhari’s declaration in
its entirety, President of the Arewa Defence League, Murtala Abubakar, said
going by his initial stand not to contest election for the presidency
after his third attempt in 2011 failed,
the retired General is only dancing to the tune played by some selfish people
who only seek to ride on his (Buhari’s) goodwill.
“He told the whole world that he will not
contest election again. I am surprised that he is coming up now to say that he
may contest the elections in 2015”, he said.
Abubakar unequivocally noted that though
Buhari is blessed with certain qualities, leadership is not one of them a
factor that may have seen him make the declaration, hence he is not qualified
to rule Nigeria.
“Experience has shown that Buhari is a man
of integrity”, he said but he is not a
good leader. Look at the imposition of candidates that characterised the last
election. I believe that like several other Nigerians Buhari has personal integrity, and that is
not in doubt.
“But Buhari as a politician and candidate
still has a problem. When he came up with his political party, the CPC, there
was this euphoria about the party and the belief that with Buhari, we are going
to see principles in our politics. But look at what is happening.
“I am disappointed that he has allowed some
people manipulate him for their own selfish interest … These people are not
interested in what is good for the country, and as a leader, he should be able
to distance himself from them. But that has not happened, and it is not good
for him”, he said.
Also noteworthy is the position of the
Christian Health Awareness Initiative of Nigeria (CHAN), which said
unequivocally that Buhari’s declaration could trigger violence during the 2015
general elections.
In a statement, CHAN noted that “we have
noted with dismay the unstatesmanly conduct of Muhammadu Buhari, who threatened
the nation with bloodshed should the 2015 election not be free and fair’.
According to the body, given the manner
Buhari made the declaration, it is obvious that his description of free and
fair election is one that would see him emerge winner of the 2015 election.
“In reality, Buhari is saying that there
would be bloodshed in 2015, if he does not win the Presidential election,” the
statement said.
CHAN noted that the result of a similar
statement by Buhari, which called for the lynching of certain persons led to
the bloodshed that followed the 2011 general elections, which claimed the lives
of some Christians and some members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC),
serving in some northern states.
All of these perspectives may have their
followers at different for under
different circumstances. However, if we must think, eat, drink and smell “one
Nigeria” as often stated by our leaders, Buhari inclusive, such declaration (or
statement) coming from somebody of the caliber of a former Head of State, can
only call for one thing, War! The questions, therefore, are who is going to war
with who? Are we no longer one Nigeria again, just because another person is at
the head of governance? Will the envisaged bloodshed affect only the assumed
opposition/enemy?
Perhaps it is time to remind our hitherto
astute former Head of State, in the words of the late Albert Einstein, that he
should “try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of
value”, if he truly treasures the unity of Nigeria and his statesmanship as he
wants Nigerians to believe.
Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has directed his legal team to resume all court proceedings against Mrs. Tracy Ohiri over her repeated allegations of indebtedness and other claims against him.
Mrs Ohiri had publicly accused Senator Umahi of owing her N280 million for campaign materials from his tenure as party chairman in Ebonyi State.
The allegations went viral on social media, where she also accused the Minister of sexual harassment.
Security agencies arrested Mrs Ohiri, and she was subsequently prosecuted. Her lawyer, Barrister Marshall Abubakar, intervened, leading to the deletion of all posts and a public apology, which also gained widespread attention online.
However, days after the apology, Mrs Ohiri resumed her claims against Senator Umahi.
In a statement issued on Saturday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, Senator Umahi said he had informed Barrister Abubakar during the intervention that if Mrs Ohiri could provide verifiable evidence, logs, and communications from the period in question, some of his associates were willing to contribute a sum of One Billion Naira (N1billion) to her, evidence which, he said, she had yet to provide.
“The Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, has been monitoring the ongoing public discourse surrounding the claims and counterclaims by Mrs. Tracy Ohiri.
“Ordinarily, this would have been ignored, but in the interest of truth and public clarity, it is necessary to address the issues directly”, the statement read.
The statement clarified that Barrister Abubakar acted in good faith and without any financial interest, motivated solely by a desire to assist Mrs Ohiri.
At no point did the lawyer discuss or negotiate any payment with the minister, although some well-meaning associates independently offered support”, the statement added.
Senator Umahi reiterated the conditions for resolving the matter: either the claims must be tested in court, or Mrs Ohiri must provide credible evidence, including all relevant communications, to substantiate her allegations.
The minister emphasised that Barr Abubakar conducted himself with integrity throughout the process.
“Following the failure to meet these conditions, particularly the inability to provide verifiable evidence, the Minister has directed his legal team to proceed with all court processes to ensure the truth is fully established,” the statement said.
Senator Umahi said despite years of public provocations and attacks, he chose to remain silent, focusing on national and state services.
He thanked Nigerians who had taken time to assess the facts and noted that “not everyone who presents themselves as a victim truly is one, and in some cases, narratives are deliberately inverted.”
The Minister affirmed that he will not be distracted by Mrs Ohiri’s allegations and remained committed to his mandate at the Ministry of Works.
“The focus remains on results, service, and ensuring that Nigerians continue to benefit from projects that improve connectivity, economic growth, and national development. This administration will continue to pursue its transformation agenda with dedication, transparency, and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” he concluded.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned proceedings in a suit filed by three aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions.
Justice Stephen Jumbo made the pronouncement during a recent sitting in Port Harcourt.
The suit, which borders on the legitimacy of the party’s leadership structure in the state, was instituted against the factional State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Aaron Chukwuemeka, alongside the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and other respondents.
Also joined in the matter are the PDP as a corporate entity, the Rivers State Government, as well as Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas, including their respective Vice Chairmen and Councillors.
The claimants, Enyi Uchechukwu, Wisdom Kalio and Uche Amadi, approached the court via an originating summons seeking judicial interpretation on the validity of actions taken by the Chief Chukwuemeka-led state executive committee of the party.
Central to the dispute is whether the said executive committee, whose emergence the claimants contend has been nullified by a subsisting court judgment, retains the legal authority to act on behalf of the party in critical electoral matters.
The plaintiffs specifically urged the court to determine whether the factional leadership could validly submit a list of candidates to RSIEC for the purpose of participating in local government elections.
They further questioned the legitimacy of the PDP’s participation in the August 30, 2025 local government elections, contending that any list purportedly submitted by the factional leadership was invalid and of no legal consequence.
In addition to the declaratory reliefs sought, the claimants also prayed the court to grant consequential orders addressing the outcome and conduct of the said elections across the affected local government areas.
At the resumed hearing, counsel representing the PDP and the affected local government councils informed the court that they had only recently been served with the originating processes and accompanying documents.
The defence team, comprising several Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), disclosed that service of the court processes was effected on March 13, 2026, leaving them with limited time to adequately prepare their responses.
Consequently, the defence counsel applied for an adjournment to enable them study the processes and address the legal issues raised, particularly as they relate to jurisdictional questions and points of law.
Counsel to the claimants, Glory Chizim-Chinda, did not oppose the application, following which the presiding judge granted the request and adjourned the matter to April 14, 2026, for the hearing of all pending motions, with a possible ruling expected ahead of the substantive suit.
By: King Onunwor
A former state lawmaker in the old the Rivers State, Professor Alex Eseimokumo, has described Nigerian opposition political parties as mere preposition political parties.
He also advised the country’s electorate against selling their votes during next year’s general elections.
The former legislator, who is also the president of the Institute for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Entrepreneurial Research, said this in an exclusive interview with The Tide on the sidelines of an event organized by the institute in Port Harcourt.
He said opposition political parties in Nigeria have been reduced to preposition political parties as most of them are not only dinning with the government but advising government on what to do to win election.
“The problem in Nigeria is we are not practicing politics the way it is supposed to be.The opposition are more in preposition.
“You see, opposition is supposed to find out things that are wrong in government but in our present day politics, you see opposition even dinning with the other group. So, there is basically nothing like opposition in Nigeria “, he said.
He lamented a situation where some individuals within the opposition are allegedly working hard to prevent their parties from fielding presidential candidates in the forthcoming election, adding that such individuals were only there to protect their personal interest.
Prof. Eseimokumo said as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he could not wish his party to fail in the election, even though nothing is impossible in Nigeria.
He noted that though the government in power has been trying it’s best, there was more to be done.
In his words, “I’m an APC member, so I don’t have the right to criticize my party but a word of advice: we still need to do more, more people oriented leadership where everybody will feel carried along.
“For now, I’m campaigning for APC to be re elected and if I stand here to say APC is not doing well, I’m not being fair to myself. But I think, with God all things are possible, there can be changes”.
On his assessment of the performances of governors of the Niger Delta states, Prof Eseimokumo said the governors were doing well within the limit of their resources.
” I don’t know what is given to them as allocation, but if what we are seeing in terms of window dressing is not window shopping, then they are doing well”, he said.
Meanwhile, Prof. Eseimokumo has advised Nigerian electorates against selling their votes during the forthcoming elections.
He said credible election could only be achieved when the electorates refuse financial inducement during the elections.
According to him, though Nigerian voters had been difficult to persuade, the time had come for them to stop selling their votes.
Prof. Eseimokumo said the forthcoming elections will serve as a litmus test for the Nigerian electorate to demonstrate their desire for changes in the country, stressing that free and fair elections will continue to be a mirage in the country until the was a change in the attitude of the electorate.
“If you want your vote to count, don’t take money from anybody; if you want your votes to count, don’t collect money for your vote. The moment you collect money for your vote, you have sold your conscience”, he warned.
He said his institute will continue to work for peace, not just in the Niger Delta region but across Nigeria.
By: John Bibor