by George Kushi
While good men meet to plan, evil men meet to plot destruction. It is therefore not surprising that present day happenings reminds one of the nefarious hatched plots against prominent Nigerians. A former governor was crucified under Ibrahim Babangida. Several others were witch hunted and even humiliated during the OBJ days, Many others have fallen victims of kleptocracy of governments that demand switching and joining the bandwagon so that” your sins will be forgiven”. This road have taken many to the path of infamy. Many names abound
It is not surprising that the present dispensation has forgiven all the atrocities of all former PDP chieftains that switched over to the APC,hence the statement accredited as a pronouncement from the EFCC saying all indicted former office holders should not be allowed to buy forms for eligibility to contest. This move is a well calculated to kill the political ambitions of budding politicians that pose a threat to an “ancient regime “that fears change.
Quite a number of former Governors, Ministers , Senators and many such personages who have curruption cases have gotten their cases flung under the rug for carpet crossing . The fact is that the truth cannot be hidden forever . All arms of Government have separate roles. The EFCC, the INEC and the Courts all know where their boundaries lie.
All should know that the packaging of the recent reminders about stopping people by EFCC from collecting application forms is aimed at stopping people who are perceived as potential threats due to massive followership. It is evidently clear that of all the governors who served under Obasanjo only two were not indicted, yet nobody is talking about it but of Governor Fintiri’s indictment. For crying out loud,what is an indictment? An indictment in simple words means being accused. Does that tantamount to being quilty? The Nigerian Constitution presumes innocence until proved guilty in a court of law.
The powermongers are at it once again, seeking to use the instrument they are adept in ;threats,till they cow all into submission.
They also hope to cause confusion in the minds of the electorate, to make believe that a certain candidate is not saleable.
But this is the same story that was bandied as it trended before the primary election ,during and even after general elections. Some even went ahead to say that he was not going to be sworn in as governor. All that is now history and this too will be history as well. The campaign of calumny typically depicts drowning people”s struggle to survive.
Unfortunately Nigerians are changing to a different set of people that can change the “change” by protecting their franchise.
Adamawa state was in the vanguard and is still there.
Ever smiling in the face of formidable traducers , Fintiri weathered the storm and came out victorious against formidable odds. They said that the courts will remove him, but that did not happen because the grand plan of rigging could not defeat his grassroots popularity . This led to envy occasioned by the inability remove him from office through warped judicial procedures.
For a fact ,this recent remarks by the antagonists claiming he is a “one term Governor” akin to what we have heard before.
Truth is Governor Ahmadu Umau Fintiri is not distracted at all. The people to whom he governs are seeing the pragmatism on ground and know better.
As their plans unfolds , time shall tell.
Kushi is the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor of Adamawa State