Buhari is ‘no model of democracy,’ Ogebe says he’s an autocrat in disguise
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Muhammadu Buhari is a diehard autocrat in disguise and nowhere near an democrat, human rights campaigner Emmanuel Ogebe has reminded United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee.
Phee had in her recent visit to Abuja described Buhari as “a model of democracy in Africa,” which Ogebe interprets as Washington trying to play down the failings of Nigeria’s worst President so as to shield the US from sharing in the blame.
Ogebe – a Nigerian-American based in Washington where he is Managing Partner at US Nigeria Law Group (USNLG – chronicled in a letter to Phee, Buhari’s historical and contemporary infringements of the law to underscore his mindset.
He cited, among others, how Buhari disobeyed Supreme Court ruling on the deadline for swapping old naira notes for new, the latest in his series of contempt of court, as well as ongoing investigation of forced abortions and child genocide on his watch.
The letter, a copy of which Ogebe sent to TheNiche, is reproduced below:
Buhari anything but a model of democracy
Dear Assistant Secretary Molly Phee,
Felicitations on your recent visit to Nigeria while I myself am here from Washington.
However, I wish to voice my concern at your remarks broadcast on national TV eulogizing Gen. Buhari as a “model of democracy in Africa.” He is anything but!
The Buhari regime’s atrocious human rights record is indubitably notorious and merits little elaboration for want of time. Suffice to say that the week preceding your visit, Nigeria’s own human rights commission is investigating reports of forced abortions and child genocide, separate from investigations by the International Criminal Court.
During your visit, US diplomats like the generality of Nigeria’s 200 million residents were acutely impoverished and suffering unspeakable financial hardship due to premeditated economic strangulation for political reasons.
Your diplomats who had barely two weeks earlier returned from Ordered Departure due to insecurity last year, came into an unprecedented cash crunch in Nigeria’s history that led to cash rationing and ATM access lottery. The mega price of the Nigerian American embassy powerball? A meagre N10,000 ($25) of your own money!
It is understandable that the US wishes to suck up to relics like Buhari in a misguided charm defensive with China for continental influence but the Buhari regime was not as gracious to you.
While you were in the country, a government minister called the threat alert that cost hundreds of thousands of taxpayer funds for the international displacement of hundreds of American diplomats and family as “frivolous.”
It was highly insulting to trivialize the disruption and separation of diplomatic families and children’s schooling but the added injury was the fact that it was caused by the self-same failure of the Buhari regime to properly secure the country. This statement was a huge slight on the committed and self-sacrificing foreign service personnel.
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Buhari overrules Supreme Court
In conclusion, I wish to highlight that just today, Gen. Buhari single handedly overruled the judgment of the Supreme Court yesterday ordering that old currency continue circulation as legal tender by permitting only one of three notes.
This is the classic hallmark of an autocratic ex-military dictator who is reputed to have disobeyed every Supreme Court order conceivable, who unconstitutionally overthrew a Chief Justice of Nigeria and whose secret police chief invaded the national parliament in a January 6th-like self-coup.
Madam Assistant Secretary, if Buhari is a model of democracy in Africa, then you owe [Donald] Trump an apology because both men were similar in cantankerous and egregious conduct and violence to civilized norms and constitutional order.
While you were in Nigeria, the head of the EFCC and police chief were amongst several Buhari officials cited for contempt of court for emulating their disobeyer-in-chief.
The negative impact of the catastrophic self-sabotage on Africa’s former top economy can only be imagined but it will forever be remembered as Buhari’s parting punishment to the country he ruined.
In conclusion, I understand that the US feels a need to whitewash Buhari’s disastrous tenure which they helped foist on Nigerians to mitigate their collective embarrassment.
But failing to admit the truth even now tethers them ignominiously and inexorably to the garbage heap of history where he belongs – injuring America’s diplomatic and democratic credibility in Nigeria. Worse, it’s at the expense of Americans as well.
Lopsided appointment of Northerners
When Gen. Buhari’s goons killed over 1,000 innocent Nigerians in 2011 post-election violence, one of your predecessors in office then, Assistant Sec of State Johnnie Carson, said that Nigeria should appoint more northerners into government.
Till today Gen. Buhari continues to appoint a 90% Northern Muslim National Security Council and his ruling party even nominated a Muslim-Muslim presidential successor but the US has not expressed concern about this marginalization of it’s over 100 million non-Muslim population.
Nigerians yearning for change
In affirming Buhari’s unmitigated disaster of an administration, the US misses the boat of the groundswell of hope swirling in Nigeria’s youth today in the Peter Obi third party presidential contender.
But it’s not just them. The US is also out of touch with the Nigerian American Diaspora that has been more energized by Peter Obi’s candidacy than ever in history [as] witnessed by his seven-city American tour.
Once again weeks to historic elections, USA hitched its wagon to a relic instead of to Nigeria’s bright promise. Doing that does not make America a true model of democracy that the world or Nigeria’s youth want.
Sincerely,
Emmanuel Ogebe