Okorocha: The Buharist Trapped Between Ambition & Loyalty -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

Although they claimed to be what they called the Buharist – that is, the Die-hard supporters of Mr. President; their actions has so far shown nothing other than the fact that they are fakes. The recently conducted APC ward congresses across the federation leaves much to be desired that should President Muhammadu Buhari continue to rely on these folks; he will soon suffer humiliation of the worst kind.

Rochas Okorocha and President Buhari

For the records, the Buharist included but are not limited to the following persons – Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Governor Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa state, Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, Governor Abdullaziz Yari of Zamfara state and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state e.t.c.

Others included Rotimi Amaechi – Minister of Transport, Fmr. Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Marafa and Ovie Omo-agege. The list is endless but unfortunately, feelers suggests that not all these apologists understood what the APC needed at the moment nor did they realize personal ambition wrapping itself around loyalty will only lead to a thorough truncing of the whole idea of Mr. president’s re-election bid.

As I looked out for the results of the ward congresses as was already pouring in a day after the scheduled event, I noticed that the Imo affair was riddled with a lot of sorry tales – with accusations and counter-accusations rocking back and forth between incumbent Governor Okorocha and Senator Ifeanyi Ararume. Governor Okorocha’s dead idea of teleguiding the party in the state so as to install his In-law as Governor is clearly not exiciting the people of the state who are against it.

They say it is an attempt to impose on the people’s will regardless of the fact of whether or not the attempted imposition adhered to the zoning arrangement as is presently structured. For Chief Okorocha to desire to do to the people of Imo state and the APC what he dared not tolerate himself told of the nature and the quality of them that claimed to be Buharist. One needed only to ask: Is the fact of being a Buharist about loyalty or about personal ambition?

In Kaduna state, the commander of the Buharist camp – Governor Nasir El-Rufai – seems to believe it was possible to win without the relevant stakeholders. Having chased aside Senators Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi; the APC is no doubt amazed by his words after the ward congress, when he said, “It is about conducting a free and fair process and not about whether the APC won or not.” If Mr. Mallam believed this, of what use then was the Buharist if APC’s victory mattered less?

The parallel show ran by the duo of Governor Abdul-Aziz Yari (on the one hand) and Senator Marafa (on the other hand) clearly sent shock waves to the APC that all was indeed not well with the Buharist themselves. Like Okorocha, they seem to be more concerned about their personal ambition than they were about loyalty. The same things are seen in Adamawa and Rivers states. The same divisions; the same infighting.

But the funniest of them all was the case of Abia state where the congress elections never even took place. The man Orji Uzor Kalu who had travelled from state to state advocating for Mr. President and his selfish bid to return come 2019; clearly did not begin his charity at home. No doubt, the reality is that whoever wanted recognition with the APC or Mr. president only needed to transform into a Buharist by taking on the APC-BUHARI RE-ELECTION coat!

Consequentially, it remains to be seen what these so-called Buharist had up their sleeves in terms of ensuring victory for their beloved gap-toothed leader and president of the federal republic of Nigeria and the APC come 2019. My concerns are that as a political watcher, I have seen this happened before in the drama that followed the death and burial of the Third Term Agenda and, also in the Jonathan era.

In times past, the Late General Sani Abacha readily calls to mind and his friends who believed that the cap fitted only one candidate – General Sani Abacha. The truth is that – given what has played out so far in these states where so-called Buharist like Governor Rochas Okorocha held sway – the agenda of the Buharist are clearly at variance with those of their ‘Messiah’. In a nutshell, should PMB rely on Governor Okorocha for the Imo votes; he is bound to lose both arms and legs in the ensuing crash.

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is an advocate for attitudinal change, author and the coordinator of Save Nigeria Today Initiative. Send your comments via ifeanyi_mmoh@yahoo.com.