Hajiya Hafsat M. Zanna
24 July 2008
opinion
Kindly give me space to say a word or two on the declaration of war against the elected government of President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean people by an unelected but imposed president of Nigeria, Umaru Musa Yar'adua.
I must confess that I was dumbfounded when I read President Yar'adua's proclamation at Chatham House in London recently during a visit that he (and indeed his country) does not recognise President Mugabe's government on the re-run election of June 27 this year.
Yar'adua was quoted in a front page news story of Thisday of July 21, 2008 titled 'Yar'adua: Nigeria does not recognise Mugabe's election'. It's all about the hypocrisy, insincerity and deceit of our leaders.
It is not only surprising, but also a sheer case of arrogance and a slap on the sensibilities and intelligence of Nigerians taking into consideration his so-called victory in April 2007. It is no longer news hearing that he is presiding over an illegitimate government because of the glaring circumstances surrounding the declaration of his victory at the polls by INEC last year.
Not only the public perception of the almost total victory given to him, his PDP and its other candidates at the state assemblies, National Assembly and governorship polls, but even local and international election observers and monitors had at the time condemned the elections as one of the worst ever in the history of Africa.
Questions Nigerians always want to ask Yar'adua are among others "does he have the moral standing to question the legitimacy of Mugabe's election? Was his election anywhere near a free, fair and credible one like Mugabe's? Isn't his election not still in the courts being challenged by the presidential candidates that contested the April 2007 elections?"
If Yar'adua is sincere about his claim of being a true democrat, he should take the courage and surrender his stolen mandate, so that the nation can organise free and fair polls. It must be said severally that Yar'adua's claim of being a respecter of the rule of law is just an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Rule of law does not stop at obeying court decisions. It is all-encompassing.
Like Yar'adua said himself, we Africans must ensure that we anchor democracy on credible elections. My view is that the Zimbabwean election no matter how bad was by far better and more credible than Nigeria's that brought Yar'adua into office. This is the view of most Nigerians. I am of the firm belief that he should be the last person to condemn the election of anybody.
Like Lai Mohammed, the national publicity secretary of Action Congress, AC said, "By that statement, Yar'adua is turning into a laughing stock before the international community for the hypocrisy demonstrated in the condemnation of Mugabe's controversial election".
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Yar'Adua is very much absent from African hot topics of peace or conflicts. I wonder if that is just arrongance or lack of real understanding to engage the greater African Community. He has certainly not presented himself as the top 5 African leader.
Yar'Adua looked stupid on both his visit to the UK and USA. Is Yar'Adua real, or the usual snake oil Nigerian liar and corrupt leader?
I give him credit for at least getting himself "good boy" credits from the UK and USA on Zimbabwe. He is an extremely strange Nigerian President.
Thanks! Not only he wears its finest print as The Gentleman. What you should understand he wears Peace not like others who instigate metaphor to fib negative distraction. Public Service is so unique that once here from Granny that EDUCATION is something left within that community as all the men and women who came wears with the agenda to play the same SILLINESS days in shackles and wind up issues rather a gentleman has used the finest by product to spread HOPE to ignite intellectualism; that heard some ignorance is playing wind up to the same community that he is… [Read Full Text]