Buharians and Buhabarians

When President Buhari came on board in his first coming as our democratically elected president in 2015, there was brilliant hope, so to say, almost everywhere in the land that yearned for a new dawn and fresh phase of fresh air. Quickly I must concede that there is nothing new in this observation at this point in time and it is now usually agreed that since that time up to now the president who won an apocalyptic re-election as a second term president has consistently failed us in almost every area of governance because his pre-election change slogan has been viewed as a slogan of deception. Besides, his failure so far is because his genius as a military general has been seen as one suited for satiric comedy in our country’s landscape of democratic governance. Perhaps we may be allowed to rate him well as a tragic political and elected general-dramatist riding roughshod over our quiet and peaceable compatriots.

As a presidential candidate in 2015- and even before then – the immediate appeal of Muhammadu Buhari was to the mind: his appreciable mind of rigorous discipline that engendered in us curious interest that many citizens patriotically followed. Indeed, everywhere in our country Buhari’s numerous followers and industrious believers in him never allowed their historical interest in him as a ‘successful’ military head of state to wane. Thus it was this at the back of my mind that stimulated me to call his ardent followers, believers and even worshippers Buharists. That was when I was a Nigerian Tribune columnist. In fact, I also went further at that point in time to call and define the political philosophy of Buharism as a political philosophy that stressed the temperament of hero Buhari who would rule our compatriots without any ounce of discrimination, and lead our country without negative biases, but triumphantly to its destined end of promise and progress. No matter what, Buharism required from its adherents the power of putting our country and people in the realm and orbit of 21st century civilization and greatness. The vision of Buharists and Buharism was nothing short of the difficult triumph of celestial divination. But what a clear, obvious error of judgment on my part and that of many of my fellow sharers of divine sensibilities!

Since General Buhari became our president, his presidencynologists, his erstwhile Buharists, have become Buharians and Buhabarians. What do I mean? I will tell you. But my meaning will come to you by way of some near crude statements relating to our president’s and his acolytes’ manner and style of rule and leadership with which he and the well-known acolytes have burdened the general’s, the heroic president’s tragic failures so far.

What has the General, our GMB, made of the North East of our country so far? And what have his military chiefs who have being on board with him since he entered Aso Rock made of that region? Have they grounded Boko Haram totally or un-totally? Are our patriotic soldiers not been slaughtered every now and then by Boko Haram in operations after operations with the alleged connivance of Nigeria’s front-line commanders’ actions that have led many of our able soldiers to resign from our Army as alleged by those who disapprove of the Buharians and Buhabarians? The other day the Borno State governor barely escaped from an ambush. And we wonder what all displaced citizens in Borno State and in other North Eastern States are truly experiencing.

When Dr. Jonathan was president did we witness what that region is passing through today and ever since GMB came on board? What pedantic criticism would not come from pedantic critics in the North especially if a Southern president were to be still our president?

Less than a forthnight ago, Southern Kaduna citizens were massacred by Buharians and Buhabarians. Sunday Vanguard of August 9, 2020 gave a gory, chilling account of the Southern Kaduna killings. “They killed people, removed their eyes, other parts,” we were told by a survivor. That was not all. Rather than pursuing and arresting the outlaws, the crude Buharians and Buhabarians, the police that were employed to maintain peace turned themselves into outlaws as well; they became the instruments of the Buharians and Buhabarians, they became a new set of despotic Buharians and Buhabarians, the enlisted members of a new standing army of butchers in Southern Kaduna, under the central authority of Buharians and Buhabarians, riding roughshod over the peaceable compatriots and citizens, who are minority ethnic groups and committed Christians in that region of Kaduna State. Was ethnic cleansing going on there? Is ethnic cleansing going on there in line with the gospel of the Buharians and Buhabarians? Or is there an anti-Christian cleansing going on there with the endorsement and connivance of the central force of power and of perhaps oppression as well?

What happened in Southern Kaduna recalls the operations of the Miyetti Allah, Fulani herdsmen and cattle tenders and kidnappers kidnapping, maiming, killing our fellow citizens, raping them (women and men), and burning and destroying homesteads and farmlands in different regions of our country stretching from the North Central, Middle Belt thence to the South West and South East as well as to the South-South of the country. And the central authority keeps keeping mum. How long shall we allow the Buharians and Buhabarians to ride roughshod over democratic process in this way? And Buhari the great hero is keeping quiet and is as taciturn as ever. Will one be wrong to label him a satiric hero with every flaw of a hero who is not in any way a hero?

By now our meaning of Buharians and Buhabarians must be clear to all of us.
They are barbarians who possess the genius of vile and despicable villains who ride roughshod over our democracy and humanity. They are Buharists no more. Their Buharismis also no more. They now are dramatis personae in our despicable drama of barbarianism and barbarians exploiting our national fear by riding roughshod over our cherished values and principles which have long been sacred and sacrosanct. They are in no way democrats. Some persons may feel the need to call them barbaric democrats – who really are not democrats. Every reader is free and at liberty to expand and explain and re-explain my meaning, definition and all what-not of my labels. Buharians and Buhabarians! What new political terms in our tragic horizon! Phew!
Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059.