By Timothy Godson
Since the emergence of Senator (SAS), as the acting national chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, (Tuesday, February 16, 2016), mixed feelings have though greeted his emergence by party faithfuls, friends, well wishers and even foes from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
I was initially bewildered by his emergence, giving his alleged sponsorship of the world’s most dreaded terrorist group, Boko Haram.
But like other discerning minds in Nigeria, I have to do a dig into the public archives, and discovered that SAS had since been declared not guilty by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of States Services (DSS).
SAS and all lovers and supporters of the PDP must not be demoralized, but go back to the drawing board to harness the goodwill they still have in the eyes of millions of Nigerians home and abroad, particularly, ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2019.
This is even as since May 29, 2015, that the PDP successfully handed-over to the APC led by ex-dictator, General Muhammadu Buhari, it has been one gaffe or the other; one flip-flop or the other; one lie or the other; one denial of campaign promises or the other; one blame-game or the other.
Infact, the economy has been grounded to an all time low, as a result of inconsistent, little or no economic direction by this babyish government led by recycled geriatrics and locust of our common patrimony since yester years.
Not deviating, however, website links to be provided below show that SAS and Ihejirika have since been cleared by the DSS of sponsoring terrorism.
The issues:
1. Sometime in September 2014, it was that Australian negotiator, Stephen Davies, who granted an interview to VOA, Arise Television and Sahara TV, alleging that SAS and former Chief of Army Staff (CoAS), General Ihejirika, were sponsors of Boko Haram.
Davies said he spoke to Boko Haram field commanders, who confirmed it to him.
However, these BH commanders were later discovered to be fake. It was later uncovered that they were only out to swindle the Federal Government through phony negotiation.
2. Ihejirika and SAS immediately debunked these allegations.
On Ihejirika, recall it was under his leadership as Chief of Army Staff that the Army began to massively deal with Boko Haram, pushing them away from Kano, Okene in Kogi State and other parts of the country to Sambisa forest, where they finally made their enclave.
The military onslaught was so massive that the APC, El-Rufai, Muritala Nyako and other northern leaders started crying genocide. They even threatened to drag Ihejirika to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Nigerians, particularly APC offline supporters and online thugs and Ricetivists have low retentive memory.
What distinguished legal luminary, Prof. Ben Nwabueze called #NationalAmnesia.
Unfortunately, this has been our problem as a nation since the 1960. See link of where APC national chairman, Odigie Oyegun, asked Jonathan in September 2014, to hand-over Ihejirika and Sheriff to the International Criminal Court for sponsoring Boko Haram and for genocide noting that Jonathan and the PDP were sponsors of Boko Haram as a trump-card for Jonathan’s second term.
READ: Ihejirika: Davies’ Allegations against Me Frivolous
See link where Ihejirika replied El-rufai’s allegation that he was committing genocide against the north to revenge the massacre of NDIGBO during the civil war:
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/alleged-terror-sponsorship-ihejirika-challenges-el-rufai/
See link where ex-Adamawa Governor, Muritala Nyako accused Jonathan of being behind genocide against northerners:
See another link where Ihejirika was cleared:
http://www.ekekeee.com/dss-interrogate-ali-modu-sheriff-boko-haram-sponsorship/
READ: EFCC releases ex-Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, on bail
However, who will charge Ihejirika and Sheriff to ICC, now that Oyegun’s party is the ruling party? Note, they won’t be charged again to ICC, for power has returned to the North.
But has the Boko Haram menace increased under the APC? Res ipsa loquitur (The fact speaks for itself).
On SAS, recall he clarified then, through a press conference that Davies and his co-travelers were only being sponsored by Governor Shettima to tarnish his image and kill his political career.
According to SAS, he was not the Bornu State Governor when Boko Haram started in Kanama, Yobe State, sometime in 2002, and thereafter moved to Gwoza hill, Bornu State.
SAS clarified that when he became the Bornu State Governor in 2003, he passed ‘wicked’ laws that dealt with Boko Haram and their apologists.
According to him, he made a law prohibiting Boko Haram in the domain of Borno State.
“The law said anybody practising or associated with what Boko Haram was doing, was banned by law from so doing, and if caught, will be prosecuted and jailed for 25 years,” Sheriff stated.
This stringent law signed by SAS made him and his family number one enemy of Boko Haram.
SAS said Boko Haram killed his biological younger brother (same mother, same father), his cousin, his party chairman, his party candidate whom he adopted.
According to him, if he was a Boko Haram sponsor, how come, he was now their no. 1 enemy?
He said, Bornu has been favorable to him by making him the first Governor to have being returned, and a Senator thrice, asking how then, could he have been a Boko Haram sponsor?
SAS said, one Junaid Idrissa Khadi, his former Sheriff (close associate), who later became an SA to Shettima was caught by DSS as an impostor who connived with Davies to defame him as a sponsor of Boko Haram.
He noted that Governor Shettima knows much about Boko Haram than meets the eyes.
See link: http://www.ekekeee.com/first-victim-boko-haram-sponsored-ali-modu-sheriff-responds-allegations/
See link where Sheriff explained all he knew about Boko Haram:
http://www.ekekeee.com/know-boko-haram-ali-modu-sheriff/
3. Barely three months after these accusation and counter allegation, Nigeria’s secret police uncovered that SAS was defamed by the Australian negotiator, Davies and his accomplices numbering over seven.
All but Davies, made confessional statements which cleared SAS from Davies’ claims that he (SAS) and General Ihejirika sponsor Boko Haram.
However, the question remains, if some e-thugs are now claiming SAS is a Boko Haram sponsor, has he been charged for terrorism by the authorities, even when he was still in the then opposition party, APC?
Has Ihejirika been charged for sponsoring Boko Haram, as claimed by Davies and some northern elements?
At the last check, on corruption allegations, Sheriff has not even been charged for trial by Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, but was only invited in June 2015, to explain how he managed the N300billion his administration got from the Federation’s account from 2003-2011.
He was granted administrative bail by the EFCC afterwards. Nothing has been heard since then.
But the fact remains that, how many ex-governors under this current administration, have been invited for Breakfast, Lunch or even Dinner, by the anti graft agency or even the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), to explain how they ran their states for 4 years or 8 years.
They are: Bukola Saraki (Kwara); Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), whose trial started under the last administration, Sule Lamido (Jigawa State), Gabriel Suswam (Benue State).
Please who again on the list that I failed to mention owing to oversight? Those listed except Nyako are perceived enemies to the current cabals feasting on our economy.
Infact, not even the Super Ministers of today, who left their states bleeding in debts have been invited. One hopes, they will be invited under this Pharaoh or a new Pharaoh.
But discerning Nigerians are still watching!
See link about Sheriff’s case with the EFCC:
Nevertheless, those who were pained by the military onslaught against Boko Haram, and tagged it a genocide, threatening to drag Ihejirika to ICC for genocide, what has come out of their bloody threat?
Nigeria is an interesting place to be. We love to play a lot of politics with sensitive issues of national importance.
Since power has returned to the North, Ihejirika is no longer going to be dragged to the ICC.
4. Since Nigeria’s secret police uncovered the plot of Davies as a scammer, Nigerians are yet to hear from the fake negotiator. I hereby ask, Where is Stephen Davies?
5. Fast forward to February 16, 2016, SAS emerged as PDP’s Ag. Chairman, pending when ex-chairman Adamau Mu’azu’s tenure would expire next month, and then another fresh election would be conducted.
So, what is the headache of APC-aligned handles? Why the noise about SAS.
PDP social media director, Deji Adeyanju, has clarified that the party has a reason for SAS at the moment. So, why are these APC handles who know next to what over loads, not over-lords shape for them to tweet crying foul and even more than the bereaved.
6. SAS is not the substantive chairman of Africa’s largest opposition party, so, why all the chaotic noise in this market place-and super information highway?
7. Last night, I took my time to go through the 45-page report and recommendations of the Senator Ike Ekweremadu-led Post Election Assessment Committee. I read it intoto. Though replete with some printers’ devil, I urge the party to immediately pounce into action to religiously implement the recommendations of that committee.
With what is happening in the country today, and the apparent disorganization of the current ruling party, which their leader and President Muhammadu Buhari, has confessed to, the PDP may bounce back. Don’t ask me how?
Timothy Godson is a concerned Nigerian and public affairs commentator. He wrote from Anambra State
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