Beejeezle

Jonathan not acceptable, Buhari’s supporters will cause violence

By Luka Binniyat & Mayen Etim, Kaduna Sheik Ahmad Gunmi explodes again on why President Jonathan, Gen. Buhari should not contest 2015 Presidential electionFiery Islamic Scholar and scion of late Sheik Abubakar Gunmi, Sheik Ahmad Gunmi has said why he wrote two separate letters asking both President Goodluck Jonathan and the former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, rtd, not to contest the 2015 presidential election.Gunmi who spoke with Saturday Vanguard in an exclusive interview in Kaduna Wednesday, said that both ‘’Buhari and Jonathan are polarising figures”, pointing out that Buhari’s participation in the election would exacerbate violence in the country while Jonathan was not an acceptable candidate to a “great chunk of Nigerians”.Sheikh Gumi‘’Tnorth is frantic; they don’t want President Jonathan to come back because of their safety, lives and security. And this has made them to be too attached to Gen. Buhari because they think he is the only credible person and he has large followers who feel that they can help defeat Jonathan. I know like Jonathan, Buhari is also polarizing figure.‘’Buhari is not only a polarizing figure in Nigeria, he is even so in the North. There are people who don’t want him at all for different reasons. My Islamic credentials make me see things in broader perspective. And that’s why I am seriously telling him to consider that leadership is not only about honesty and accountability. It also has to do with conformity, flexibility, being nice to people and not just disciplinary strictness. No! All these people that are attached to him would be very surprised if he gets into power. He will not do what they want.’’Gunmi further said that Buhari’s followers were not only ‘’irrational, fanatical and sentimental,’’ but were already hoping that ‘’their man will be president,’’ adding that if ‘’suddenly he is announced the loser… there would be ‘flames of war; they start nobody can control them.’’According to him, ‘’It is about a Nigerian citizen (himself) telling Gen. Buhari, please step down for peace, unity and stability of Nigeria because your followers are fanatical, irrational, sentimental and they are many, not few.So, please … and look at their reaction (intolerance). Just telling their man to step down, and they reacted this way; what more if they were hoping, dreaming – because I tell you they are sentimental and irrational – hoping their man will be president and suddenly he’s announced the loser, how will their reaction be like? And who can control them? You see, the flames of war, when they start nobody can control themOn Jonathan, Gunmi also said that he was a polarising figure pointing out that, “a big section of Nigeria will be uncomfortable with him (Jonathan) continuing as President.’’to him, ‘’tquestion of Nigeria now is not about winning election, neither is it a question of I’m right, I won. It’s not about that now. It’s about responsibility. It’s not enough to say I have won election. It is only enough when every part of Nigeria feels truly that you have won.‘’Secondly, when all sections say, we will be comfortable with your leadership then that’s it. If there is any section of Nigeria which is afraid and suspicious of your leadership, then don’t contest in the first place. Because everything in this democracy was designed to have a peaceful and mutual understanding and consent of the people as enshrined in the constitution.‘’But in this case, if President Jonathan wins, a huge part of the society will feel uncomfortable and frightened by his continuation. The natural thing to do is to give the chance to another person to contest; this is just natural everywhere in the world.’’BOKO HARAMFurthermore, Gunmi spoke on the war against Boko Haram, blaming the inability of the Military to defeat the terrorists on fifth columnists within the system and mercenaries from neighbouring countries like Chad.According to him, ‘’Who can believe that with the kind of wealth that Nigeria has; our soldiers will be given few bullets to face Boko Haram? Nobody knows that this Boko Haram, from the few the army were able to kill, were mercenaries from Chad. There are even some none-Muslims among them.‘’A soldier came to us here from Bita, which is very close to the Sambisa Forest (in Borno State). He said when they went freshly with ammunition they were able to repel the initial attacks by Boko Haram. When the Boko Haram insurgents were withdrawing, he heard some shouting some names like Victor, Amir, John, Mohammed etc They were calling their colleagues. Boko Haram are not only Muslims.‘’The Boko Haram issue has two perspectives – the perspective you, the press, have been bombarding Nigerians with and the true perspective seen by the victims. Let me tell you what the victims see in Boko Haram. We almost have one full year of state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States. ‘’The people gave the government the benefit of doubt at the beginning.The National Assembly sanctioned the state of emergency and that means that soldiers can liquidate or kill anybody without trial. That automatically puts you out of the area if you are an outsider. You cannot go and see for yourself what’s happening. Powers were given to them and also huge sums of money. With these huge sums, nobody would have thought that after this long period, we will still be fighting them.NO MILITARY STRATEGY TO FIGHT BOKO HARAM‘’Soldiers at the fronts were being eliminated, outnumbered, and many civilians incarcerated. The Army were just there arresting civilians and putting them in prison.There is no military strategy to fight Boko Haram. On the contrary some of these soldiers cry to me personally. They come to us and tell us stories contrary to what you people hear. Helicopter droppings, tinted glassed vehicles, sometimes with foreigners in them. Army officers telling me that sometimes they’ll pursue them but would be given orders to stop, don’t pursue. You (the press) don’t know this but we know, and even recorded some. We know it’s a remote controlled war. This stalemate is a remote controlled war.’’