The Nigeria Posterity Project (NPP) has charged Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate to drop his arrogance, self-righteousness and talk to Nigerians in the open debate as designed by the Nigeria Election Debate Group, NEDG.
The NPP in a statement in Abuja at the weekend stated that they were not only shocked but embarrassed that someone seeking the mandate of the people is blatantly refusing to condescend to talk to the Nigerian people.
We condemn this attitude of General Buhari and point out that this has been his stock in trade over the years. We advise him to come down from his high horse and engage the Nigerian people who he is aspiring to lead as president.
His refusal to participate in the debate is an indication of the disdain, disrespect and how he despises the ordinary Nigerian. Obviously, Gen. Buhari is not someone who believes his actions or inactions should be subjected to public scrutiny and Nigerians don’t deserve answers to pertinent questions that might be thrown at him.
The truth of the matter is that Buhari is dead scared and afraid of his past which could be opened up during the presidential debate, and has only demonstrated that he’s nothing tangible to over Nigerians except seeking vengeance, promoting hate, division and violence.
We, however, urge him to summon courage and attend the debate as the excuses he and his party have advanced are simply not tenable. We urge him to open himself to public scrutiny as all democrats would do, as the debate provides a veritable platform for that.
Based on his antecedents, Buhari we dare say is haunted by his records in office as head of state where he was accused draconic laws and highhandedness in office.
His refusal to feature in the debate once again brings to the fore the same behaviour he displayed over his certificate saga in which he is yet to convince Nigerians that he actually possesses the requisite academic qualification to contest the election as required by law.
In our opinion, a man who has an agenda to serve the nation for good would jump at the opportunity provided by the NEDG to sell his programmes to the people. His refusal to take part in the debate is enough proof that Buhari is merely making empty promises.
We therefore challenge the APC presidential candidate to display humility and stop this impunity.
We recall that it was this same attitude that Buhari displayed when he refused to submit his WAEC/Cambridge certificate he claimed he acquired in 1961. He refused to come clean in spite of the public outcry and controversy generated by his act of lying under oath, an act we interpret as taking Nigerians for granted.
As Nigerians now know, the statement of result Buhari made public has being questioned and believed to be a forgery by a cross section of Nigerians.
Also, it’s on record that this same Gen. Buhari refused to appear before the Oputa Panel when summoned in 2000.
