Nigerians Are Nigeria’s Problems, Buhari Declares

President Muhammadu Buhari has reflected on the complexities of
the Nigerian condition, concluding that neither ethnicity nor
religion was to blame, “but we ourselves,” for inherent
injustices.

The President spoke recently while receiving members of the
Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo (MBO) Dynamic Support Group, who visited
State House, Abuja, to present a compendium of five years
achievements of the administration.

President Buhari went into the trajectory of his struggles to
get justice at the courts, after disputed results of presidential
elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011, submitting that people who ruled
against him were of his own ethnic stock and religious persuasion,
while those who stood up for him were of other faiths and
ethnicity.

“Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves,” the
President submitted.

His words:

“After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to
speak to those who were present then. I told them that from 2003,
I’d spent 30 months in court.

“The President of the Court of Appeal, the first port of call
for representation by presidential candidates then, was my
classmate in secondary school in Katsina. We spent six years in the
same class, Justice Umaru Abdullahi.

“My legal head was Chief Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and an
Ibo man. When the President of the court decided that we should
present our case, my first witness was in the box.

“Ahamba insisted that a letter should be sent to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), to present the register of
constituencies in some of the States, to prove that what they
announced was falsehood. It was documented.

“When they gave judgment, another Ibo man, the late Justice
Nsofor, asked for the reaction from INEC to the letter sent to
them. They just dismissed it. He then decided to write a minority
judgment. That was after 27 months in court.

“We went to the Supreme Court. Who was Chief Justice of Nigeria
(CJN)? A Hausa-Fulani like me, from Zaria. The members of the panel
went in for about 30 minutes, came back to say they were proceeding
on break. They went for 3 months. When they came back, it didn’t
take them 15 minutes, they dismissed us.

“In 2007, who was the CJN? Kutigi. Again, a Muslim from the
North. After 8 months or so, he dismissed the case.

“Again in 2011, because I was so persistent, Musdafa, a Fulani
man like me, from Jigawa, neighbor to my state, was CJN. He
dismissed my case.

“I’ve taken you round this to prove that our problem is not
ethnicity or religion. It is ourselves.

“I refused to give up. I had tried to wear Agbada after what
happened to me in Khaki. Something was done to me, because I did
something to others. You know it. In the end, I myself was
arrested, sent to detention, and they were given back what they had
taken. I was there for three and a quarter years. This is
Nigeria.

“I hope historians and intellectuals would document this,
because it is a fantastic state of political development. Let our
grandchildren and great grandchildren see how we came along. We
didn’t get it as easy as other people think. Not because God has
given us great population and resources. We have suffered along the
line.

“I try to mention these things because you got yourselves
together, used your resources, energies without any input from me.
I cannot thank you enough. I’m very grateful to you and to
Nigerians because in 2019, I visited all the states, the people
that turned out to see me across the country (because I’m dedicated
to serve Nigeria and Nigerians), the love is genuine.

“Thank God that over the years, they can’t accuse me of
corruption. And I’ve been everything; Governor, Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Head of State, President and in my second
term. I thank you that nobody forced you, but you got together,
used your energy, time and resources, I thank you very much. I
assure you, history will do you justice.”

President Muhammadu Buhari has reflected on the complexities of
the Nigerian condition, concluding that neither ethnicity nor
religion was to blame, “but we ourselves,” for inherent
injustices.

The President spoke recently while receiving members of the
Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo (MBO) Dynamic Support Group, who visited
State House, Abuja, to present a compendium of five years
achievements of the administration.

President Buhari went into the trajectory of his struggles to
get justice at the courts, after disputed results of presidential
elections in 2003, 2007, and 2011, submitting that people who ruled
against him were of his own ethnic stock and religious persuasion,
while those who stood up for him were of other faiths and
ethnicity.

“Our problem is not ethnicity or religion, it is ourselves,” the
President submitted.

His words:

“After my third appearance in the Supreme Court, I came out to
speak to those who were present then. I told them that from 2003,
I’d spent 30 months in court.

“The President of the Court of Appeal, the first port of call
for representation by presidential candidates then, was my
classmate in secondary school in Katsina. We spent six years in the
same class, Justice Umaru Abdullahi.

“My legal head was Chief Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and an
Ibo man. When the President of the court decided that we should
present our case, my first witness was in the box.

“Ahamba insisted that a letter should be sent to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), to present the register of
constituencies in some of the States, to prove that what they
announced was falsehood. It was documented.

“When they gave judgment, another Ibo man, the late Justice
Nsofor, asked for the reaction from INEC to the letter sent to
them. They just dismissed it. He then decided to write a minority
judgment. That was after 27 months in court.

“We went to the Supreme Court. Who was Chief Justice of Nigeria
(CJN)? A Hausa-Fulani like me, from Zaria. The members of the panel
went in for about 30 minutes, came back to say they were proceeding
on break. They went for 3 months. When they came back, it didn’t
take them 15 minutes, they dismissed us.

“In 2007, who was the CJN? Kutigi. Again, a Muslim from the
North. After 8 months or so, he dismissed the case.

“Again in 2011, because I was so persistent, Musdafa, a Fulani
man like me, from Jigawa, neighbor to my state, was CJN. He
dismissed my case.

“I’ve taken you round this to prove that our problem is not
ethnicity or religion. It is ourselves.

“I refused to give up. I had tried to wear Agbada after what
happened to me in Khaki. Something was done to me, because I did
something to others. You know it. In the end, I myself was
arrested, sent to detention, and they were given back what they had
taken. I was there for three and a quarter years. This is
Nigeria.

“I hope historians and intellectuals would document this,
because it is a fantastic state of political development. Let our
grandchildren and great grandchildren see how we came along. We
didn’t get it as easy as other people think. Not because God has
given us great population and resources. We have suffered along the
line.

“I try to mention these things because you got yourselves
together, used your resources, energies without any input from me.
I cannot thank you enough. I’m very grateful to you and to
Nigerians because in 2019, I visited all the states, the people
that turned out to see me across the country (because I’m dedicated
to serve Nigeria and Nigerians), the love is genuine.

“Thank God that over the years, they can’t accuse me of
corruption. And I’ve been everything; Governor, Minister of
Petroleum Resources, Head of State, President and in my second
term. I thank you that nobody forced you, but you got together,
used your energy, time and resources, I thank you very much. I
assure you, history will do you justice.”