Tough days are ahead for President Buhari has it seem plans are in play to make sure that the president will not get a second term in office.
A former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has said that ahead of the 2019 general elections, the coalition of forces will officially unveil its consensus presidential candidate by January next year.
This is just as he described the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst in the history of Nigeria. Speaking yesterday in Lagos with newsmen, Agbakoba, who is one of the leaders of the National Intervention Movement (NIM), said the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) were determined to save the country by bringing Buhari’s reign to an end.
He said: “We are all united in the mantra and the strong song around our campaign; that is: Anybody but Buhari. That’s the campaign – Anybody but Buhari.
“We are making sure that the four locust years from 2015 to 2019 will never repeat themselves in Nigeria. This has been the worst government in Nigeria’s history. Unemployment rate at 20 million, youth unemployment is so high, inflation at about 18 per cent, borrowing requirement or interest rate at about 22 per cent; nothing is working. So, we need to do something to reclaim it.”
Agbakoba rated the campaign document of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, better than Buhari’s, adding that were the presidential election to hold today, Atiku would win.
On moves by CUPP to have a consensus presidential candidate, Agbakoba said: “We clearly understand that to win the forthcoming elections, we require a united opposition. So, all the parties are simply presenting their presidential candidates. By January, CUPP will formalise its consensus candidate.
“It may well be Atiku or it may not, but the person who will be chosen must be one who has the heavy-lifting, who can get the job done. Personally, I’m pro-Atiku because I think he has the heavy-lifting, but I will not pre-empt anything.
“So, that’s the message; we are working with the United Opposition Party, which we now have. Obasanjo’s own is called ADC, I am affiliated to the Peoples Trust and all of these come under the umbrella of the third force.”
While condemning the presence of the service chiefs at the launch of Buhari’s re-election campaign last Sunday, Agbakoba, who also chairs the third force political parties, expressed the fear that Buhari, if defeated, might not be willing to relinquish power.
“Clearly, the signal and the obvious determination on the part of this government is to potentially rig the election and or refuse to leave if beaten and we are staring a potential legitimacy crisis next year because President Buhari isn’t former President Jonathan.
“Jonathan left quietly, peacefully. I still hope that those around President Buhari will say to him, ‘you have lost, go.’ On the other hand, if President Buhari wins the election in a fair, credible, transparent election, then that’s what the people say because the people are the final arbiter.
“So, what we want is credibility. But can you believe that the service chiefs with all their medal-bedecked chests attended President Buhari’s declaration on Sunday. How do I have confidence? That is very worrying. So, there is time for Nigeria’s institutions, the army, police and INEC to conduct for us free and fair elections.”
Speaking on the economic and political reconfiguration of the country, Agbakoba said Nigeria can be restructured administratively, pending constitution amendment.
Describing restructuring as power transfer “from the exclusive federal list to concurrent state list,” which will involve constitutional alteration, he noted that administrative devolution of powers could be deployed in the interim.
“The Federal Government can administratively devolve powers to states by Executive Order,” Agbakoba said.
“The constitution requires that two-thirds of the 36 states, the Federal Government and the National Assembly participate in restructuring. That may take a bit of time. There are things that can be done immediately through administrative restructuring. The Federal Government can make statutory transfers to states.”
The former NBA president said government must pay attention to the three critical policies of economic governance: monetary, fiscal and trade. On monetary policy, he urged for a reduction of lending rates to single digit to encourage business growth, adding that borrowing at 20 per cent is crazy.
On fiscal policy, he advocated the expansion of money supply to meet expenditure and other needs – without which government cannot fund its money requirements.
“The priority of economic governance is to diversify the economy and make it less dependent on imports. Nigeria has long depended on crude oil as if it is the only hydrocarbon to the utter neglect of gas.
“The economy heavily relies on oil revenue and is vulnerable to price shocks in oil and the associated risk to national stability. The most recent volatility in oil prices suggests that we must start to diversify our revenue income streams by developing non-oil tradable sectors.
“A clear strategy, model and plan for economic diversification, both horizontally and vertically is necessary. Horizontal diversification should explore new opportunities in the same oil and gas sector,” he said.
Will the coalition succeed in its bid to bring the Buhari administration to an end?
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