[OPINION] Who’s Afraid Of Buhari? Thugs And Thieves Like Femi Fani-Kayode And Ayodele Fayose By Bayo Oluwasanmi

As the presidential election enters its critical phase, the air is thick with accusation and counter-accusations about the candidates. In what is now a desperation for Mr. Jonathan that he’s loosing the edge, he and his attack dogs are in full throttle to pin on General Muhammadu Buhari the toxic label of hypocrisy.

Politics is synonymous with hypocrisy. Historically, the original hypocrites were the stage actors of ancient Greece who wore masks and made a profession of pretending to be something they were not. Similarly, politicians like the ancient Greek actors have tried to conceal some part of themselves – their checkered past, their private habits, their personal beliefs – have found themselves accused of hypocrisy. Truth be told, most politicians have many things to hide.

I like to judge people who are judgmental. I’m intolerant of intolerant people. Mark twain was right when he observed that “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.” Hypocrisy is a form of deception. To be a hypocrite is to be a fraud. Femi Fani-Kayode and Ayodele Fayose are frauds.

Of the thugs and thieves that plagued Jonathan’s administration, the ones that struck me most forcibly are Femi Fani-Kayode, the director of media and publicity of the Jonathan Campaign Organization and Ayodele Fayose, the Ekiti State Governor. Their propagandists’ roles have a comical aspect and it’s an unbelievably childish – so stupid, it’s laughable.

What disturbs me most about FFK and Fayose is the use of appearance of morality – more than morality, piety – to achieve heir immoral, impious ends. They represent extreme examples of reprehensible way of behaving. In Dante Alighieri’s inferno, part of the Divine Comedy, hypocrites like  FFK and Fayose have reserved seats in the eighth circle of hell. Hypocrites, says Dante, belong to “counterfeiters, seducers, flatterers, sorcerers, and simonists.” They are most damned, insists Dante.

Hypocrites like FFK and Fayose are particularly dangerous to the soul. They don’t practice what they preach. The two criminals are now something of a beer-parlor joke. They are people who lay down rules they couldn’t possibly abide by themselves. They pretend to be pious but they are liars and thieves. FFK are Fayose are kind of hypocrites that Nigerians really detest much more than they hate the liars and adulterers and fools that populate the Nigeria political scene. The two unrepentant hypocrites are political hermaphrodites whose verbal acrobatics are motivated by purely insipid selfishness.

The two popular treasury looters have tried to manipulate Nigerians’ beliefs and induce action against Buhari by drilling their smorgasbord of lies into the people’s head. The appalling compendium of lies that have been spewed forth by FFK and Fayose and their cohorts in defense of Jonathan’s substantively indefensible record is breadth taking.

They have employed images, slogans, and symbols to play on our prejudices, biases, and emotions. They have also tried but failed to rally Nigerians to action against Buhari by creating fear, distortion, confusion, and hatred by portraying Buhari as an abominable figure. They have demonized and dehumanized him: “Buhari is too old,” “Buhari is an illiterate,” “Buhari is a Muslim fundamentalist,” “Buhari is behind the Boko Haram,” “Buhari will islamize Nigeria.”

In addition, they have resorted to stereotyping and scapegoating. Laced with irrational rationalization and oversimplification using glittering generalities, they use “plain folks rhetoric such as “shoeless,” “Transformation Agenda,” “No to Sokoto Caliphate,” etc.,  to convince Nigerians that their ideas are of the people. Jonathan’s policies and programs that are clearly contrary to the interests and values of Nigerians are being marketed to Nigerians as cure-all for our problems.

The barrage of malevolent criticisms and lies by the two detestable rogues have nothing to do with Buhari’s aversion to corruption, his ability to get the job done, his caring and concern for the oppressed poor Nigerians. Instead, the shameless crooks raked up non-issues like age, high school diploma, religion, and other foolish distractions  to divert attention of Nigerians from the bleak and barren six-year presidency of Jonathan.

Sample of rambling denunciation of Buhari by FFK: “It is disingenuous for Buhari to say that he contested previous elections and that the issue of his qualifications did not arise … The fact that he got away with it in 2003, 2007, and 2011 does not make it right.” “As long as he cannot produce that secondary school certificate, we believe that he is not qualified to run for the presidency of Nigeria.”

“The implication of the action of this so-called “Mr. Clean” is nothing but perjury and we all know that this is grave criminal offense under our laws and constitution. We urge Buhari and his party to do the right thing and … report to the nearest police station for interrogation and prosecution… We also urge the Nigerian Armed Forces to consider the possibility of stripping him his rank and privileges given the fact that he was never qualified to join the Nigerian Army as a commissioned officer.”

On Boko Haram, FFK says “Is his inability to make a distinction between Boko Haram and the Nigerian people informed the fact that he is a closet Haramite whose stated desire is to “spread sharia throughout the whole of the country as he said in 2011?” “Does he still believe that “Christians should not worry when Muslims chop off their own arm and hands in the name of sharia because it is none of their business.”

“Asking Buhari to come and lead Nigeria is like asking Count Dracula to come and lead little red riding hood. We must and we will stop him.” “… Does he still believe that “Christians should not worry when muslims chop off their own arm and hands in the name of sharia because it is none of their business.”

Here comes the prodigal son Fayose.  A front page advertisement in Punch newspaper with pictures of deceased ex-presidents Murtala Muhammed, Sanni Abacha, Musa Ya’radua, and Buhari’s picture with a death wish question mark and screaming headlines: “Be Warned! Nigeria … I have set before thee Life and death. Therefore choose life that both thee and thy seed may LIVE! Will you allow history to repeat itself? Enough of state burials. Nigerians vote wisely vote Goodluck Jonathan. Northern Presidency should wait till 2019.

Here is how Fayose describes Buhari at a campaign rally in Omuo Ekiti: “Buhari is a car with a damaged engine but being packaged by Tinubu and his cabal whose only interest is the wealth of Nigeria. Buhari is old and sick .” Meaning Buhari should die quickly.

Violation of the law and of common decency is the stock-in-trade of the Jonathan administration. Anything goes so long as it enhances the prospects of Jonathan in the February 14 presidential elections. The law and common decency be damned! Propagandistic manipulation and distortion of political discourse is subversive of democratic government whether or not it is useful. FFK’s and Fayose’s degraded language can cause havoc in the country as it undermines clarity of ordinary discourse concerning the issues that are germane to citizens of this nation.

Take a look at the two scoundrels. First FFK. FFK the son of FANI POWER, remember his dad? Well, the Bible says we should not speak ill of the dead. Like father like son. FFK is a man known for primitive sentiment nurtured by parliament of fears to poison the minds of Nigerians against Buhari. A man with insatiable appetite for corruption and malfeasance. Check the epitaph from his tenure as Nigeria’s aviation minister. It reads like elegy of corruption.

He lacks the right measure of courage and candor to spice his wisdom which is why he’s an enemy of truth. He’s as vigorously brutal in whipping up enmity and redundant lies against people of honor. Always insinuating conspiracy behind every criticism of Jonathan administration, he’s a paranoid silver-tongued, narcissistic demagogue. By the way, he’s still on trial for money laundering and embezzlement of our aviation money.

Now to Fayose. Remember him? He’s the disgraced governor of Ekiti State who was impeached for political malpractice and corruption. Fayose is a man with no element of repentance or remorse visible and verifiable. He’s not known to show any readiness for reflection or contrition. He’s ruled by blind necessity. According to the EFCC, Fayose stole N416 million public funds that belong to Ekiti people. He diverted scarce resources from the poor and the disadvantaged for his own personal use.

He’s on trial for 27 counts of stealing state money including N1.4 billion poultry scam. His first term was a reign of terror. He killed, maimed, hacked, beheaded, kidnapped, and dismembered opponents with gloat and glee. A vicious and cruel ruffian, an ignorant, a thug, a reckless and corrupt person, an abject embarrassment of his past, he remains forever brutal and beyond rehabilitation.

Who’s afraid of Buhari? Only thugs and thieves like FFK and Fayose and numerous professional and career criminals of the Jonathan administration are afraid of Buhari’s presidency. The election of Buhari will put FFK., Fayose and other thieves unique inheritance from corruption in jeopardy. They are hell scared to even think of Buhari in Aso Rock.

Since Buhari emerged  the APC presidential candidate, the  FFKs and  the Fayoses have been having sleepless nights. Indeed, they have murdered sleep and they’ll sleep no more. It’s no surprise then that Fayose advertised Buhari’s death wish to speed up his demise. No wonder FFK conjures different lies to escape the looming apparitions of  Buhari.

FFK and Fayose are notorious for inspiring dirty tricks and nasty tactics. They are fueled by the dark art of misleading voters and is growing more malignant than we’ve ever witnessed. The two incorrigible men have spread lies to impressionable voters, disseminating disinformation about everything Buhari.

Elections present voters with important choices. Whether it is local race that will affect our community or national race like the presidential election slated for February 14, that could change the direction of the country. It is the time to consider the issues we care about: corruption, jobs, safety and security, health care, infrastructure, education,  our criminal justice system, etc and decide which candidate we’ll elect.

Nigerians, whenever you come across the FFKs and the Fayoses concussions of lies and other propaganda images, symbols, slogans, and death wish for Buhari, ask yourselves: “A re you better off today than you were four years ago?