PRESIDENT Buhari: Ethnicity and religion are not our issues

Buhari has reflected on the complexities of Nigeria’s situation, concluding that inherent injustices are not caused by ethnicity or religion, but by “us ourselves.”
Buhari made the remarks while receiving members of the Muhammadu Buhari/Osinbajo (MBO) Dynamic Support Group, who were in Abuja to present a compendium of the administration’s five-year achievements.

After disputed presidential election results in 2003, 2007, and 2011, he went into the trajectory of his legal battles, claiming that those who ruled against him were of his ethnic stock and religious persuasion, while those who stood up for him were of other faiths and ethnicity.
“I came out to speak to those who were present after my third appearance in the Supreme Court. “I told them I’d spent 30 months in court since 2003,” he said.
“My classmate in secondary school in Katsina was the President of the Court of Appeal, which was the first port of call for presidential candidates at the time. We were in the same class for six years, Justice Umaru Abdullahi.
Chief Mike Ahamba, a Roman Catholic and an Ibo man, was my legal advisor. My first witness was in the box when the President of the court decided that we should present our case.
“Ahamba insisted that a letter be sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting that the register of constituencies in some of the states be presented to show that what they had announced was false. It was recorded.
“When they handed down their verdict, another Ibo man, the late Justice Nsofor, inquired about INEC’s response to the letter sent to them. They simply ignored it. He then made the decision to write a minority opinion. After 27 months in court, he was released.
“We went to the Supreme Court,” says the narrator. Who was Nigeria’s Chief Justice (CJN)? I’m a Hausa-Fulani from Zaria. The panelists went in for about 30 minutes and then returned to say they were taking a break. They were gone for three months. They dismissed us after they returned in less than 15 minutes.
“Who was the Chief Justice of the United States in 2007?” Kutigi. A Muslim from the north once more. He dismissed the case after about 8 months.

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“In 2011, Musdafa, a Fulani man from Jigawa, my state’s neighbor, was elected CJN because of my persistence. My case was dismissed by him.
“I’ve shown you around to show you that our issue isn’t one of ethnicity or religion. It is we who are to blame.
“I was adamant about not giving up. After what happened in Khaki, I attempted to wear the Agbada. Something was done to me as a result of what I had done to others. You’re aware of it. Finally, I was arrested and detained, and they were given back the items they had taken. I spent three and a half years there. Nigeria is the name of the country.
“I hope historians and intellectuals will document this, because it is an amazing stage of political development. Allow our great-grandchildren to see how far we’ve progressed. We didn’t have it as easy as some people believe. Not because God has blessed us with a large population and abundant resources. We’ve had to go through a lot along the way.
“I made an effort to mention these things because you banded together, pooled your resources, and used your energy without any help from me. I can’t express my gratitude enough. I’m grateful to you and Nigerians because, in 2019, I visited every state, and the people who came out to see me across the country (because I’m committed to serving Nigeria and Nigerians) showed genuine affection.
“Thank God, they haven’t been able to accuse me of corruption over the years.” I’ve served as Governor, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Head of State, and President, and I’m currently serving my second term. I appreciate the fact that you came together, used your energy, time, and resources without being forced, and I thank you for that. I assure you, history will be kind to you. “