Oh my God, it’s Buhari versus Jonathan again!
“Oh my God, you again?”
Don’t be surprised if President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari greet each other that way ahead of the 2015 presidential election. It is a rematch of old foes: both of them squared off in 2011, and Jonathan drew the first blood. Who will draw the second blood this time around?
Buhari, a former military head of state and retired general, has been the biggest bone in the ruling party’s throat since 2003, when he first ran in the presidential race. Then, he faced President Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP) in what was expected to be a very tough election. But at the end of the day, Obasanjo defeated him in what observers described as a sham of an election. While PDP scored 24,456,140 votes, representing 61.94% of the ballot, Buhari (as the candidate of All Nigeria Peoples Party), got 12,710,022 or 32.19%. Buhari went to court, but also lost the legal battle.
In 2007, Buhari ran again on the ticket of ANPP, this time coming against a fellow Katsina man, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. Again, he lost, scoring 6,605,299 or 18.72%, while Yar’Adua got 24,638,063 votes, representing 69.82%. The election was flawed again, but Buhari lost his case in court.
In 2011, Buhari gave it another shot, this time as the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He faced Jonathan (PDP) for the first time, and while he did very well in the core north, Jonathan beat him roundly in the south and north central. Jonathan had 22,495,187 votes, or 58.89% while Buhari secured 12,214,853 votes or 31.98%. There was violence in parts of the north as results were being awaited, and hundreds of people lost their lives in the process, most notably members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He went to court and lost again.
They are now going to have rematch on February 14, 2015.
This is Buhari’s fourth attempt. He has failed thrice. Will he make it fourth time lucky? His supporters are hopeful. For the first time, the opposition in Nigeria is united. Three major opposition parties came together to form APC, thereby giving Buhari a broader national base than in the previous elections.
As the countdown begins, here is a dossier on the two candidates.
Muhammadu Buhari
| Age | 71 |
| Birthday | December 17 |
| State | Katsina |
| Education | Military training in Kaduna as well as in UK, India and US |
| Public service career | Retired as a major general; former minister of petroleum; former military head of state; former military governor of north-eastern state; former executive chairman of PTF |
| Political career | Nil |
| Electoral failures | 2003, 2007, 2011 presidential elections |
| Electoral successes | Nil |
| Campaign promises | Anti-graft war, value reorientation and security |
| Support base | Core North, parts of north central,parts of south-west, Rivers, Edo and Imo |
| Social media | 145,000 likes on Facebook |
| Quotable quote | “This generation of Nigeria and indeed future generations have no other country than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together” |
Goodluck Jonathan
| Age | 57 |
| Birthday | November 20 |
| State | Bayelsa |
| Education | BSc zoology; MSc hydrobiology and fisheries biology; PhD zoology (all University of Port Harcourt) |
| Public service career | Assistant director, OMPADEC |
| Political career | Bayelsa deputy governor (1999-2005), governor (2005-2007), vice-president (2007-2010), acting president (2010-2011), president (2010 till date) |
| Electoral failures | Nil |
| Electoral successes | 2011 presidential poll |
| Campaign promises | Reinforce institutions and systems, and tackle corruption |
| Support base | South-south, south-east, parts of south-west and parts of north-central |
| Social media | 1,726,975 likes on Facebook |
| Quotable quote | “We cannot go back to the old ways where individual freedoms were trampled upon and citizens were locked up for expressing their views or criticising government” |
I sit on the tower to foresee the electioneering process es in 2015, what I know is that God will give Nigeria a man after his own heart to have mercy on the masses in Nigeria. Mere saying this one or the other one is the best candidate, we do not know the best one, only God knows and I pray that He will guide our hearts not to mischoose our leader. I rest my case!
Quite refreshing personalities. It is high time Nigerians rise above individualism in politics. Believe me, on a plain ground, sitting Government apart, PDP paddy-paddy theory apart and Nigerians voting patterns based on incumbency syndrome apart, Buhari is a man to beat. But we have come to a stage in this country where we just admire and re-vote the President in power. The Late Yar’Adua would have won, won and won again if not for his death and President Jonathan would not have come anywhere near the Presidency if Yar’Adua decided not to anoint his as his successor if he were to be alive. Muhammadu Buhari is the right choice for this country at this material time when corruption becomes a lifestyle, when there is no respect for the sanctity of human lives and the appointees into Government offices are mostly those that helped in one way or the other to bring a Government to power! we need a personality that will look the military top-brass eyeball to eyeball, that will tell the Northern Emirs and Elders that they are not in control of their subjects and that will restore the collapsed morals and values. It goes beyond writing on the comment windows made available by thecable. Nigerians must think outside the box and think more about this country called Nigeria. Good day.
Personslity to personality, I will vote Buhari but CV to CV – Jonathan is more qualified in all raminifications.
The gangster party PDP is in for a surprise. With the PDP, Nigerians have had 16 years of dubious experience for the most part and at last a clean break is on the horizon. There is no doubt President Jonathan is ABSOLUTELY NOT what Nigeria so badly needs at this time. With the QUAGMIRE facing Nigeria on all fronts, the timing is Buhari’s.
So sad to hear Jonathan saying be will not fail Nigerian when he has done it again and again. I hope Nigerian will wake-up rightly on 14 Feb. 2015 and vote him out for good. Another 4years of Jonathan will spell a doom for Nigeria as a Nation.
As for me,GEJ and d pdp have failed dis country of ours. We need som1 who is disciplined and firm in decsion-making.That person is Buhari.
2015 Nigerian presidential election is over before the vote is cast. Buhari is a godfather of dictatorships in Nigeria. Jonathan is a new breed of Democrat. The choice is clear. Let APC start to reorganize for 2019. Buhari’s candidacy is dead on arrival.
What is definition of failure if not JONATHAN.Failure is JONATHAN and JONATHAN is failure.
There is no amount of lies and cover-ups can redeem your image. Just start to write you hand-over letter from now
Even if I am from bayelsa,i will vote buhari because his personality on public services is promising and not to be compared to a PhD holder with no ideas for our great economy…this is our time to get out of pains of devastating economy..after six years is much for change but if Jonathan could not do it then fours years will be wasted again…With buhari I stand.
3 presidential election failures + 3 court failures = 6 failures.
We are actually expecting Buhari’s the 7th failure in 2015.
Buhari should know that winning democratic elections is different from plotting a military coup. Elsewhere in more civilized climes (e.g. Gen Galtieri in Argentina), he would have been tried and sentenced for plotting a coup in his fatherland.
Buhari, an unrepentant religious extremist cannot win, that would be a stamp of approval for Boko Haram. God forbid.
People mistake Buhari’s outward ascetic visage for honesty. As a military head of state, he doctored documents to enable him jail 2 innocent Guardian journalists. He immorally enacted retroactive law to give backings to his blood thirsty appetite.
Where in the world do people still vote for secondary school drop-outs as their countries presidents. With a PhD, Goodluck is not fionding it easy. Buhari, a secondary school drop-out will be a disaster.
Remember the storey of missing 2.8 million Naira. vote him in 2015 and the whole central bank will disappear.
Etim
Proof is in the pudding. Jonathan did nothing in 6 years despite his education. Let’s try someone new and if Buhari has a record as dismal as Jonathan’s in 4 years, anot her change will be in order.