On the 7th of February this year, there was a military coup in Nigeria. Many of us were immediately terrified and reacted strongly to this coup. See ENDS.ng, 10th Feb., 2015- ‘The Goodluck Jonathan Coup of 7th Februray, 2015.’
Nigeria witnessed a military coup! It was silent to some but it has been a coup all the same conducted by the military who decided to impose Goodluck Jonathan on Nigeria. Not all coups are finalized in one day; the piecemeal nature of this coup confused some, others were simply disappointed, gave up hope and tore their PV cards right away, realizing the coup had been activated.
General Muhammadu Buhari, the main opposition candidate who by all measures won the elections of February 14th was complacent. The old wise General was perhaps too calm or too wise. Here Nigeria may have benefited from a younger or less composed candidate, because the protests should have been called up on the 8th of February. It was a coup and there is no reason to wait to protest loudly to the world that our democracy has been diverted. The world knows. But General Buhari recognizing this was a coup was patient to a fault and merely said – “if you postpone it a next time that will be a coup.” He was wrong; he does not choose when it becomes a coup. It already is a coup.
Recognizing that what transpired was a coup and a criminal subversion of the Nigerian constitution, our president (without a PhD) Mr. (not Dr) Goodluck Jonathan had to officially claim – during a media chat on the 11th of February – he was unaware of the coup actions of the military. This was however a full lie because the NSA Sambo Dasuki led coup was conducted with his full participation, with him hosting the 4th February council of state meeting for this very purpose and with the military coup documents presented and raised at that meeting by and with him.
And now the steps of the piecemeal coup are being put into place. Billions have been removed from Nigeria’s central bank to bribe all the corrupt community and religious leaders who have been forced by a chronically derelict system to give u on hope and lose their sense of decency and morality.
Jega’s forced Signed Retirement
Fully conscious activist SAN, Femi Falana has stated clearly that the “independent’ electoral commission chairman, professor Attahiru Jega can neither be resigned nor resign on terminal leave; however though he is absolutely correct technically he is not relating to the additional piece of the puzzle.
During the February 7th coup, Jega was at gun point forced to sign his own resignation. We have this on credible authority from Jega’s mouth itself.
When shortly, Jega announces his own resignation, who can compel or force him to stay further? The system has already been compromised. Jega himself has been compromised. By Jega bowing to the pressure of the military on February 7th and announcing their coup, he already demonstrated his inability and lack of capacity to operate under the stipulations of Nigeria’s constitution. He showed his weak human nature and lack of will to defend Nigerians and uphold the constitution on his one head.
Right now the Jonathan government is simply asking Jega which way he wants it. They will soon tender his signed resignation letter and then he either keeps shut and gets his retirement package or squeals that the signature is fabricated and forced under duress, and gets nothing and is yet never re-installed – trust Nigeria and complacent masses. Jega may simply tell us that he cannot bear the burden and has had to resign; and we will not be able to accuse him of being wrong. Have we borne the burden?
This will be Jega’s more reasonable action. Jega already failed us and at that time we did not call him out on it. Attorney Falana clearly stated that the army has no role in elections. The army position and Jega’s reasons for postponing the elections were balderdash and unconstitutional. Jega cannot claim he did not know this. Why then did he support and play the vital part in their military coup? There is only one logical answer—he has been threatened and forced. And he is still living under the same threat and force and Jega has no plans to be the martyr to saver Nigeria… and we cannot blame him. Jega himself cannot be trusted anymore because he is simply human and one human being at that.
We ought to have jumped on the streets on February 8th. We should be on the streets now. This matter is more than Jega. We all have a role to play and we must play it now or else we will keep watching the pieces of the coup fall in place and each piece will be rather too small to raise the dust about but big enough to cumulatively conclude the total subversion of our democracy and the people’s change choices this 2015.
All rigging machines are being installed; the coup is being concluded with the dictator or his junta being re-installed as Nigerians watch like mumus.
Dr. Peregrino Brimah
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