Buba Galadima is an old horse in the North. A long-standing ally of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari. In fact, one of his closest associates until they parted ways. This his interview isn’t new at all. Not today or yesterday. Certainly not this year.

But it remains evergreen. Particularly now. It speaks to a root cause of our unending security predicament. And it’s strong indeed. Galadima confessed how they made it happen to us. Of course, with Buhari as the flagship, the arrowhead and the flagbearer.

After listening to Galadima and watch his delivery. You will be clear in your innermost mind. Why Buhari did what he did to us throughout his eight dark years. He cared not. Nor did he regret a hoot! He weirdly believed he did us good. By crashing us “from-top-to-bottom.”

This divulgence is a high-level exposure. It was Galadima’s show-off on Arise Television’s Morning Show. How greedy politicians determine our collective fate. To our greatest detriment. Without minding whatever happens to us thereafter. Not a remote reference to us. A power-play that brought us down. To our feeble knees.

Galadima didn’t disappoint. He was forthcoming from start-to-finish. He captured his audience rapt attention. A scathing footnote accompanies the short interview. And it stings, bites at the same ferocity: 

“The Fulani agenda. The truth has started unfolding. If their lies travel with bullets train and truth is trekking, it will catch up with their lies. Some people will not be comfortable with this revelation because of their self-serving interest.”

So, Galadima went to war. He opened the can of worms: “Some of us who recruited him (Buhari) into politics had a mission. And I will reveal that mission today.

“General Buhari came into politics, it wasn’t his province. He never liked politicians, because he believed we are fake. And that we don’t mean what we say.

“But there was an incidence (incident) that made some us to recruit, convince him. And used other people to convince him to join politics. Even though, we had our own agenda.

“In 1999 and 2000, the OPC (Odua Peoples’ Congress), was on rampage in some parts of the country, especially, South West. This inconvenienced a lot of people from this part (North) of the country. To the extent that they mobilised over 500 vehicles to invade Ilorin (Kwara State), with the sole aim of uprooting what they called Fulani structures in Ilorin.

“We felt that was too much. President (Olusegun) Obasanjo was doing nothing. President Bola Tinubu then Governor of Lagos State, was doing nothing. Some of us felt those group of people were being encouraged by their leaders in positions of authority. So, how do we stop that?

“I called a meeting in Kaduna, at Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu’s house, in a place called Dongwon Kaji, directly opposite the house of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. Some of those we invited included Alhaji Wada Nas, Prof. Yadudu, Bashir Dalhatu himself, Alhaji Yahaya, Sule Hamma, about 34 of us.

“We sat down to reason. How do we save our people from this OPC menace? I suggested that because you remove government through only two ways; the barrel of the gun and the ballot box.

“They said it was impossible to challenge General Obasanjo. That was how Buhari came to our minds. When he was approached, he had very unkind words for politicians. But, since he didn’t say he was not doing, we still persuaded him.

“To cut the long story short, we achieved our first purpose of putting a break to what OPC was doing. Immediately Buhari joined partisan politics, we held a very big outing in Daura, to initiate him into politics. The Obasanjo government became restive and shaken to its bone marrow.

“Those are some of our thinking. Obasanjo had to really checkmate the OPC. For that reason, we achieved our first purpose of bringing Buhari into partisan politics. The remaining now is history.

“Like what is happening across the country now. They wanted to dismantle his platform of ANPP. We made a counter-platform, establishing The Buhari Organisation (TBO), which we used as a platform for promoting his political ideals. Of course, all these are now history.

“Some smart people who are politically ambitious came in and threw us out. That is how we parted ways with him.”

Galadima wasn’t under any compulsion. Not at all. He was not in any compelled to disclose what they cooked that made the house to burn.  Yet, he was remorseful. That’s an element of a strong character. That way he ended his voluntary disclosure full of regrets. It’s tragic, pathetic, sad.

Now let’s interrogate Galadima’s stench of a confession. He subtly ascribed some integrity to Buhari: “He never liked politicians, because he believed we are fake. And that we don’t mean what we say.”

But by May 29, 2023. After his dark eight years that he calamitously happened to us. Buhari won the trophy as the fakest politician that had ever lived! It was no contest. He won by a loud and lousy affirmation. How about that? His strategy? Simple: He came, saw, feigned ignorance and conquered. Wicked soul!

It’s when you speak that something happens. If you speak not. Nothing happens. That is the evil and wicked path Buhari walked. He chose not to speak.

If he had spoken at the start of his regime. And cautioned his Fulani killer kinsmen. We would not have been stranded in this web of crossroads. We wouldn’t have been condemned to this bottomless pit of agony. And excruciating, unending pain.

Another sampler: “The Obasanjo government became restive and shaken to its bone marrow. Obasanjo had to really checkmate the OPC. For that reason, we achieved our first purpose of bringing Buhari into partisan politics.”

It is in his queer character. Obasanjo would not want to do anything that would annoy the North. Or injure its Fulani oligarchy. He always treads softly on matters that concern the North.

The very reason he was utterly ruthless on OPC. He descended heavily on them. He hated them with uncanny passion. He loathed them like a pandemic. Even long before COVID-19 pandemic. All just to please and satisfy his Fulani overlords. Appalling and nauseating!

Two anonymous commentators also testified. Back-to-back on Galadima’s vomit: “Nigeria is built on an eternal system of ethnic distrust and sabre rattling. So, Obasanjo did nothing about OPC? And was there no Arewa Youths in the North, Bakassi Boys in the South East and MEND in the South South? Until this country is properly restructured into a true federation, we will continue to roil from suspicion and counter suspicion.”

“In fact, as a rider to your forthright comment, it was he, Obasanjo, who handled the then OPC with iron hands.

“It was during his presidency that he ordered that anyone parading himself as an OPC militant should be shot on sight. Not a few people were stunned by that audacity, but Obasanjo couldn’t be bothered. He stuck to his gun.

“Sequel to that presidential order, (late) Dr Frederick Faseun and his lieutenant, Gani Adams, were serially incarcerated for a long time back then.”

Obasanjo is a huge beneficiary of the North. Their actions and inactions paid off handsomely for him. The reason he won’t take kindly to whatever appears to hurt his northern benefactors.

His running antecedents. North was it that sent him to take charge of Nigeria’s Civil War in mid-1969.  He commanded the tough, dreaded 3rd Marine Commando (3MCDO). Barely six months after, the war ended.

Brigadier Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle was its commander. Ever since the inception of war in 1967. The “Black Scorpion” was the greatest loser. He yielded the prized glory to Obasanjo. On gold platter!

The North showed up for him again in February, 1976. Thanks to the bloody Dimka coup. That early morning Friday coup devoured the Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Mohammed.

He was wasted on his way to office. Blatantly, unaware of the ambush of the coupists. Right at the then Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi, Lagos. A stone throw from his Dodan Barracks residence.

Again, against his command, he became Head of State. His command wasn’t strong enough. He caved in to his northern mentors’ bidding. His first address to the nation gave him away to his fears. He was unsettled. And it showed in how he delivered that speech.

The North would not forget him easily. So, it was in 1999, the third time. The North picked Obasanjo from prison. Deodorised him against his will. And practically handed power to him on May 29, 1999. By the same North, of course. That was exactly two decades after he left as Military Head of State.

What a lucky chap! From 1969, through to the 70s. He never left power, or government. Huge courtesy; the North. He’s their beloved. In whom the North is (was?) well pleased. OBJ, the toast of the North.

That’s why we have to come to term with our unpleasant realities. Yes, extremely repulsive. We can’t stand aloof from them. We have to tackle them as it were. Galadima has succinctly identified the strongest of them all. It was an open admission.

We were made to miss that golden chance in the Aburi, Ghana, Accord. That agreement of January 4-5, 1967, was our roadmap. The sure bet to genuine restructuring. And true federalism. But the fear of the North made mess of that treaty. The North literally held us by the jugular.

Its four-point point provision is what we need to get out of the woods. And survive thereafter. In all sectors of our chequered life. It would have stalled our ongoing predicament from happening to us. The present nightmare wouldn’t have been our lot.

All these would have been effectively checkmated. And nailed forever in the bud. But the avarice, rapacity. And covetousness in us would not allow us. We chose to run ourselves aground. By ourselves only.

Now! See what we missed out in the Aburi Accord: “Nigeria would remain a loose federation; each region would control its own military forces locally; the central government would not make major decisions without the approval of all regional governors; and regions would have greater autonomy over our resources and administration, etc.”

Never, ever! The Buhari the Galadimas forcefully thrust down our throats could have delivered these. They are far, above and beyond his acutely limited capacity. And capability. Beside. The hereditary Fulani blood in him would not permit that.

And he glaringly displayed it all through his stone-age reign. He didn’t hide his intension. That he wasn’t meant for us. But for his tiny Fulani clan. We grudged him. He cared less. The more we resented him. The more he was spurred to do more for his greedy tribe!

His gift (terrorism), is all he left for us as his enduring legacy. He couldn’t have done better any way. What you don’t have. You can’t give.

Who would not cherish this refreshingly fresh accord? Only the enemies of our progress. And haters of our wellbeing. We need to beat a retreat. We need a rethink. We need a reset. As in seriously.

The earliest we revisit the Abuja Accord. This time with open mind. Even with moderations, re-modelled and re-tuned. The best for our collective good and existence.

It’s the sure-bet. The ultimate restructuring. Any other is…

LAST WORDS

Clock ticks for Oyo abductees…

Can any sane soul comprehend this? Let’s wake up from our deep slumber. Forty-seven pupils, students and teachers were kidnapped in Oriire LG, Oyo State. That happened on Friday, May 16, 2026.

Then on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Nearly two weeks after. Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Michael Onoja, proudly beat his chest. He cried aloud to the whole world: “In immediate response, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, has directed comprehensive security reinforcement across the general area, utilising advanced aerial surveillance assets and mobilising specialised ground forces in close coordination with state authorities.”

What a bad signal! It is the height of gross “unseriousness.”

Why are we happening to ourselves this dastard manner? Do our leaders have blood flowing in their veins? Do they even have veins?

We’re never prepared for anything. That has become a norm. Our normal way of doing things. Why should it take so long to assemble a special response squad, and dispatch down to Oyo? 

What is happening to 2, Mechanised Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo, Ibadan? A monumental disconnect from the Defence Headquarters? That’s the ugly picture roughly painted.

That is our fear. We’re lost in the wide, wild, weird gulf of doubts and confusion. And the abductees’ sufferings go on.

The politicians in us are better concerned with their 2027 project! Even as clock ticks for Oyo abductees.