If you see them crying during campaigns, just give them a handkie and go home — Sani

byNational Pivot -

The year 2011 was supposed to be Buhari's final attempt at seeking to rule Nigeria as a democratically elected president. Buhari whose previous attempts ended in failures, had very little confidence in the nation's electoral system and sees himself going no further should he fail a third time.


Highlighting Nigeria's many problems during campaigns and promising to solve them if elected, is nothing new to a people accustomed to political statements. So, Buhari will have to do more to get Nigerians to trust him with their votes.

Of all the options available to Buhari, he chose to go emotional. The emotions created by the then presidential candidate of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), as he sobs, inevitably led to the abrupt disruption of the question and answer session with newsmen that was scheduled to follow.



In his speech, Buhari had said that the 2011 contest would be his last pursuit of the presidency stressing that while he occupied the office of military head of state, he never touched a kobo of public funds. He thus challenged other presidential candidates who had occupied public office to a public attestation of his claim.

“After being head of state, I am sure I could easily have retired into a life of comfort and ease as an elder statesman, as a contractor or as a beneficiary of anyone of the nation’s many generous prebendal offerings.




"But that is not what I wish to do with my life. And so, if I don’t take any of these alternative courses of action, it should be clear that I am not in this for the love of office or for pursuit after personal glory or in order to achieve some personal goal. Far be it from me that this should be.

"I need nothing and I have nothing more to prove. I am in this solely for the love of my country and concern for its destiny and the fate of its people. And that is why, despite the many disappointments along the way, I am still in the struggle and will remain in it to the end. I have decided to dedicate the remainder of my life to fighting for the people of this country-until their right is restored to them."


The trick however, failed to yield the intended result at the polls, as Buhari fell to defeat to the incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan.

If you had believed Buhari was being honest when he said he'll quit politics after 2011 election, you'd have been one of many Nigerians who wondered why Buhari's integrity couldn't stop him from contesting in 2015. Perhaps he was lured by the formation of APC in an ambitious move to unseat the PDP by all means.



Well that one did worked out, and five years down the line, Buhari's ineffectiveness and style of leadership, has justified his defeat in 2011 despite going emotional. He simply wasn't trusted by sane Nigerians who refused to yield to his deceptive antics.

Even Buhari's 2015 election victory was generally described as 'controversial'. His re-election in 2019 was also described by his former associate, Buba Galadima as a 'well crafted, orchestrated and executed plan to ensure he remained president against the wishes of the people.


The bottom line is that Buhari was never elected as president on the basis of trust, but out of what can best be described as a' trial and error', to see why he's been so desperate to return as President in a democratic setting.

Irrespective of what did really played out in his (Buhari’s) march to victory in previous elections, Senator Shehu Sani in a Twitter post, advised Nigerians to be wary of Presidential candidates who shed tears during campaigns, possibly making a subtle jibe at the president.


He said, "Next time when you see Presidential candidates shedding tears with handkerchief during campaigns, my people make una run🏃‍♂️.



If Nigerians are good at learning from the past, their votes won't be influenced by the shedding of tears, dancing on stage, and sharing of money or foodstuffs by politicians during campaigns. But again, that is if Nigerians are good at learning from the past.
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