To most observers especially those informed about the dirty tricks involved in struggling to get oneself elected, selected or even out rightly appointed to hold any public office in Nigeria today, General Muhammadu Buhari [rtd.] has taken a quite wrong and risky decision to soil his hands in the dirty waters of Nigerian politics. A few, however, see it right given the sorry state of the Nigerian nation and his renowned ‘no nonsense’ mentality in running the affairs of Nigerian economy as evidenced during his days as Nigeria’s seventh military Head of state in the mid-eighties .A brief look however into his life, regime and career will reveal to the nation whether the General still has a room in the toxic air of Nigeria’s fourth Republic.

Born on Thursday,17th December,1942 in an ancient village called Dumurkol near Daura town[now under Katsina state ],General Buhari is traced to a noble Fulani family since his father, Adamu was the village chief and his mother,Zulaihat was the daughter of Musa Sarkin Dogarai [ i.e. the Head of the Daura infantry Division] who still doubled as the son of Kauran Daura Lawal[ i.e. the Head of the Daura Armed Forces] at the time.He grew up in nobility and started his education from Daura and Mai Adua primary schools,1948—52;Katsina Middle school 1953—55;Katsina Provincial secondary school [now Govrnment college Katsina]1956—61;Nigerian Military Training college, Kaduna 1962;Mons officer Cadet school, Aldershot United Kingdom,1962—63;Defence Service Staff college, Wellington, India January –November 1973 to Army War college 1979—80 in the United States of America. I wish the space would allow me to itemize his military career for the benefit of my readers. Meanwhile, General Buhari is married with eight children and I pray that all of them will become [i. e. spiritually speaking ] the carbon copies of the father.

He became Nigeria’s Head of state via a military coup against the then government of Shehu Shagari on 31st December, 1983.The aim of the coup according to Nigerian military elite was to save Nigeria from impending economic and political collapse as a result of crass mismanagement of resources, crisis of confidence and general insecurity in the country occasioned by the recklessness of the serving second Republic politicians. In his inaugural speech on 1st January, 1984 Buhari had this to say: “Fellow Nigerians, you are aware of the change in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which was announced early this morning. In pursuance of the primary objective of saving our great country from total collapse, I, General Muhammadu Buhari of the Nigerian Army have, after due consultation among the services of the Armed Forces, been formally vested with the authority of the Head of state of the Federal military government and commander –in –chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The change became necessary in order to put an end to the serious economic predicament and crisis of confidence now afflicting our nation.”

“The last general elections were anything but free and fair. The only political parties that could complain of election rigging were those that lacked the resources to rig. There is ample evidence that rigging and thuggery were relative to the resources available to the parties. While corruption and indiscipline have been associated with our state of underdevelopment. These two evils in our body politic have attained an unprecedented height in the past four years. The corrupt, inept and insensitive leadership in the last four years has been the source of immorality and impropriety in our society. This government will not tolerate kickbacks, inflation of contracts and over invoicing of imports et cetera. Nor will it forgery, fraud, embezzlement, misuse and abuse of office and illegal dealings in foreign exchange and smuggling. Fellow Nigerians, this indeed is the moment of truth.