A former spokesman for four
United States Ambassadors to the
United Nations, Richard Grenell,
has said that if former military
Head of State, General
Muhammadu Buhari, emerges as
the next president of Nigeria in next
Saturday’s elections, it would be a
disaster for the entire African
continent.
Grenell, who made the declaration
in a piece titled: Nigeria on the
brink, and which was published in
the Washington Times, a US based
publication, of Thursday, March 19,
2015, described Buhari as working
tirelessly to enthrone Sharia law
across the country, which he said
would further pose a major
challenge to the fight against
terrorism in Nigeria and the
continent at large.
He said, “Western foreign policy
observers pre-occupied with the
rise of ISIS in the Middle East
should wake up to the reality
unfolding in Nigeria. Opposition
candidate General Buhari wants
Sharia law throughout Nigeria. In
fact, he wants it everywhere.
“Is this an indication that Buhari
supports violence because the end
goal of the terrorist attacks
throughout Nigeria and Africa is an
Islamic state? It is a legitimate
question that should be asked by
leaders of the Obama
administration.
“Boko Haram has pledged its
allegiance and support to ISIS. The
Northern Nigerian based Islamic
terrorist group wants Sharia law
throughout the country and
beyond. They are also actively
terrorising Chad, Niger and
Cameroon with their goal of an
Islamic state.
“Buhari has also spoken
sympathetically about members of
the terrorist group Boko Haram,
has cautioned against a rush to
judgement on its members and has
personally been selected by the
terrorist group to lead its
negotiations with the Government
of Nigeria.
“Buhari’s election as Nigeria’s
head of state would be a disaster
for Africa. It would also signal
trouble for the West’s fight against
ISIS and terrorism throughout the
Middle East.”
According to Grenell, incumbent
president and Buhari’s main rival
at next Saturday’s election,
Goodluck Jonathan has made
commendable inroads in strangling
Boko Haram to submission in
recent weeks and so deserves the
support of the Barack Obama led
United States administration and
the rest of the world.
“The Nigerian economy has been
growing faster than South Africa’s.
Imagine what Nigeria could do for
Africa if it was also free of Boko
Haram’s violence. The Obama
Administration should be doing
more to ensure Africa’s most
populous country doesn’t slip
away,” he said.
Speaking further, Grenell said that
with the election in Israel over, the
West must quickly turn its attention
to Nigeria where the outcome of
next Saturday’s presidential
elections could have a profound
impact on the future of Africa.
“Islamic radicals have Africa on
their target list and young
Nigerians are reported to be
interested in ISIS’ messages.
Nigeria is at a tipping point. The
West, and specifically the Obama
Administration, needs to wake up to
the growing problem,” he said.
In October 2014 during an interview
with TheCable, an online news
platform, Buhari had said that he
was not a religious fundamentalist
or extremist as his opponents had
alleged and that all those trying to
hang such malicious tag on him
were merely attempting to
demonise and tarnish his image.
“Nigerians will always uncover
impossible room for manoeuvre for
politicians. In 2003, I chose Chuba
Okadigbo as my running mate. He
was a Roman Catholic. He was an
Igbo. In 2007, I picked Edwin Ume-
Ezeoke. He was a Roman Catholic.
He was an Igbo. And in 2010, I
chose even a pastor, Pastor Tunde
Bakare.
“Honestly, what do Nigerians want
me to do? If they don’t believe I’m
not a fundamentalist, what else can
I do? The era of short-changing
people in the name of religion
should stop,” he had said.
