Why Buhari Should Not Emerge Winner Of The Presidential Elections – Ex US Envoy

As Nigerians get ready to head to the polls next week Saturday, a former spokesman for four United States Ambassadors to the United Nations, Richard Grenell, has given his opinion why Muhammadu Buhari should not emerge winner of the presidential election.

According to Grenell, it would be a disaster for the entire African continent if Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), wins the presidential election scheduled for March 28, The Punch reports.

This was stated in a piece titled Nigeria On The Brink, which was published in the Washington Times on Thursday, March 19, 2015.

Grenell noted that the former military head of state has been working tirelessly to establish sharia law across the country, and this would pose a major challenge to the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and the continent at large.

The former US envoy 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.”

He added that in recent weeks, President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari’s main rival had made commendable efforts to rout the Boko Haram sect from some communities and therefore 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.

“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,” Grenell said.

There have been concerns that the APC presidential candidate will Islamise Nigeria if he he is elected as president of the country. Buhari has, however, on countless occasion, said he was not a religious fundamentalist or extremist as his opponents had alleged.

Speaking recently through the vice presidential candidate of the APC, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, at an inter-faith engagement in Kaduna, Buhari said:“I would like to solemnly declare that in spite of what detractors say, I am not a religious fanatic of any sort and I have never been.”