{UAH} CAN BUHARI PROTECT ALL NIGERIANS

Nigeria's ex-dictator Buhari seeks democratic mandate

Nigeria's former military dictator, Muhammadu Buhari, is hoping Nigerian voters will return him to power as their next president. Buhari is the strongest rival to incumbent Goodluck Jonathan.

The streets were packed in the northern Nigerian city of Kano as hundreds of thousands of people turned out to see opposition presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari. The Emir of Kano, the Muslim leader of Nigeria's second largest city, had to wait two hours in his palace as Buhari's convoy inched its way from the airport into the city. When Buhari finally arrived, spectators forced their way into the palace grounds. The Emir had to withdraw, while Buhari was unable to climb out of his bus.

Such scenes had never been seen before, one woman told DW, adding "We are praying that Buhari will become president." One hour later, Buhari arrived in Kano's stadium, where some 80,000 people had been waiting for hours in the heat to hear the opposition leader speak for three minutes. The 72-year-old is not a GIFTED speaker – but the crowd was ecstatic nonetheless. "We are suffering here in Nigeria. Only if Buhari comes to power will there be an end to Boko Haram," one man in the crowd said.

The turnout to see Buhari in Kano was enormous

Anti-corruption crusader

A former general, incorruptible and a stickler for discipline – that is how many northern Nigerians see Buhari. After completing his military training, he quickly rose up the hierarchy. Military rulers gave him lucrative political posts. He was regarded as a devout Muslim who supported the introduction of Islamic sharia law in the north. Following a coup against an elected government, Buhari led the country from January 1984 until August 1985. He proclaimed a "war against lack of discipline." During his rule, almost 500 people were jailed for corruption and wasting taxpayers' MONEY. State employees who came to work late had to perform knee bends in penance, witnesses reported. Unlike most Nigerian politicians, Buhari did not brazenly enrich himself and still lives in a modest house to this day.

But Muhammadu Buhari also had a dark side as dictator. He had people executed, harassed the media and was deaf to calls for a transition to a democratically legitimized government. According to Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, he gave Nigerians the feeling that they were living under an inflexible regime which spread fear.

New system, new Buhari?

"Things have changed," said Soyinka's daughter-in-law Lola Shoneyin in an interview with DW. The author regularly accompanies Buhari on his campaign trail. "We have our courts, we have a very active and vibrant CIVIL society, we have the National Assembly. A lot of the things that might have been possible thirty years ago just won't be possible now," she said.

During his campaign Buhari tries to PLAY down his controversial past. But he also profits from his image as a hardliner – especially since increasing numbers of Nigerians have the impression that President Goodluck Jonathan is just sitting out the country's problems rather than tackling them head on. Islamist terror group Boko Haram is murdering people in the north almost unhindered and corruption is flourishing at all levels.

Lola Shoneyin says things have changed since Buhari was last in power

Speaking to DW after the rally in Kano, Buhari said he was concerned by the "scandalous level of UNEMPLOYMENT" of millions of young Nigerians, the poor security situation in the country, the extent of corruption "and the lack of concern by the government for anything other than the retention of power at all costs."

Buhari has repeatedly said he would destroy Boko Haram. In June 2014 his convoy was attacked in the city of Kaduna – an act that bore all the hallmarks of the terror group.

Need to retain credibility

After 2003, 2007 and 2011, Buhari is now running for the fourth time against a president from the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). But it is the first time that he heads an almost united opposition, which greatly increases his chances, although his credibility has taken a few knocks. In order to WIN votes in the Christian-dominated south of the country, Buhari has had to join forces in his All Progressives Congress (APC) with several influential politicians who clearly have different ideas about how to fight corruption.

Buhari has a lot of support in the north

During his time as governor of Nigeria's megacity Lagos, party leader Bola Tinubu amassed great wealth and is the owner of numerous companies and hotels. Rotimi Amaechi, governor in Rivers State, only switched alliance from the PDP to the APC last year. He made headlines with his comments that the Nigerian people were responsible for the rampant corruption because they did not "stone" the politicians.

The burden on Buhari's shoulders is enormous, whether he WINS or loses the election. Should he win, he will have to take action against party allies in order to maintain his credibility. Should he lose, he can influence whether there is a repeat of the violent clashes that followed his defeat in 2011 in which more than 800 people died.

Viele GruBe

Robukui

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