Why People Jubilated When Buhari Was Overthrown

Have you always wondered (ask your dad) why people jubilated when Buhari was overthrown in 1985?
No need to wonder any more, these are some of the reasons people went on the streets after his removal. It took pains for me to research so we can catalogue and list the real reasons he was overthrown. Am sure this would help people my age group who were too young or were not born then.
ere are my findings

1.Soured Nigeria’s relations with Britain and neighbouring countries by ordering the brutal expulsion of 700,000 West African immigrants

2.Summarily dismissed 30,000 soldiers who were mainly Southerners and Middle beltans but left Lt.Col Mohammed Aliyu Gusau intact when he knew Aliyu was operating an import license scam.

3.Abuse of human rights:------- It was so bad that the Nigerian Bar Association stopped their lawyers from participating in the charade dubbed "the Nuremberg tribunals". Once you're summoned to the tribunal, consider yourself a prisoner.

4.Buhari promulgated Decree 4 on his first day in the job as head of state. It basically means you criticize the government you go to prison, end of story.

5.All the the senior positions in the SMC were occupied by northern Muslims (SMC is like present day senate and HOR)

6.Decree 2 of 1984 (Detention of Persons Decree).....It basically allows the president to arrest anybody it wants.

7.Economy-----Insurmountable economic problems plagued the Buhari regime as petroleum prices collapsed in the face of expanding foreign debt. Buhari instituted austerity measures that caused severe hardship to the average Nigerian. In addition, political corruption continued unabated, with politicians escaping to Western countries with millions of dollars in government money. From Encyclopaedia Britannica

8.Rigidity----- Does not listen to other opinions hence Babangida said this when he overthrew Buhari: Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitudes to issues of national significance.

9.Jailing of opponents or perceived enemies. Sam Mbakwe 100-year jail, Ambrose Ali 75yrs, Lateef Jakande 100yrs and Pa Ajasin. Pa Adekunle Ajasin was tried, found innocent, tried again and still found innocent, and Buhari just decided enough was enough and jailed him anyhow. But curiously his friend Awwal Ibrahim – the highly corrupt governor of Niger State who was arrested at Heathrow airport with £14 million was only placed under house arrest.,

The End
10. 20months after taking power, Nigerians and the military had grown tired and impatient with his dictatorship and the rest is history as they say.
After watching the evening news with people he thought were his friends, Majors Dangiwa Umar, Lawan Gwadabe, Abdulmumuni Aminu and Sambo Dasuki rose and pulled their pistols. One of them said: Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, on behalf of the Nigerian people, I hereby declare you arrested for crimes against the Nigerian people.

In conclusion, Buhari had lots of good policies and came with good intention but his downfall was intransigence. Not listening to other people's opinion in a diverse nation like Nigeria, he was not a unifier.
:Mervin James

5 mins ·