Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s ‘Ambassadorial Propaganda’ instigated to boost a battered political career

For those who may have already forgotten, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki is the Nigeria’s current Senate President who lost his reelection bid. Regretfully and most humiliatingly too. For instance, he had bragged about his influence in the most despicable manner and touted his dogmatic ego as a fearless area “godfather.” So when his defeat came, he could not but hide his face. For instance, in the National Assembly elections held in his constituency in Kwara State, Senator Saraki, who contested on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) crumbled helplessly, losing to his All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, Ibrahim Oloriegbe. To add to his bruises, Senator Saraki also lost all four of the local governments in his senatorial district and could not even deliver his base to his party’s presidential race.

So, after months of this humiliation, Senator Saraki had to look for a podium to save his dismantled political realms. This opportunity finally came two days ago from his obscure basement – through his Media Office, that the Senate leader has been nominated an International Human Rights Commission Ambassador.

In the most crooked descriptive manner, they made it appear like an Ambassador of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which is indeed a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. But Senator Saraki’s International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) is actually an unfamiliar local civic association registered 2014 in Ukraine to create an international network to observe conflict zones in just that region.

Of course, Senator Saraki is free to join any group or association that appeals to his interest. However, it should not be a ‘breaking news’ that a Senate President of Africa’s most populous country joined a strange group monitoring conflict zones in Ukraine – especially, where his own people in Kwara State need more monitoring and observing as regards security and rights abuse. 

To make it worse, a so called Ambassador Friday Sani, introduced as the “Diplomatic Head of the Commission to Nigeria and other African Countries”, is in fact, another Nigerian member of the organization – a self-acclaimed ambassador helping Senator Saraki to perpetrate this campaign to excite his base saddened by his miserable election outing. Just read Sani’s comment, as he offers life-support to the tumbled Senate head:

“Besides, the Commission is not unmindful of the maturity that you recently displayed in the face of an obvious provocation in your constituency during the last Presidential and National Assembly elections.”

Which maturity? What is matured about losing an election, accepting defeat and going home? It is an inescapable responsibility to lose and get out of the way  – nothing to do with maturity.  The most disappointing part of this story is not by any chance an attempt by Senator Saraki and his media team to override his ballot letdown through a deceptive campaign. Nope. The disappointing part is that almost all major Nigerian media outlets, bloggers, and social media chatterers copied and pasted this release without a scrap of research or basic inquiry. 

NOT THE SAME….In the most crooked descriptive manner, they made it appear like an Ambassador of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which is indeed a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. 

Of course, Senator Saraki is free to join any group or association that appeals to his interest. However, it should not be a ‘breaking news’ that a Senate President of Africa’s most populous country joined a strange group monitoring conflict zones in Ukraine – especially, where his own people in Kwara State need more monitoring and observing as regards security and rights abuse. 

From unpaid salaries in his own Kwara constituents through a total lack of internal security, his unpopular defection from the APC to PDP, unprecedented revolt from his own people, and a long list of corruption cases, Senator Saraki’s political anguishes are a predictable saga.  Salvaging such woes require more than a misleading media publicity in form of breaking news stories. Senator Saraki must realize that his people are still unhappy with his unproductive years in government. Salvaging that trend requires a more holistic approach rather than a prevailing drum-beating arrogance. 

 

This piece is not intended to denigrate an already politically battered Senator, but simply, a disapproval of gravely disastrous leaders who would tread on vulnerability of the constituents they have practically ruined.  

This piece is not intended to denigrate an already politically battered Senator, but simply, a disapproval of gravely disastrous leaders who would tread on vulnerability of the constituents they have practically ruined.  Senator Saraki, and all other politicians rubbished by the dust of 2019 General Elections in Nigeria should wake up to reality, and show that they are true leaders, not selfish overbearing charlatans. They should reexamine the damages they have caused on their regions, their people, and resources placed under their care, which by the way they fraudulently took away.  They should not run away to Dubai. No. They must stick around and collaborate with their successors on reforming a catastrophic governmental system they cultivated.