Trek from Lagos to Abuja against APC: Will Buhari welcome him?

With Adetunji Ayobrown
Everyman pray to see and have the goodness this life can offer, but no one want to know or request seeing the bad side of life. Maybe in joyous mode, they made promises prior to 2015 that if Mohammadu Buhari should contest and win the last presidential elections, Goodluck Jonathan should be a gentleman, they would trek and indeed they did trek.
A distance of over 536km/333miles and 362km/225miles from Lagos to Abuja and Lagos to Bayelsa state, respectively are no small distances even for Hercules in his lifetime.
From Lagos to Abuja, they made the trips, another to Bayelsa he endured the voyage, but never imaging a reversal of their herculean journey as a possibility in their lifetime…no, especially for same men and same purposes. But I tell you, the gods are wise little wonder, Williams Blake once wrote ‘there are things known, some unknown but in between there are doors’. Now, the question is where these doors lead? Events of this type unfold many meanings.
We all know that there is no drama in normal, the aftermath of 2015 general elections came a handful of youths embarked on solidarity and camaraderie treks across the country in support of their candidates. While majority went up to the north (Abuja, north central to be precise), another went south, all in the name of showing their Nigerian spirit. While Mr Isa Mohammed Munlaila trekked from Lagos to Lokoja, a journey that lasted about 14 days; Suleiman Hashimu did endured the wickedness of rain and sunshine from Lagos to federal capital territory, Abuja for over 18 days to celebrate Present Buhari’s victory in the federal capital territory.
Oladele Nihi in his own style, only him ‘waka’ from Abuja to Otuoke, Bayelsa State, the hometown Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ), to honour the former president whom many described as “a hero of Nigerian democracy”… a nice way Nihi shows his adornment and appreciation of GEJ’s statesmanship…as applauded by many across the globe.
Dressed in a sporting a green face-cap atop a black and blue sportswear while clutching a wooden mini coffin under his arm, he told the over half a dozen journalists who had been invited to witness the take-off of this self-afflicted journey that he expects to be on the road for over one month all in the name of discontentment of Nigeria’s present situation. As disappointment is simply a thing of choice, what do you expect from a man…only he that is humble will never shy. But, some say he forgot that Buhari is not a magician or miracle worker, but just a 70-year-old retired (may be even tired) soldier or farmer as you may want to call him. Buhari himself did trek, for no one in particular, but for himself and for how many metres, few, only in his village, Daura, Katsina state.
Like the Yoruba adage ‘ole to be gija sile ahoro, gija re ku kan si nita’, what a wrong turn…white elephant project, men are elements of disappointments, whatever goes up must and surely comes down at a point…obedience of gravitational law, a friend and analyst reacted.
Though, it was with excitement and funfair atmosphere around the presidential campaign headquarters of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Abuja that fateful day when Mr. Suleiman Hashimu, one of the Lagos to Abuja trekkers met Buhari having won the March 28 elections, Hashimu was forced to fulfil his promise on Monday, April 20, 2015, arrived Abuja from Lagos amid a cacophony of excitements and surprises. Giving details of his journey to the President-Elect, the trekker said he passed through Kwara to Niger and then to Abuja, though his story may sound incredible, Hashimu said he didn’t care about what people say of him, stressing that what mattered to him was the fulfilment of his promise to God and himself….but maybe he does care now, as turnaround events had shown.
Over three years down the lane, interestingly, today one of the former supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari, a 28-year-old Borno man, Isa Mohammed Munlaila last Thursday began trekking to Abuja from Lagos but this time, in protest against what he called the failure of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress to provide jobs and security for Nigerian youths. Munlaila lamented that most Nigerians especially youths are very angry, because people were suffering as the standard of living had gone up, adding that the president had failed to fulfil better part of their promises to the electorates despite Nigerians undiluted faith in him. Munlaila claimed to have walked from Lagos to Lokoja in 2015 in support of Buhari and the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, with believe in their abilities and capabilities to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people, but they never fulfil many of these promises.
In his company a small box painted green and red with “R.I.P A.P.C.” written on the red painted part as no one in APC bother to ask why, I guess like prisoner who never bother to ask because they already know their offences.
One would have expected President Muhammadu Buhari and the entire APC leadership not to throw away the lessons this teaches, welcome this man with elaborate arms, listen to his grievances and reassure Nigerians on what the party has install for the betterment of our nation.
People like Hashimu, Munlaila and Nihi are good and patriotic Nigerians bold enough, and to many who think these men are fools, I will like to point it out that they only choose to play the role of fool to fool the fools who think they are fooling Nigerians as all available reports and statistics agreed with their decisions.
Many Nigerians are ready to walk even to the moon, if possible, in other to spell it out that all is not well with Nigerians masses especially the youths. Loosing has its advantages, President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling APC should come out to give Mr. Isa and the likes the rousing welcome for the second time, just like they did in 2015… even when the truth is bitter.
Only he that is down should fear no fall, but he that is high up there should consider the effect of gravitational force.
Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via aayobrown@gmail.com