By Abdu Labaran Malumfashi.
For the followers of the local media, both the mainstream and the online varieties, it would be obvious that Architect Bulama Waziri has not been anything but blunt in the recent times about the chances of both political parties in the 2027 General Elections.
He appeared on Channels Television, on Africa Independent Television (AİT) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) political programmes at various and different times, as well as in many local newspapers such as the Sun and People’s Daily, to mention some. And he spoke fashionably about national issues, without holding back on what he felt very strongly about.
According to him, the 2027 elections would not be a shoe-in for any party which does not earn the support of the people in the country. For any party to win the 2027 Presidential election, it must have the required votes, and to have that, the party must have the voters to give it the needed votes.
The renowned architect and politician said that, the 2027 elections will not be, to quote him directly, “a walk in the park for any political party in the country”. This is quite true, blank and straight to the point, despite the fact that his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently on the driving seat, as the ruling party in the country.
It is the opinion of this writer and, perhaps many others, that most Nigerians are facing a somewhat Herculean task making ends meet daily. Only the politicians in the National Assembly (NASS) and the appointees in the country appear not to be victims of the hard times in the country. They seemed to live on another planet where there is no suffering.
For those who do not know him, Architect Bulama Waziri, was the Secretary of the APC during the time of the Adams Oshiomhole leadership of the party, and now, a member of the National Advisory Council (formerly BOT) of the party. Above all, he is a fierce defender of the Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu government.
He is an unapologetic supporter of the Federal Government, especially its economic policies. According to him, the seemingly harsh economic policies are put in place to correct and balance the nation’s economic situation and make it possible for the citizens of the country to enjoy the dividend of our democracy as it should be.
He also argued that the seemingly poor performance of the nation’s economy is a global phenomenon that is not limited to Nigeria, adding that the suffering is a worldwide thing, which the Bola Ahmed led administration is addressing.
He however, candidly admitted that there was a serious voter apathy in the land, considering that in 2023, only 26% of the registered voters went to the polls to cast their ballots. This he noted, was a vote of no confidence for Democracy.
Architect Waziri is very vehemently opposed to the restructuring of the country, insisting that the Constitution of the country has adequately addressed the issue. He said that it was wrong for any political zone to cry of marginalisation when in actual sense the zone that was supposed to complain about not getting a better deal in the country is not doing so.
He said that the government of the former President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari had not marginalised the South Eastern part of the country and its people. If anything, the region had the best of deals under the Buhari administration, compared to the other regions in the country.
He disclosed that it was the administration of Muhammadu Buhari that constructed the Second Niger Bridge in the South East, and gave an Ibo man the “biggest contract to an individual”. This is the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) Gas project, which is worth $2.8 billion at the time, but now worth about N5 trillion.
The former APC National Secretary is of the view that the agitation for restructuring was postered and sponsored by the elite in the society with a view to becoming direct beneficiaries but not for the sake of the ordinary citizens of the country.
Eloquent and articulate, Architect Waziri is an interviewer’s delight as he talks knowledgeably about the challenges of building a strong and viable national economy that will enable the citizens of the country to thrive in their various fields of endeavour.
Architect Waziri gives out the impression that he is a top member of the government, not a mere member of the governing body of the ruling party that he is.
Malam Malumfashi wrote from Katsina.