Decades ago there was a very popular Muslim scholar Sheik Mahmoud Abubarka Gumi. He died in 1992 at about 70. In later years I started hearing of yet another Sheik Ahmed Abubakar Gumi. They both look alike - the white beards stuff. The recent Gumi is very critical of Buhari. I know the reason why the older Gumi could have disliked or even hated Buhari but I could not place the reason for this one. This made me ask, if Ahmad and Mahmoud are related. I just got a response this morning. The younger Gumi is the son of the older one. Now I can safely tell the story behind his antagonism.
From around 1960, the military had started finding their way into the governance of their respective Third World countries and by 1966, they did in Nigeria. By late 1960s to mid-70s, virtually all black African countries were ruled by the military. By late 1970s most countries and the international communities had become fed up with the military in government as they had bastardized the economies of the countries they ruled. In Nigeria, they handed over in 1979. Unfortunately the NPN government they handed over to became the worst Nigeria ever had and unequaled in looting public fund until recently that Jonatharian PDP government, made a child's play of that. Bad as that government was, in 1983, the massively rigged the general election that returned them to power in what became known as Sun, Moon and Land Slide. As of fact, many secretly wanted a military coup to reset Nigeria once again but none was expected because a few new such coups were turned back by the people aided by the Rank and File of the military that had gotten to realize that coups were self-serving to the plotters and not redemptive as they claim. So no military men were going to take a risk.
But there was a bold, cunning, highly ambitious Armored General who could dare just anything. He is Ibrahim Babangida. He had his loyalist in the army - mainly Captains and Majors. He wanted power by all means and will go for it. His role model was President Nasser of Egypt who took over the government of Egypt in 1952 but for a while, stayed in the background allowing a higher officer Nequib rule and take the initial bashing of coup plotting. Nasser later overthrew Nequib and cunningly transformed himself into a Civilian President for life. That is the way IBB planned to go. He had it all to overthrow the civilian government of Shagari but who would be the buffer he would need to stair off reprisal attack from the rank and file of the military, the masses and the international community. He and his boys - David Mark, Abdul Minimum, Gwadabe, Dasuki, Marwa, Abubakar Umar, John Madaki, Ogbeha, Atom Kpera etc reasoned that the buffer they would need must be a man of high integrity that no soldier can fault his reason for the coup and must be a man ready to show the world that he is out to flush out corruption which had made Nigeria a pariah nation and thereby make Nigeria an economically viable nation again before they step in to rule. They did not forget that overthrowing whoever they place would not be easy except such a person was a man with no personal ambition and will not resist them. Domkat Bali saw Buhari as the only senior military officer that cap fitted and mentioned it. Buhari got 100% vote from tge coupists. With that settled, they organized a successful coup on 31st December 1983 while Buhari was not even in the country. They went ahead and named him the Head of State before he was even approached. This is how Buhari became the Head of State of Nigeria via a coup he did not participate in.
The brainstorming by IBB boys with David Mark as the head of the think tank did a good job. An initial attempt by the rank and file to fight back the coupist after the announcement of the coup just died down once they heard that Buhari was at the Head. The Bold incorruptible man they chose did exactly as they expected. He went immediately to fighting corruption. He assumed every politician and contractor was guilty until he proved otherwise. He just hauled them to prison and set up Committees to investigated them. Those who had stolen were told to return their loots and go home. Nigeria was getting clean. America and Europe were no longer going to fight on against the military coup. The developed world was full of praises for the effort of ridding Nigeria of corruption. Nigeria had become respectable once again. Economy improved. Business with the outside world improved.
It was now time for IBB and his boys to take back a healthy nation but the old fear returned of whether another coup against a now popular Buhari will be acceptable. How would they remove this man without rancor? In Nigeria, at that time serious protests only arose from tge Yoruba or the Hausa/Fulani. The Coupist reckoned that if there would be protests against their new coup, it would come from these two ethnic groups - Yoruba or/and the Hausa/Fulani. It was, therefore, necessary to start a scheme that would make those two tribes dislike Buhari. With Buhari disconnected from these two tribes, it would become easy to knock him off with no one to weep for him. How were they to achieve this? They reasoned that if they hurt the most respected person with a cult-like following in both tribes, that required hatred would be achieved.
** IBB who was then the Chief of Army Staff, without the knowledge of his Boss, Buhari sent a detachment of the army to the home of Obafemi Awolowo who was like a demi-god to the Yoruba. The manhandled him, invaded his renowned Library threw all the books out and turned the house upside down. Some say that was the only time tears ever rolled down Awos eyes since he was 10! It was humiliation at the highest. A man of 76 years who was not head of any government, he was not a public officer. He was just head of a political party which had been banned. It was like sacrilege. From that point on, the Yoruba hated Buhari.
As this was happening, another detachment was sent to the home of Shike Abubarka Mamumood Gumi who was an outspoken Islamic scholar and Grand Khadi of the Northern Region of Nigeria a position which made him a central authority in the interpretation of the Sharia legal system in the region. He was a close associate of Ahmadu Bello, the premiere of the region in the 1950s and 1960s. He received the Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic in 1987, King Faisal International Prize from Saudi Arabia for his translation of the Quran into the Hausa language. Abubakar gumi who was referred to as the father of Izala.
With the invasion of Gumi by the military government of Buhari, the did was done. From then even till date, the core Hausa/Fulani establishment also got to dislike Buhari.
With the stage set, IBB and his boys moved in to strike. Buhari was informed. When he met IBB he told him point blank that he knew that IBB was planning a coup and that he was not bothered. He reminded him that the power he was enjoying was not fought for by him but rather, was loaned him by IBB so if he wanted it back, he was welcome to have it back. He, however, pleaded with him not to make the coup bloody. Buhari made no attempt to stop the coup. He could very easily have clamped down on IBB and his boys but he simply would not but rather wait peacefully till they struck.
A few days later, Abdulmiminu led John Madaki and Gwadabe to Buhari's home to take back their power. No resistance of any sort. No Federal Guards reaction or questioning the visit. They met Buhari downstairs in mufti in the evening when the flag was already down and no officer was obligated to greet a Senior Officer. The trio refused to Salute Buhari even when he demanded it. He then asked to be allowed to dress up in his official uniform. Abdulmiminu led him upstairs where he dressed up. That ended Buhari's regime.
When the change of power was announced, jubilation erupted in the North and West where resistance would ordinarily have been expected. IBB the Fox had planned right and it worked.
When IBB ascended the throne, Awolowo who was the most critical of military rule visited him along with his wife in Dodan Barracks. The story of this fifth columnist call Babangida had not come to light at that time. Buhari was in detention in Benin City at that time. Till date, the families of Awo and Gumi never really liked Buhari. Gumi's son the new sheik is in his own revenge trip as he may not have even gotten to know that it was IBB that masterminded the attack on his father and Buhari is not such that would bother to keep explaining these. As of fact, it took about 15 years before Buhari ever told this story to Newbreed magazine.
Now that the public knows the truth, they should now totally discountenance the rantings of Gumi. If is self-serving.
*Akin Omoz-Oarhe*
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