Electing Buhari Is A Disaster For Africa - Ex US Envoy

A former spokesman for four United States Ambassadors to
the United Nations, Richard Grenell, has said that if former
military Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari,
emerges as the next president of Nigeria in next Saturday’s
elections, it would be a disaster for the entire African
continent.
According to Punch,Grenell, who made the declaration in a
piece titled: Nigeria on the brink, and which was published
in the Washington Times, a US based publication, of
Thursday, March 19, 2015, described Buhari as working
tirelessly to enthrone Sharia law across the country, which
he said would further pose a major challenge to the fight
against terrorism in Nigeria and the continent at large.He
said:
“Western foreign policy observers pre-occupied
with the rise of ISIS in the Middle East should wake
up to the reality unfolding in Nigeria. Opposition
candidate General Buhari wants Sharia law
throughout Nigeria. In fact, he wants it everywhere.
“Is this an indication that Buhari supports violence
because the end goal of the terrorist attacks
throughout Nigeria and Africa is an Islamic state? It
is a legitimate question that should be asked by
leaders of the Obama administration...
“Boko Haram has pledged its allegiance and
support to ISIS. The Northern Nigerian based
Islamic terrorist group wants Sharia law throughout
the country and beyond. They are also actively
terrorising Chad, Niger and Cameroon with their
goal of an Islamic state.
“Buhari has also spoken sympathetically about
members of the terrorist group Boko Haram, has
cautioned against a rush to judgement on its
members and has personally been selected by the
terrorist group to lead its negotiations with the
Government of Nigeria.
“Buhari’s election as Nigeria’s head of state would
be a disaster for Africa. It would also signal trouble
for the West’s fight against ISIS and terrorism
throughout the Middle East.”According to Grenell,
Goodluck Jonathan has made commendable
inroads in strangling Boko Haram to submission in
recent weeks and so deserves the support of the
Barack Obama led United States administration and
the rest of the world.
“The Nigerian economy has been growing faster
than South Africa’s. Imagine what Nigeria could do
for Africa if it was also free of Boko Haram’s
violence. The Obama Administration should be
doing more to ensure Africa’s most populous
country doesn’t slip away,”
“Islamic radicals have Africa on their target list and
young Nigerians are reported to be interested in
ISIS’ messages. Nigeria is at a tipping point. The
West, and specifically the Obama Administration,
needs to wake up to the growing problem,” he
said.In October 2014 during an interview with
TheCable, Buhari had said that he was not a
religious fundamentalist or extremist as his
opponents had alleged..
“Nigerians will always uncover impossible room for
manoeuvre for politicians. In 2003, I chose Chuba
Okadigbo as my running mate. He was a Roman
Catholic. He was an Igbo. In 2007, I picked Edwin
Ume-Ezeoke. He was a Roman Catholic. He was an
Igbo. And in 2010, I chose even a pastor, Pastor
Tunde Bakare.
“Honestly, what do Nigerians want me to do? If they
don’t believe I’m not a fundamentalist, what else
can I do? The era of short-changing people in the
name of religion should stop,”