by Ahmed Isyaku Katsina
Literally, this statement is neither here nor
there. It’s contradictory in the sense that, in the
end, we will understand that he does not belong to
anybody or Nigerians to that effect. From the
surface, this is what one can infer from the
statement. Perhaps he belongs to himself only as
someone thought. It’s outrageous and deceptive
when one thinks the statement is promising when
it’s negative. This is the negative aspect of the
speech that some are brazenly clinging to believe.
Another dimension of it in a pragmatic approach is
that , he is saying that people should not think of
influence upon him or favours over ‘others’ just
because of their political , ethnic or religious
affiliations with him. He will do what he thinks is
right in his own way without their influence or
interference , perhaps even if it takes to dictate or
rule with an iron hand as someone may think.
However, using another pragmatic approach, we
can see the positive side that the speech truly
represents .We know it’s a political rhetoric ,
achieved by using a powerful technique of
contrasting pairs. The statement is saying to the
effect that, he is first Nigerian before anything else.
He will be there for all Nigerian ethnic groups or
all Nigerians in general , irrespective of religious,
ethnic and political differences. This speech is
powerful and extraordinary with beauty of rhetoric.
.If put in an ordinary language, the statement may
sound ordinary or gaudy ‘I belong to all Nigerians
not to a particular group or person.’
I strongly believe that , this positive inference we
have made from the speech , represents what our
beloved President General Muhammadu Buhari
meant by ‘I belong to everybody and I belong to
nobody’, not the way some unpatriotic people go
about on the social media trying to corrupt the
meaning with some negative interpretations to no
effect. We all know who is GMB – patriotic, honest
and a strong personality that has won public trust
and confidence. GMB will never say such things of
negative connotations. He is Nigeria’s President
for all Nigerian people . And what’s more, he is a ‘
converted democrat’ now not a dictator.
-Ahmed Isyaku Katsina