It is difficult not to agree that a major qualification for being successful in present day Nigerian politics, is to be shameless. We saw it demonstrated at the early part of this civilian dispensation. Then, a story was told of an Ibadan political godfather, Lamidi Adedibu, posing three questions to the then Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja; ‘Can you fight in the market? Can you swear by the Koran, knowing that you are lying? Can you kill to achieve target?’ to which Ladoja answered in the negative. The old warhorse then retorted, ‘You are then not a politician. Leave the battle for us. Indeed, Adedibu did the battles till he died, including turning against his godson, at a time.
While it could be easy to dismiss Adedibu because of his marginal literate background, it must be given to him that he was bold and honest. Others in the political class are pretentious but more devious. They represent the flipside of the Masquerade (Mmanwu) in Igbo cosmogony. Metaphorically, Nnnukwu Mmanwu (the big masquerade), connotes a person of note and authority; an honour. But Mmanwu or Ulaga (the ordinary masquerade), indicates one without substance and repute; a symbolic way of describing one as lacking in shame. For the Igbo, one without shame is the worst form of creation. There is no limit to what the person can do, including the most immoral. Such a character defies prediction and can undertake any mission that can fetch him anything for the day. That is perhaps, the appropriate way to look at some members of the present day Nigerian political class.
For the greater part of last week, I was indisposed and could not feature on this space. But within the time, it was instructive watching the politicians dancing and defaecating in the public in celebration of inanities. President Bola Tinubu and chieftains of his All Progressives Congress (APC), were literally on heat in celebrating Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and other elected officials of the state, defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC. Embattled governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Umo Eno, were also rumoured to be on queue for the crossover.
Tinubu counted the exercise as significant to the development of the country and its democracy. But for a system that is practically on all fours in its economy, high cost of living, rising unemployment among its youth, near total infrastructure collapse and spiraling insecurity, it is simply hard to calculate how the movement of a non-performing governor and his team to a ruling party would call for ululation from the presidency. If even the receiving APC was anchored on solid philosophy with enticing record of performance profile, the temptation could be high to assume that by joining the new train, some modicum of value would be added in the governance of the state affected. But that is not the case. In fact, between the APC and PDP, the difference is akin to that between six and half a dozen; same coin of different faces, sort of.
And for Tinubu who is essentially driven by the desire to grab power not for service but for what to derive from it, the more the defections, the merrier. At least, with the governors of the states where he could not record significant showings in 2023 corralled in APC column, walking over such entities in 2027 by whatever tactics, would be easier in his reelection bid. That is the president’s version of scorched earth politics – commencing early enough with pulling the rug off his enemies, and before the real battle is declared, he would have chalked up reasonable mileage. He does not take prisoners but goes for the kill, applying the axiomatic carrot and stick principle. For the governors on first term and seeking reelection, there is a subtle reminder that joining the APC remains the assurance of their dream coming true.
Those serving out their constitutional two terms or those that have left office but considered to command some relevance in their localities, have the specter of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), constantly hovering around to make them do the needful. It is either they flow with the ruling party and have their sins forgiven, as Senator Adams Oshiomhole once recommended, or have their dates in the courts with the anti-graft agency. Since the average politician in the country hardly serves without dipping hands in the public till, the fear of trial and possible jail term, always makes them play the good boys and girls.
So, when you see or hear the defectors shouting themselves hoarse, flaunting the phantom feats of Tinubu in reversing the fortunes of the nation for good, it is not based on conviction but to be seen as working according to prescribed scripts. Curiously, the President enjoys the charade. He is at home seeing his foot soldiers portray him as the best thing to have happened to the country. But even among those humouring him with rocket science reforms, a basic question of ‘is your life better off now than it was two years ago’? always draws a blank response. It is not even as if 2023 and the seven years before, were fantastic. They were actually the years of the locusts during which Tinubu’s predecessor, Muhammad Buhari, literally ran the country aground to the point that the citizens had thought that no administration could be worse. But while Nigerians under Buhari were fed with serpents, scorpions are being unleashed on them by the Tinubu government.
In this type of situation, a leader with eyes on history gets concerned at how he would be remembered. He is also bothered with what happens after him, not necessarily by death but when he leaves office. For the five years he reluctantly accepted to be president of South Africa, iconic Nelson Mandela, was constantly conscious of the future of the country and his African National Congress (ANC). That accounted for his actions tailored at cementing cracks among the various peoples in the Union and ensuring a disciplined ANC. There are no indications of Tinubu ever thinking along these lines. His garage brand of politics is all about packing the rickety vehicle, represented by the APC with as many passengers as available and getting to his destination, without bothering at what happens to the bus and other occupants as soon as he disembarks. That is dangerous for a precarious system as ours.
Credit:The Sun