Every elderly man in Nigeria is now an elder statesman. That is the Nigerian way. The more extraordinary the title sounds, the better. You have the media to thank or hold responsible for the distortional elevations. Bowing, as it were, to the dictates of cultures that accord uninterrogated reverence to wealth, office and age, the media have taken to easy conferment of such titles at will, often to be on the safe side. It is this very spirit of glorification of the ordinary that accounts for the whimsical hoisting of the tag of ‘His Excellency’ on every individual who merely contests for, say, the office of state governor, win or lose.
Interestingly, many of the numerous ‘Excellencies’ dotting Nigeria’s public space assumed the appellation at a time the cost of purchasing political party nomination forms to contest the primaries for prime offices were affordable. Against the backdrop of the current gargantuan cost of the forms for eligibility to go through the party primaries, anyone who lays out N40 million or N100 million to purchase any manner of form should be entitled to answer any title he chooses to be called subsequently, even if it is ‘His Eminence.’ That should be fair. It does not matter that the root of all the money can be traced back to our common coffers.
Alas, there is no functional responsibility or moral gauge assigned to such exaggerated titles. If only the lofty titles can justify their essence through enduring work or regenerative ideas for the common good! But then, the definition of common good in Nigeria is no less contentious. This raises part of the problems with such otherwise key elements as the statesmen, the authentic ones. The definition of a statesman that aptly captures his essence is that of “a political leader whose wisdom, integrity, etcetera, win respect” within the society.
Nigeria cannot be in greater need of the virtues of wisdom, integrity, candour and ethicality, qualities imbued in the statesman, than at the moment. If only these citizens, privileged by age and sobered by experience could stand tall and firm to impact robustly on a society that is in dire need of rescue on all fronts.
It is against this backdrop that the stepping out of two bona fide elder statemen into the troubled waters of Nigerian politics last week became instructive. They came with different mindsets on how the country should proceed from its prevailing crisis of existence. One canvassed a reconciliatory approach anchored on equity and an embracive compliance to what is commonly referred to as true federalism. The other held on tightly to a troubled orthodoxy in Nigeria’s political power matrix. It does not seem that each side was ready yet to compromise on its belief.
Chief Ayo Adebanjo, 94 years, a lawyer with solid nationalist credentials, is a leader of Afenifere, the pre-eminent Yoruba social-political association in the country. He saw injustice and constriction of true federalism as the root of Nigeria’s problems. For him, the 2023 general election offers a crucial opportunity for Nigeria to pull itself back from the brink through toeing the part of justice. Adebanjo minced no words in proclaiming that power rotation holds out great prospect for restoring trust and confidence in Nigeria and that it is, clearly, the turn of the South East to present the next President of the country, the other major legs of the country having taken their turn. Chief Adebanjo was and remains angry that the tenets of federalism are not being adhered to in the country. He vowed commitment to the doctrine of true federalism till the end.
At the other extreme stood Prof. Ango Abdullahi, 74 years. He is a former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and chairman of the Northern Elders’ Forum. The standpoint of the Northern Elders chieftain was clear, zoning of offices is not democratic. Elections into political offices, more so, the President, should be thrown open for all. Prof. Abdullahi is obviously an apostle of level-playing field that allows all Nigerians to contend.
Prof. Abdullahi does not pull punches. He is not a man for niceties and diplomatese. His stance was definite. The presidency should continue to reside in the North. If that is a source of disquiet among the other constituent parts of the country, too bad. Having played a prominent role as a major supporter of Buhari gaining power in 2015 (for the North), against Goodluck Jonathan, the southern candidate, Prof. Abdullahi has since parted ways with the Buhari government. For him, if one northern President fails to meet expectations, the solution is simple, get another northern President to try.
Prof. Abdullahi as a statesman is, unfortunately, short on equity and uprightness in his insistence on level-playing field, at least in a sense. Till date, Prof. Abdullahi and his kindred spirits still hold on to quota system in admission into government schools and in appointments and promotions into positions in government institutions and agencies. For Prof. Abdullahi to be a true and honest apostle of level-playing field and zero zoning in Nigeria, there is need for him to go the whole hog. Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, is probably the only prominent northerner who has boldly canvassed for the abrogation of quota for the North in admission into educational institutions. That singular position places him on a moral pedestal from which he can rightly oppose zoning on the turf of politics. That is consistency. It smacks of double standard and is, therefore, immoral to oppose zoning of political offices but at the same time hold on tightly to quota in every other facet of public life in Nigeria.
If in jostling for power advantage in 2023, even one of such contradictions bugging down Nigeria can be resolved, the whole hoopla may not be a waste after all. But then, is there any sincerity of purpose anywhere?
For those in the southern half of Nigeria, Chief Adebanjo’s true federation and pro-equity sermon will surely resonate. That does not, however, make Prof. Abdullahi’s insistence on power retention in the North any less valid, especially if you are coming from his side of Nigeria’s geo-political divide. Interestingly, the chief facilitators of the retention of political power by the North are from the South. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, in a recent statement dripping with anger and frustration, said it all.
The zoning arrangement for the office of President remains a win-win unofficial arrangement within the parties, which aimed at fostering inclusiveness among the constituent peoples of the heterogenous state. If then, in 2022 leading to 2023, elements from the South, chief among them Bola Tinubu, Yemi Osinbajo and Nyesom Wike, launch a most pernicious assault on the zoning arrangement, all with the primary intent to undermine the South East, it becomes difficult to contend with Prof. Abdullahi.
The case for equity in the matter of power sharing in Nigeria collapses at the macro level once it cannot subsist at the micro level. Chief Adebanjo can rail as much as his noble soul can against the greed and spanner-in-the-work-activities of the Tinubus, Osinbajos and Wikes of the world, but, in the final analysis, the stance of the other elder from the North will prevail.
Consequently then, any denouement of the underlining plot of Nigeria’s intractable administrative plight seems headed for extended suspension. Nigeria will likely bleed on and may yet suffer such asphyxiation as is naturally the outcome of someone having his knees on someone’s else neck for a prolonged period. Nigeria’s resuscitation is obviously not nigh