Nigerians have lost the ability to get along with each other and to solve problems. That’s why the country is sharply divided. Political dialogue in the country has collapsed and objective truth disappeared. Instead of solving problems, politicians are rather arguing about how to serve their personal group’s interest and win the next election. In the midst of all the arguments, the country and the people are treated like items on the third rail.
Not that our country was never divided before now. The foundation of this country was rooted in schism. When Zik said ‘let’s forget our differences,’ the legendary Sir Ahmadu Bello said to him: ‘No, let us understand our differences. I am a Muslim and a northerner; you are a Christian and a southerner.’ And for Awolowo who led the predominant Yoruba race, ‘Nigeria is a mere geographic expression’. Whoever of the three you chose to believe, it’s important to know that our inability to move beyond our pettiness is our fault.
However, despite their divisions, our founding fathers had the common sense to understand that politics is about compromises and about being able to get along to solve common problems. In their interactions, they were able to resolve nagging issues through dialogue. This is what the present crop of leaders are unable to do. Thus, in our current politics, the word compromise has become dirty and lost.
Because of the politics of 2023, we are once again on each other’s throats. Our politicians are employing all manner of dirty tricks to retain power to either their region or religion. Since when does someone’s religion or tribe define capacity to provide quality leadership that will address our security issues, our declining economy and our fumbling federation? Why can’t we see the goodness in others beyond their religion and tribe? How can we place confidence in the crop of politicians that we have? How do we trust them with their zero integrity and worse of it their inability to reach consensus on common issues?
Not that I expect so much from politicians, most of whom are certified as no good. But, how can a group of people be so shameless and heartless that they steal their own country’s resources as if they are fugitive aliens and yet pose as leaders? Imagine someone aspiring to lead and you know he is a thief and has no integrity. How can we trust such a leader?
In 2015, Atiku Abubakar told us that he would never return to his erstwhile party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He told us that the party was beyond redemption. He mustered all resources within his means to fight the party and helped foist the current nightmare. He can’t say he never knew that President Muhammadu Buhari cannot govern well, but yet wanted him to win and he won. Today, the same Atiku has returned to PDP. He not only returned to PDP that he fought fiercely against, but wants to be president on the party’s platform. The questions are: what happens to integrity? How do we place confidence in such a leader?
The case of Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle of Zamfara State is even more repulsive. He was elected governor on the platform of PDP. Years into his four-year tenure, it was noticed that he was PDP in the day and APC at night. The media confronted him. They asked him pointedly if he planned joining APC. He not only denied this but also placed a curse on himself. He asked Allah to punish him if he ever joined APC. The rest is now history as the man who beckoned on Allah to punish him is now an APC chieftain. Allah is merciful but doesn’t forget. Much sooner than later, Allah will grant Matawalle’s prayers and punish him accordingly.
Bello Muhammad Matawalle isn’t alone. Femi Fani-Kayode also known as FFK said many unprintable words about APC. He hyped the Fulani agenda to enslave the rest of Nigeria. He eulogised Nnamdi Kanu as the lion of the East. He told the Igbo how much Buhari hated them and that Buhari was about to exterminate the Igbo the way Hitler did to the Jews. Though he said all those things without proof, many Igbo youths bought into this narrative and overnight turned the Fulani the only problem with Nigeria. The ignorant youths unwittingly destroyed all the bridges and alliances built by our fathers with the North. This is thanks to FFK inflammatory rhetoric.
To MNK and IPOB, FFK was a patron saint. He became one of the biggest confidants of the ‘Supreme Leader.’ While some discerning minds saw it coming that this IPOB Patron Saint may just be a double-faced agent, yet IPOB never saw this. While Igbo youths continue with their senseless animosity against those perceived to have betrayed the IPOB leader, while trusting the real enemy, the Igbo were being sold for a penny. Not that it mattered to me whether FFK joined APC or remained in PDP. It’s within his right of Freedom of Association as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution to so determine. But beyond this right, words matter and integrity counts. When asked if he will return to APC, he described the party as a nest of evil, that till Christ comes again and till thy kingdom come, he will never join APC for any reason. Christ hasn’t come but FFK has not only joined APC but he also praised Buhari as ‘the most respected president in the world and Buhari has transformed Nigeria.’ This is the man who told stories about Fulani alleged agenda.
FFK’s political trajectory should be the least of our concern. I am more concerned about how President Buhari, ‘one of the most respected presidents in the world’ has debased the presidency by giving red carpet reception to people his government told us have cases to answer. It appears to me that those that packaged President Buhari in 2015 only packaged him to win election but not to govern. If the president was prepared to govern, he should be aware that he is not the president of APC but the president of Nigeria. He should be aware that the presidency and himself as President are both priceless. When he welcomes and take photos with those his government said had cases to answer but who defect to APC, he sends the wrong signal that wrongdoing has become acceptable, that the war against corruption is a selective witch hunt only preserved as a hammer against the opposition.
While APC as a party can open her doors to the good, the bad and the ugly, I dare say that reception of the bad and ugly into APC is not one of the functions of the President who must at all times put the integrity of his office and honour of the country first.
Away from FFK, take a look at the current 9th Senate as presided over by Senator Ahamed Ibrahim Lawan. It is become obvious that the 9th Senate is the worst Senate since the emergence of democracy in 1999. This Senate, in conduct and character, sees itself as a rubber stamp of the Executive, Any loan request brought by the President is approved without scrutiny. The Senate doesn’t care about how previous loans were managed. Because of this legislative laxity, the country’s debt profile is well above $34bn. How do we place confidence in the Senate to check the executive lawless and reckless borrowing when the leadership itself is in the pocket of the president?
To sustain our democracy, we want an INEC with the ability to conduct free, fair and credible elections. We had hoped that the National Assembly will help rekindle the people’s interest in the electoral process by introducing the use of technology in the instant transmission of results.
The Senate betrayed the people’s hope. The Senate voted against instantaneous electronic transmission of results, thus pushing democracy back to the Stone Age. All they care about is to continue winning elections by fraud. How can we have any confidence in such leaders?