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Blog, Essays

A lesson from Adedayo’s sack.

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Last week the Senate President sensationally sacked a media aide less than 48 hours after his appointment was announced. Lawan came under immense pressure by APC loyalists including the newly baptised ‘First Lady’. I ‘ve been reading his column in the Tribune for some years now and there is no doubt that Festus Adedayo is good with the pen. I initially sympathised with him, not just for that but also from an ‘esprit de corps’ perspective since we share a common academic background in Political Communication. Now having said that there is a need to differentiate between criticism and insults. I must admit that I mostly skimmed through his scathing attacks on President Buhari primarily because I usually get an adequate dosage of that from the social media and other columnists like Femi Aribisala. Politics is a game and just like in games emotions are rarely contained, but if indiscipline by players and even spectators are punished then it should also apply in politics. Media practitioners represent the fourth estate of the realm whose primary objective is to present the citizens with factual information that will guide them in making decisions. We are not mere spectators, we are like the linesmen who interpret not just for the referee but also for the spectators. I recollect a recent chat with an editor who cautioned me about an offensive phrase in an article I submitted for publication. I had been caustic in my description of a group and he promptly told me that such words cannot pass his gate. Indeed the paragraph looked better when my piece was published. APC has millions of loyalists and their media machinery is ruthless. No political party comes a close second in utilising the power of social media as much as the party has done since the beginning of our current democratic experiment. This didn’t start with Adedayo. In June last year, renowned columnist and the chairman of Vanguard editorial board was forced to issue a humiliating apology after he described the Yorubas as “sophisticated morons”, an ethnic aspersion that was made viral by the South West wing of the APC youths. In the same month, a lady who worked with the Presidency was hounded by APC media soldiers for using uncharitable words to describe Vice President Osinbajo on twitter. She was queried and dismissed afterwards. In the heat of the moment, she boasted that she needn’t lift a finger to work to continue living in affluence for the rest of her life. However shortly after, she ‘nicodemusly’ got another job but somehow her traducers managed to reach her new hirer whose company thrived on government patronage and probably dropped the usual ‘if you want to retain our patronage’ line. Again she was sacked. The young lady who must have learnt her lesson can even be overlooked for her naivety and youthful exuberance but Festus is neither young nor naive. He is a professional who should know better. It is laughable that he claimed he was still considering the job when we know that he had already popped champagne with friends to celebrate his appointment. He also said that Obasanjo received the worst lashing from his acidic pen. Well, having now read some of his toxic writings against Buhari I can say that he may have criticised Obasanjo’s government but he INSULTED Buhari’s personae. Moreover, the Yoruba culture and training couldn’t have allowed him to label Obasanjo a fido dido, demented or having a body double. These words definitely go beyond criticism. They are acerbic phrases that shouldn’t be read from a copy and paste blogger let alone a career journalist. To put it plainly Adedayo sounded like a hateful bigot! Some would argue that journalists are humans and are susceptible to emotional outbursts like every other person. I agree. People are entitled to their opinion regardless of how far fetched or stupid it may sound to you. And frankly, I have read all sorts from respected journalists, especially on social media. One recently wished Abacha’s fate on Buhari for removing the CJN and another suggested that Obasanjo was a mole who should be tied to the stake and shot for calling Buhari a failure. All these are tolerable since we are in a democracy which of course guarantees freedom of speech even though that freedom actually ends where the other’s rights begin. The bigger issue, however, has to do with honour, morality and integrity. It is a poor reflection of our journalism that the prospect of owning a property in Abuja is often too enticing — as Reuben Abati will tell you —  that the ultimate ambition of many is to be appointed the media aide of a politician or some corporate executive. So Mr Adedayo didn’t mind being interviewed for a job by a man he recently described as a myrmidon of the Fuhrer. How can you possibly join a cause you don’t believe in? A man who hates the vulture shouldn’t covet the soup claiming to enjoy the spices. If the Senate President appointed him out of ignorance or the need to placate his PDP backers, Festus obviously accepted out of greed and hypocritical opportunism. His likes are dangerous, despicable and totally bereft of the requisite values to move the nation forward. It was the Apostle Paul who said that “the tongue has the power of life and death”. Mr Adedayo will surely not die for being sacked but the dent of this experience will remain for a long time, and hopefully a teachable moment for us to always guard our emotions in political discourse.

Blog, Monishots

Opportunity knocks for Ndi Igbo.

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It is about six months to the general elections and conceivably politicking has taken the centre stage. We have already been treated to the ignoble dance of defections, a botched or staged NASS takeover -depending on your perspective- and now we are witnessing the second season of letter writing. No doubt our champion Obansajo will be green with envy as his writing prowess has been eclipsed by that of younger gladiators in a war of attrition that may well shape the political future of the nation. Leading the charge in a frenetic start to the week is Asiwaju Bola Tunubu. In a statement titled ‘They go Away Because We go the Right Way’ the former Lagos state governor and leader of the ruling APC alleged that Saraki and Tambuwal defected to the PDP because they were promised automatic tickets to pursue their political ambition, something he claimed was not possible in his party. In his response, the Senate President accused Tinubu of dishonesty saying that he is still aggrieved at being denied the Vice Presidential ticket in 2014 and that his support for President Buhari’s re-election is solely informed by own his presidential ambition. The debate over this bickering has since dominated the political and media space. Frankly, I don’t give a hoot and you shouldn’t too. Why should we care? It is neither about our betterment nor national interest, what’s more, the discerning political observer should know that both men have said nothing new. Both are ambitious, wealthy and power hungry. Their quest to occupy the seat in Aso Rock is already in the public domain. But it will be unrealistic to expect that Nigerians will disregard this one, we love drama and we are savouring this. More so considering that in the process of fulfilling their ambition politicians may bring progress and development to their people, we must interrogate these statements, albeit without taking sides. In a previous article I posited that the recent defections “may offer some hope for the political lightweights to have a shot at retaining their positions in 2019 but the gladiators are actually battling for relevance in readiness for a post-Buhari Nigeria in 2023”. This position has been buttressed by the events of yesterday. Anybody who still believes that President Buhari will be defeated next February needs to study our political history beginning with social studies. By 2023 power will naturally rotate to the South at least in the APC, and if the PDP is still afloat by then we should expect a similar arrangement assuming they are to seriously give the presidency a shot. Sadly, it is becoming clearer each day that my South East region is not even on the ringside for the political battle of 2023 because while the politicking and positioning were going on our politicians were battling with the chants of “Biafra or I die” from an electorate largely brainwashed by IPOB. Now four years is almost gone with the South-South better placed in the two leading parties to slug it out with other regions for political power. But it is never too late, politics can be dynamic and if we are to work with Saraki’s statement that Asiwaju believes the presidency should go to the South West and ultimately to him then we can expect that 2023 will be more keenly contested. This is because with the exception of Buhari the president of Nigeria rarely goes to those who covet it. Tinubu will meet stiff opposition within his region from potential candidates like Osinbajo and Fashola, he will also have to contend with the resistance from the likes of Saraki and Tambuwal. Likewise in the PDP, governor Wike will face strong dissent in achieving his rumoured desire to ascend Buhari’s throne come 2023. Therein lies the opportunity for Ndi Igbo to stake their cards. This is why we have to quit playing the victim. There is need to replace the brand of politics we played in the past three years with pragmatic and proactive politicking if we are to begin the difficult task of taking back our rightful position in national politics. Its time for Igbo leaders to rise to the occasion, they need to be counted both in the ruling party and in the opposition. Wike and Tinubu must not be allowed to dictate in both parties. They must be pushed all the way. Of course, some will argue that Igbos don’t need the presidency to make progress, that what we need is a restructured and equitable nation to excel. I agree. But I equally agree with the reasoning that it will be equitable for Igbos to produce a Nigerian president after all these years. After all, it is only the South East and North East that are yet to rule since the civil war. Moreover when last did you hear about restructuring? It is a sound whose volume is directly proportional to the distance from Aso rock. Igbos should urge Okorocha, Ngige, Onu, Ekweremadu, Obi, South East governors and other leaders to be more vocal in demanding political power for the sake of equity. Power is not given but taken, so nobody will deliver the presidency on a platter to Ndi Igbo. It will come through hard work, bridge building and strategic alliance. The opportunity beckons in 2023, we could shoot an eagle but to do that we have to aim for the sky.

Blog, Monishots

Why Saraki Is Scheming For 2023.

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  When General Muhammadu Buhari made a pact with politicians from diverse backgrounds with little similarity in ideology – if they had any – to emerge the APC flag bearer and subsequently the president, he cannot possibly claim that he didn’t anticipate a bumpy ride. Likewise, when Bukola Saraki and his henchmen sabotaged their party and successfully carried out a ‘coup’ to assume the Senate leadership in cahoots with the opposition they surely would have expected many battles in the fore. I had posited then in my thesis that for Saraki, winning a battle does not in any way translate to winning the war as it was clear to the discerning that tougher battles lay ahead. That it was an action that also resulted in the emergence of the PDP’s Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President made it more humiliating for the APC and left the intrigues ahead to one’s imagination. Saraki can rightly be described as well ‘connected’ and battle-tested; his rise in politics started with his appointment as Obasanjo’s aide on budget matters. From thereon he only looked forward and propitiously employed a combination of sagacity and ruthlessness to rise rapidly. However, many of his political battles were fought when he had immunity as a governor. As the Senate president, a higher position in the larger picture so to say, that privilege is no longer available and his fate unlike before is not entirely in his hands. All the same, credit must go to the medical doctor turned politician for surviving like the proverbial cat with nine lives. Basking in the support of colleagues that cut across party lines, he has managed a vice-hold grip on the Senate whilst surviving the onslaught of a protracted CCT trial and more recently some police investigations. It is even more impressive when you consider that while many have come to regard our NASS as the bulwark of the corrupt, populated by ex-governors and ministers with questionable records, Saraki still commands huge followership in his home state. He will likely be re-elected to the red chamber even in a free and fair contest. But the Senate President has been in the political scene long enough to know that a Nigerian President is an all-powerful demi-god. Having watched Obasanjo remove Senate Presidents and Governors, he knows the arsenal at the disposal of any occupant of Aso Rock. Even men like Anyim, Na’Abba, Nnamani, and Orji Uzor Kalu who successfully contained Obasanjo’s often fractious belligerence are yet to fully recover from the overwhelming political trauma that executive pressure can bring to bear on a perceived foe. That President Buhari, a stubborn soldier, is not disposed to the do or die tactics of his fellow jackboot, Obasanjo, is obviously a political strategy ingeniously conceived. I believe the Senate President knows too well that but for this disposition of the president, he would have been long gone. His supporters may disagree but he knows this and his traducers know too. Now let us briefly examine why Buhari has accommodated the Senate President. After the national assembly leadership elections, the division among the various parties that made up the APC became evident. President Buhari’s CPC took charge of the executive and Bola Tinubu’s ACN maintained a similar grip on the party leadership while Saraki and his nPDP group pocketed the legislature. In most organizations, it is often beneficial for the man at the helm not to take sides in any battle of attrition between his subordinates and in his bestselling “48 Laws Of Power”, American author Robert Greene put it thus: Do not commit to anyone. It is the fool who always rushes to take sides. Do not commit to any side or cause but yourself. By maintaining your independence, you become the master of others-playing people against one another, making them pursue you. ~ Law 20 When Buhari refused to meddle in that tussle for the NASS leadership, many including yours truly didn’t fully comprehend that the taciturn general was only employing this golden rule. If he had intervened then, perhaps Bola Tinubu and his men would have become too powerful for him by having control of the party and the legislature. He maintained mature neutrality while not losing sight of the need to have both groups sucking up to him. A sort of balance -if you like- that ensured he remained the lord and master. However, as the battle for 2019 intensified the need to pander to the whims of the party power brokers became more critical for the President’s re-election bid because it is only on the party platform that his loyalists can deliver. Obasanjo successfully deployed this tactic against Atiku when he replaced Audu Ogbeh with Ahmadu Ali to take control of the party and checkmate the Vice President’s influence with the lawmakers. Moreover, given our politicians’ penchant for cross-carpeting to contest elections, it would be futile trying to stop those who had already lost out in the local congresses. President Buhari still enjoys cult followership, especially in his Northern base. A cursory look at his record haul of votes even when the PDP was still writing election results in Ota farms clearly accentuates his popularity in the region. That is not likely to change now he is in power despite the challenges facing the country, at least not significantly. His appointments into INEC and the security agencies equally indicate that the man will not gamble away a hard-fought presidency. So as the political fireworks escalate towards February 2019, the fallback option to the PDP may offer some hope for the political lightweights to have a shot at retaining their positions in 2019 but the gladiators are actually battling for relevance in readiness for a post-Buhari Nigeria in 2023.

Blog, Essays

Agenda For The New APC Leadership by Thisday

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Thisday dissects what is expected of the new APC leadership in this editorial….read on ———————————————————————————————————————————-   For the Oshiomhole-led new national executive to earn respect, it must promote the common good Ordinarily, as the party in power at the national level and in majority of the 36 states, the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be a beacon of democratic tidiness. That, sadly, is far from the reality, going by the mayhem and utter disorder that characterised the ward, local government and state congresses that eventually culminated in the national convention held yesterday in Abuja. It is, however, a credit to the party that the process by which about 6,800 delegates elected their leaders last night was transparent and devoid of the usual acrimony, despite the mild drama between factional delegates from Imo, Delta and a few other states. We congratulate members of the newly elected National Working Committee of the party, especially Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who succeeds Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the APC national chairman even as we urge him to walk his talk. “We will subject everyone to the dictates of our constitution and remain faithful to the manifesto of the party on the basis of which we were elected by the Nigerian people. To my recollection, we haven’t had any serious platform as a party where the agenda was to debate policy options and choices attached to each policy we fought for. To me, this is what a political party should represent”, said Oshiomhole last week. We agree with Oshiomhole that political parties should be more an avenue for the contestation of ideas about how society should develop and thrive than a vehicle for seeking political offices. The challenge is that the APC, like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) it dislodged, has hardly articulated what it stands for in terms of ideas let alone canvass its platform to ordinary Nigerians. Meanwhile, to the extent that political parties remain the framework for democracies to recruit and organise the populace for power contests, when they exhibit incoherence in policy formulation and disorder at local levels, it is democracy that is endangered. Unfortunately, for the past three years, impunity and arrogance have found expression within the APC where unmanaged factions have in recent months emerged as the ambitions of rival political war lords clashed openly and in some instances, violently. Besides, its mechanisms for internal democracy such as periodic congresses, conventions, National Working Committee (NWC) meetings, etc., were hardly convened while its membership and leadership at ward, local government and state levels were left to conjecture. Those of its members who found themselves in government have carried on more or less like an exclusive club of the ‘chosen’. Yet a party without a definable ideology, structure or institutional memory ought to have spent more time in internal engineering than in seasonal electioneering contingency. It is indeed noteworthy, as we highlighted only recently, that the democratic credentials of the principal promoters of the APC are thin but what is even more worrisome is that after three years in power as the ruling party at the centre, they have yet to show Nigerians that their party is a serious political platform driven by the core value of promoting the common good. By aggregating and representing the interests of their members, fielding credible people for public offices and holding government to account when in opposition, political parties have a huge role to play in any emerging democracy. But with prohibitive costs of expression of interest and nomination forms, for instance, many otherwise good candidates are usually denied the opportunity to stand for elections in Nigeria. And with that, we have a preponderance of incompetent politicians in strategic public offices. For that situation to change, the APC must lead the efforts since political parties are important in the recruitment of credible leaders at all levels of government. It is against this background that the Oshiomhole-led new national executive has its job cut out for them. We wish them the best of luck in their new assignments. Quote By aggregating and representing the interests of their members, fielding credible people for public offices and holding government to account when in opposition, political parties have a huge role to play in any emerging democracy

Blog, Essays, Monishots

The APC twitter nightmare is emblematic of a larger societal problem.

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Propaganda may help you win elections but can’t help you govern and that is what APC has seen in the last 32 months ~ Goodluck Jonathan Last week I was amused by something serious. Yes, I was amused because that’s how some of us can get by the daily shenanigans we come across in Nigeria else your blood pressure could hit the roof if you get overly worried. A certain Philip Obin was in news for the wrong reasons. The Nigerian ‘TwitterVille’ was dotted with his mentions for allegedly selling a handle @APCNigeria for $2000. That came after the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, disowned the verified Twitter handle following an embarrassing claim of subtle overtures made by former President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide Reno Omokri. Apparently, Mr. Obin who owns the handle had been covertly interacting with Omokri -a sworn enemy of the APC- for God knows why. Unfortunately, this is not the first time we ‘ve been treated to similar drama. I recollect that sometime in 2016, the Party had distanced itself from the same Twitter handle after it tweeted congratulatory messages to the former Senate President Senator David Mark on his victory at the Benue South Senatorial rerun election. But it seems a red line has been crossed with this latest incident as the party’s recent statement made it clear that even after several appeals to relinquish the handle, Mr. Obin declined and has continued to misrepresent the party with his tweets, it then warned that it “is now left with no option than to take other lawful actions to restrain Obin from further embarrassing the Party”. While we await the ‘lawful actions’ by the party the handle continues to tweet even as I write. Mr. Obin however, claims that the account was hacked. He accepted responsibility for the embarrassment and apologised to Nigerians. The problem for the ruling party is that the young man appears unwilling to yield and indicated that he will continue administering the account. In an interview with Premium Times an online news portal, he said that “the election is just around the corner, I also plan to use it as we did in 2014 and 2015. I don’t think I could spoil all that because of $2,000,” Now let’s not forget that the APC and many like Mr. Obin have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship for over three years. He was prominent among the thousands of youth volunteers who flooded the social media during the 2015 election campaign. The party had little qualms about the information he was dishing out then whether it was verifiable or conjectural. As a matter of fact, some of the information was passed on by the party and government spokespersons. Mr. Obin himself leveraged on the position to propagate his personal business, often sending bulk messages to thousands of Nigerians about his so-called ‘digital entrepreneurship programme’. He is also an aspirant for the chairmanship position of Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State on the party’s platform and garnered a number of supporters among the electorate. It may not be wrong to say that this is a young man who obviously knows that packaging more than substance is just about 90% of what is required to cajole a majority of the Nigerian electorate. I believe that his interactions with Omokri who himself was once embroiled in an impersonation scandal were personal, the informal tone also leaves the impression that they are friends. But of course, the more experienced self-acclaimed pastor in his usual manner capitalised on that to publicly ridicule the APC. The issue reveals the inherent ethical chasm in our social media sphere where any individual smart enough to gather a few thousand followers by rambling daily is branded ‘an influencer’. I will elaborate further. You may wish to take a cursory look at the number of twitter followers on Professor Adesanmi’s handle, then compare the figure with that of the two subjects here and you will begin to get the point I’m trying to make. It is especially galling that in the Nigerian appraisal formula, the informed tweets of an erudite University don who is a sought-after speaker across the world somehow ranks lower than those of Omokri and Obin who represent the opportunistic mercantile politicking that pervades our political landscape. It is also a shame that the ruling party hitherto had no official social media pages. That alone speaks volumes about its media and communications office. Does it mean that they don’t acknowledge the millions of Nigerians who interact and get informed via social media platforms daily? Yet they insult our sensibilities by quoting mind boggling figures for ‘website upgrade’. You now have an insight into the leadership of our political parties. They are predominantly populated by analogue and facetious individuals unwilling or should I say incapable of appreciating the many opportunities offered by this digital era. Of course, I know that a large majority of the electorate are not on social media but one cannot depreciate its impact on public discourse and communication in the society. It is cross-cutting and exponentially beneficial in extracting contributions from intellectuals including those in the diaspora. The APC will do well to sanitise its public relations machinery. Much as the main opposition has also failed in that department I believe that the wise words of former President Goodluck Jonathan should guide the ruling party going forward. You may win an election with propaganda but you definitely cannot govern with it. Like someone aptly stated, “ APC news does not exceed twenty-four hours before you get a rebuttal”. The ruling party owes it as a duty to properly communicate its activities and that of the government to Nigerians. It is hoped that with the announcement of its new website and social media accounts, Nigerians will begin to witness a new era of synergy between its raucous media offices. It is only then that we can effectively interrogate the party’s position on the numerous socio-political issues plaguing the

Blog, Essays, Monishots

Will the APC crumble like A Pack of Cards?

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We may like to think that politics is a battle of ideas and that the best idea wins out. But that is not true in most elections, most elections are about the worst ideas losing, not the best ideas winning.~ Chuck Todd We are in the penultimate year of the elections and expectedly politicking is once again in high gear. Even as the economy groans in a crippling fuel scarcity, the citizens are slaughtered and abducted in mind-numbing numbers, our politicians have descended into a frenzy of comical photo-ops, bacchanal solidarity visits, and insipid political rallies. It may not be wrong to suggest that Obasanjo’s letter triggered the orgy of activities, for much as the euphoria over his missive fizzled out when the opposition PDP dismissed his coalition, the former president has continued holding meetings and consultations. Buhari has since then saddled former Lagos state governor and party leader Bola Tinubu with the unenviable task of mending fences within the ruling party. A task which has predictably hit a rocky path in just a few days with allegations and denials between Asiwaju and the party chairman John Oyegun. Where will Tinubu start? Is it with Shehu Sani and El-Rufai? or Rochas and Ararume? Amaechi versus Abe and Melaye against Bello? Of course political differences are rarely personal and some of these characters have been friends for ages. Corruption often unites them more than personal ambition separates them. So we expect to see some hugs and back patting but which ever way you look at it, Tinubu’s mission is a terribly difficult one. Be that as it may the battle for power and political office in 2019 will only get fiercer as the year progresses. Indeed we have been treated to a preamble as Senator Abdullahi Adamu led a walk out on his colleagues as amendments to the Electoral Act which effected a change in the election schedule were passed. As if the amendment wasn’t an adequate warning to the presidency the lawmakers have reportedly threatened to override a contrary presidential veto, a move which has been interpreted in political circles as unpalatable to the presidency. It is not as if Saraki, a seasoned lawmaker is unaware that even as INEC has filed a suit in the apex court any rookie lawyer can hold up the amendments in a court till after the elections, rather he appreciates the value of every punch in political battles even if its just a jab for testing the waters. Sadly governance is often neglected in the midst of all these and the masses suffer. That the APC led administration hasn’t performed any better is a truism. The government has so far not lived up to its promise to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians. This is an undeniable fact no matter your ethno-religious or partisan sentiment. Let me not bother you with the all too familiar tableau of our tragedies which was recently capped by the abduction of over 100 school girls in Dapchi community, Yobe state. A shameful recurrence of the infamous Chibok kidnap that the president himself rightly described as “a national disaster”. So if we consider the opening quote by Chuck Todd a plausible explanation to why Nigerians chose Buhari over Jonathan in the last presidential election then a pertinent question arises; Are there available candidates to make re-electing Buhari the worst idea? Of course, there are plenty. I for one believe that Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Babatunde Fashola have what it takes to perform better as the president of this country. I don’t really give a hoot about what you think of them, this is my opinion which I’m entitled to. These men are young workaholics, they are achievers and their records speak for themselves. Assuming these men declare their intention to contest the election, a second question however follows; What is the probability that any will clinch his party’s ticket let alone going ahead to defeat Buhari in the polls? The chances are remote and therein lies the stark reality. Of course, there are some who will argue that it is because Buhari’s supporters are largely illiterate or ignorant. Please perish that elitist narrative because they constitute a majority of the electorate, the same electorate that sent Trump to the White House in one of the most advanced countries and what some consider the greatest democracy in the world. Others will query the benefit of having that section of the populace as a dominant determinant in the power equation if in retrospect another candidate ‘could’ have done better? Well, the truth is that whether or not the capture of political power by the proletariat appears superfluous after the fact, what really makes democracy imperative is the possibility of such conquest which can bring the political elite back to reality albeit temporarily. So are we back to square one? Have we found ourselves in a worse situation than in 2015 when many felt the leading choices were poor? Well whatever anyone may think, the likelihood of APC losing the next election is practically very small. For one they are in power. If they could take power from the outside how much more now they are inside? Then secondly the power is concentrated around the Hausa-Fulani whom the rest of the country have unwittingly ascribed some mythical extra-terrestrial political powers too. So the only way APC will lose power in 2019 is if the party defeats itself with complete disintegration. I can predict that such is unlikely to happen if we are to judge by the characteristic selfishness of our politicians. If Buhari eventually decides to run again the only serious contender left in the ruling party that could decamp is Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso. Anyone who believes that the former governor can win Kano which Buhari has never lost in previous elections must be a greenhorn in Nigerian politics. And if you think that Obasanjo and IBB wrote letters because they truly care about you then I’m sorry for you. The real

Blog, Essays, Monishots

What will it take to awaken a lazy opposition?

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There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance next time. ~ Malcolm X In the ‘coup’ that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President and Ike Ekweremadu as his deputy, a cerebral friend had asked a pertinent question. How will the opposition fare in a democracy where one of the most senior senators selfishly joined an APC led Senate leadership as the Deputy Senate President? Well, it could be fair to suggest that Ike who is a seasoned lawyer and lawmaker stooped to conquer in a future battle but if he ever did stumble upon the above wisdom nugget by the legendary Malcolm X how has he fared as an opposition senator? The answer is that he has performed abysmally if at all what we have seen can be described as a performance. You are free to luxuriate in your cloddishness but smart and politically savvy Nigerians are not obliged to flounder about with you. Any discerning political observer would have known that the applause which heralded Obasanjo’s explosive letter will no sooner evaporate as it effervesced. Even though the former president is notorious for his strategy, Nigerians are often so much in a hurry to move on to the next that the euphoria over that missive was never going to last beyond a week. Obasanjo superintended no democracy and should never be our SI unit for measuring good governance. It was he who boisterously strode across the nation like a colossus for 8 years, taking down all that dared cross his path. He willfully rigged in and impeached governors at his whim and but for Asiwaju’s resilience, Nigeria would have been a one-party state when the ruling PDP swept through the polls by ‘winning’ 28 states in 2003. But this essay is not about the selfish and corrupt nationalist, nor will I waste space on the doublespeak by IBB lest we digress and wander too far. Now let us critically dissect some of the issues. Can you imagine the ruling party in opposition while the government of the day reneges on many of its numerous promises to Nigerians? You see, let us not deceive ourselves opposition politics is no cheesecake. No other person than the Asiwaju himself can attest to this. For 16ys he was in the dugout slugging it out with almighty Villa occupants as the leader of the opposition. Half of that time was spent battling Obasanjo who had little political value in his base, but however, had the required international clout and the equally invaluable backing of political power blocs controlled by moneybag generals who have continued appropriating our collective patrimony since the end of the civil war. I was therefore not surprised when Tinubu described Baba’s tantrums as mere politics, the Ebora Owu could have used other means as he has unfettered access to the presidency. Some will ask if he was playing politics when he wrote Jonathan? Of course, else let the old fox show us Jonathan’s so-called snipers. Or have we in our characteristic amnesia forgotten that weighty allegation which the then opposition milked to the extreme with El Rufai’s scurvy list? Who is spearheading the onslaught? Wike may have installed Secondus as the PDP chairman but the Ikwerre politician is smart enough to know that holding on to his base is imperative for his political survival, at least for now. Is it Femi Fani Kayode whom the majority of Nigerians regard as a junkie that will sing for any government that drops a teaspoonful of porridge on his dinner table? Or Fayose who barks like a rabid dog in the day but sneaks in at night to prostrate and apologise to those he abused? Then we have Reno Omokri, a perky impostor whose primary platform is Linda Ikeji’s blog where he spars with Kim Kardashian and Cossy Orjiakor for social media likes. Just tell me, who is leading the opposition? These vocal few who are supposed to be championing the opposition’s quest to ‘win 30 states in 2019’ are such a laughable bunch that they will be instant hits in the comedy business. They are neither capable of articulating the vision and mission of any serious political party nor are they suited to the onerous task of getting the electorate’s attention let alone convincing them. Sadly, there are few alternatives left in the PDP, for all have stolen and will remain tainted with corruption for life. Whatsmore whatever ace they may have up their sleeves will not be alien to APC which is comprised of strange bedfellows that will do anything to retain the seat of power. That much they achieved out of power, how much more now they have the power and resources. So what will it take to mobilise a robust opposition that can rattle the ruling APC? Who can put together a movement that will convince Nigerians that it cares about our socio-economic well-being? A tall order if you ask me, for in our nascent democracy there is a lot of motion with little movement. We have seen political parties which are supposedly the fundamental crucible of any democracy become opportunistic associations devoid of ideology but dotted with individuals whose major interests are at best self-serving. They have similar manifestos that are often filled with the vacuous rhetoric used to conceal parochial sentiments and avarice. Little wonder then that many have given up resulting in another round of brain drain and a vast number of our people caught in the tragic migrant routes of war-torn Libya. However, we must trudge on because just like they say, Rome was not built in a day. The quest to achieve a just and equitable society must begin with admitting our collective complicity in the bad state of affairs that has plagued our fatherland for ages. Even as we blame politicians for nepotism and corruption, how many of us can honestly say we

Blog, Essays

An advice for Senator Andy Uba.

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As the curtain draws on the Anambra APC governorship primaries, I believe that it is time for those who are close to Senator Andy Uba to tell him some home truths. Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State who is the chairman of the panel that conducted the primaries came back to the country from Mecca where he had gone for the Hajj and proceeded to submit his report in Abuja where he addressed the party chairman and other members of the executive. Shettima had stated that: “The Committee particularly notes with satisfaction that before and during the election, all aspirants confirmed to have received the list of delegates. The committee also notes with satisfaction that before and during the election, none of the aspirants raised questions concerning the integrity of the list of delegates. “The committee notes with satisfaction that all delegates were duly accredited and conveyed to the voting venue in the presence of agents of all aspirants and none of the agents raised questions about the integrity of the process before and during the election. “The committee notes with satisfaction that none of the aspirants questioned procedures of voting, sorting, collation, and counting of results before, during and after the election. The committee notes with satisfaction that security agencies provided adequate personnel that guaranteed the integrity of the entire process and that none of the aspirants raised questions concerning the integrity of any security personnel. “The committee notes with satisfaction that chairman of the election appeal panel, former Minister of Works, Dr Hassan Lawal was in Awka with the committee and he observed all election processes. Presidential Adviser to the President, Baba Femi Ojudu was also in Awka to observe the election at the instance of the National Secretariat and he has prepared his report. The committee also notes that the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) observed the conduct of the election in compliance with electoral laws”. From the foregoing, there is little doubt that all is now set for the party to go ahead and submit Dr. Tony Nwoye’s name to INEC as its authentic flag bearer before the close of work today as required by the electoral act. It is the right and proper thing to do if the party sincerely wants to make inroads in the South East where it has continued to be viewed with scorn. We all witnessed a free and fair primary which was even broadcast live on TV. I have no personal relationship with Andy but I have friends who have worked and still work with him. I have also met him on one or two occasions and I can say this about him. He is an articulate and business minded person. In 2007, I was among the organisers of the gubernatorial debate put together by the League of Anambra Professionals (LAP) which held at Parktonian hotels Awka. After much running around on the eve of the scheduled date we woke up a little late and proceeded to the venue just before 7: am as the debate was to commence by 9: am. On arrival at the hotel, I was surprised to learn that Andy was already there and was even supervising the hotel staff who were arranging the hall. One member of staff revealed to me that he had been there for at least an hour. I was impressed. In the usual Nigerian manner, the debate started later than scheduled as aspirants and organisers alike arrived late. I recollect that when Andy’s name was announced as the first aspirant to mount the stage and deliver his manifesto there were shouts of Nooo!! from a section of the audience. But those of us who were there early insisted that he was there first and he was allowed to go on. His speech was crisp and coherent and he left very few in doubt about his articulate ideas to move the state forward. My respect for him tripled on that day. He went on to emerge the winner of the debate and even after Maurice Iwu’s abracadabra propelled him to the government house I wasn’t too sour having supported and campaigned for Ngige because latently I somewhat believed Andy will actually perform beyond people’s expectations. Unfortunately, his reign was cut short by the supreme court but not before rumours filtered in that his proposed cabinet list had leaked and many were shocked at the quality of little-known technocrats he had pencilled down for appointments at the expense of the usual carpet baggers and sycophants Subsequent bids to get to Agu Awka even after he joined the red chamber as a Senator have all come to nothing. He has crisscrossed parties from PDP to Labour back to PDP and now in APC yet actualising his dream remains elusive. Perhaps the most painful aspect for him this time around is that unlike the previous times he contested in the same primary election with his estranged political son and despite his bravado, he lost to him by a very wide margin. He was rejected by the same delegates who had promised him their votes only to cast them for Tony Nwoye. I sincerely feel his pain, but these things happen for a reason. He should realise by now if he hasn’t that he was deceived and perhaps ripped off by those he trusted. Whereas many will feel that the stigma of previous shenanigans in Anambra could have cost him the election the truth is that he had little chance of winning Tony Nwoye in a free and fair primary. I say this because I know that Tony has been rooted in Anambra since last year meeting with and mobilising various constituencies. The era of jetting in from Abuja to hijack a political process is long gone. All politics is local! Tony Nwoye is his boy and will remain so, he served him once and even though things went awry later the young man has maintained publicly that Andy is his boss forever when he said that ““I

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#iStandWithBuhari rally holds in Awka.

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Thousands of youths converged in Awka the Anambra state capital to show their support for the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration. The rally which held at Ekwueme Square was organised by The rally which held at Ekwueme Square was organised by #iStandWithBuhari organisation.  There were initial apprehension and reluctance by many as there had been threats by the members of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and other pro-Biafra groups had earlier threatened to disrupt any rally in support of Buhari. Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in particular had issued a statement through its spokesperson Comrade Uchenna Madu stating that “This rally will not hold anywhere in Biafra land. We have discovered that this is the reason why some Igbo politicians are driving their way into APC that has no interest for Ndigbo. “We shall never allow them to bring political disgrace to Igbo land. “What is the significance of the APC rally in Igbo land? Do Ndigbo have any love or likeness for Buhari and APC? Why must such disgraceful rally be planned to hold in Ojukwu’s home state? “Is the rally more important than the Federal Government’s abandoned second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha federal road, Enugu- Port Harcourt express way, Onitsha- Okigwe Federal road, etc? “MASSOB warns the Professor Osibanjo-led Federal Government to call off the APC proposed rally because we shall resist it. “Our advice is that such a rally should be held in Hausa- Fulani land, where Buhari’s kinsmen are living.” However, the rally was held successfully without hitches and coincidentally President Buhari himself arrived in the country in the early hours of the same day.

Blog, Essays

PDP: Like Sheriff, like Jonathan.

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Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to cope with conflict by peaceful means.~Ronald Reagan Widely regarded by many Americans as the greatest president, the above quote was in an address by the 40th POTUS at the commencement exercises of Eureka College (Illinois) in May 1982. Remarkably he was equally commemorating his 50th graduation anniversary having become an alumnus of the same school in 1932. In his time President Reagan often harped on the need to supplant the old policy of hostility with the Soviet Union with gradual reduction of nuclear weapons, while covertly pursuing a scheme to sabotage their economy, a paradoxical strategy which nevertheless proved ruthlessly effective in diminishing Soviet power in the twilight of the twentieth century. On Monday news filtered in that Ali Modu Sheriff and his supporters visited Goodluck Jonathan as part of his consultation and appeal for acceptance since the appeal court victory of last week. Sheriff accompanied by a former governor of Niger state Babangida Aliyu had earlier made a similar visit to ex-military leader IBB at his hilltop mansion in Minna. It was reported that former president Jonathan while receiving them in his Abuja residence repeatedly referred to Sheriff as “my chairman” in his characteristic humility. He later assured newsmen that he had also met the others and that the problem of the party is being resolved as they are one family. In other news however, the Ahmed Markafi led faction had despite a police cordon, gathered in Fayose’s Abuja residence to announce that they have appealed the judgement at the Supreme Court and went on to issue a communique that totally rejected Sheriff as party chairman stating that they “are not at all deceived by the supposed olive branch being offered by Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, knowing that the only thing that can come from traitors of his ilk is nothing but a poisoned chalice and a Greek gift”. Strong words I must say, it appears some party members didn’t get Reagan’s memo, the die is cast and the result may likely be a requiem rather than revival for the once upon a time Africa’s ‘largest’ party. Let us take a look at the party’s road to perdition. A party founded on the virtuous principles of the G-34 led by former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, PDP grew to capture the seat of power in 1999. The party’s membership spread across the 6 geopolitical zones while it also built solid structures in all 36 states of the federation. Indeed so formidable was PDP in our national politics that its former Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor boasted that the party will rule Nigeria for 60yrs! Our people say that “no one should gloat over prison when the police have not departed”. I wonder what Ogbulafor will make of the current imbroglio. Once and again with many African stories, attaining success is often easier than managing it. The party became intoxicated with power and relegated the people. PDP had money and power, the essential ingredients required to improve the well-being of people, rather it chose to conquer and further pauperise them. We watched helplessly for 16yrs as they continued their wilful misrule while looting our collective patrimony with gleeful impunity. The party was so corrupt that it gained the notorious alias of “share the money”. As if that wasn’t enough, they also made sure our votes didn’t count as they rigged their way to electoral victories throughout the nation. Well, nothing lasts forever they say and like I warned in my article 10 years ago, the rise of progressives which coalesced into the APC resulted in the ultimate defeat of the party of looters. Since its defeat, the party has continued stuttering in a downward slide to ignominy. Not only have they failed to offer a whimper let alone serious opposition, they have equally been embroiled in a needless leadership tussle. Without delving into the chronology of the party’s numerous crisis which some trace back to its very 1st convention, when retired military money bags hijacked the process to thwart the candidacy of a better qualified Ekwueme for their fellow jackboot Obasanjo. Let us assess the current crisis which I believe was precipitated by ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s insistence to contest elections in contravention of the rotational ‘gentleman agreement’ of the party, recall that while the former president chose to maintain calm in the face of startling revelations of wanton corruption under his watch, those who were to steer the ship rarely got off to a united start. When Senator Ike Ekweremadu who is the highest elected member of the party selfishly joined Saraki in the senate leadership, yours truly had wondered how one can offer credible opposition from an APC dominated NASS leadership? To me, that move magnified the leadership vacuum earlier created by Jonathan’s indifference and thus presented an opportunity for Governors to hijack the throne. Fayose, being a smart politician seized the moment and rallied his colleagues to fill the position left by Alhaji Adamu Muazu with the former Borno state governor. It is no secret that he was instrumental in Sheriff’s emergence as the acting Chairman of the party despite the screening of about 5 other candidates of which Sheriff wasn’t even among. In the usual manner of disregarding laid down principles, the party had once again shot itself in the foot. Olisa Metuh had said then that Sheriff was picked by National Caucus of PDP comprising the governors, members of the National Working committee, NWC and the leadership of the National Assembly. Sheriff himself thanked the governor profusely on his visit to Ado-Ekiti acknowledging that he helped him become the leader of the party. The coast looked to be clear and some expected the ship to set sail but that didn’t happen and may not happen anytime soon. Some say that certain elements within the party hierarchy had learnt of an alleged plot by the new chairman to contest the 2019 presidential election with Fayose as his

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