I have come to the realisation that the frivolous factorisation of the many Niger area tribes and the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates into an entity called Nigeria by the colonial masters have had a divine hand and that in spite of the hidden commercial motives of such marriage, The United Tribes of Africa (UTA) - as I call my nation- has come to stay. The earlier we admit this and work towards fostering its unity and progress, in this era and time where size matters, the better it shall be for us.
The past election which shattered forecasts and proved pundits wrong is another proof to this fact. Prior to the election, many have had to battle with presentiments about the state of the nation and about the aftermaths of this exercise; but as we can see, rather than break, it is time to move on.
I scribbled this write-up down just after the election in April, but ‘busy-ness’ would not permit me to have it typed and published. Most of these reflections were taken as I saw it then, and reading it back now, 95 percent of how I see issues then still applies, the remaining 5 percent I have edited to suit my present feeling . I personally believe that upon the 2015 election and its success has hung the future of our Fatherland. This writing is an attempt to pen down my own contribution of this great event and give my sincere, candid opinion about how I feel and what I believe, for the sake of posterity.
I am aware that I am only a tiny speck in the universal ocean of the entity called Nigeria, a nation where I have seen personalities great and horrible. I am convinced of personalities abounding who stay at the pinnacle of the realm of heaven and those who languish in the deepest recess of hell. I have seen that Nigerians, if they are to be parred with personalities that we spend fortunes to read about around the world, would either equal such or even surpass them by miles. In Nigeria, truth cannot merely be worked at; it has to be warred at. So, at this point in time, before the smoke of time puts them into oblivion, I pen down this history in time.
We lack being serious about our entities, we refuse an intense study of our environmental Characters, we value little of those we have at home and the events within us count as nothing until a similar happens abroad and it is propagated, mailed, written, watched and broadcasted, and we consume this and opine it to be more worthy of note than that of our environ.
This is for memory sake, it is my observation about the 2015 election, and it is my look at history as I contribute my quota to the foundational happenings of this land that is so important in the eyes of Destiny. Nigeria has a potential for greatness and it is made for greatness, depart or secede at your own risk. In fact, this write-up is not about convincing anybody, so be prepared about not agreeing with me on everything. It is my personal archive for posterity. I call it ‘Characters of the 2015 Election’. I feel very proud to be a part of this great nation and I am very convinced about its positive place in the future, which is now!
Welcome to the world of my opinion as you read through Characters of the 2015 elections (This I have divided into 4 parts). To be continued tomorrow.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ)
It is not always that one comes across a character that has been held by the hand of luck and helped by fate as Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. His rising to the pinnacle of power in Nigeria is a dramatic story that should be ruminated upon and foretold for time to come. In my opinion, the gods have not deserted Goodluck; he is simply moving on to a broader responsibility. He has a destiny to fulfil and his time to depart has not yet arrived. An ‘erratic’ country as Nigeria is way behind the personality of Goodluck, which is why he struggled to cope throughout his presidential career. He was simply not ‘competent’ enough to handle Nigeria and he obviously did not enjoy his term as President. Part of the reason also would be the way and manner he arrived at the top job, the question I keep asking myself is that, was there really an agreement between the North and the South about power rotation in spite of the absurdity of such notion in modern day democracy? Anyway, I will dwell on this later on, all I know is that GEJ would have been a perfect president for a more serene and developed country, like the Scandinavian Countries for instance, but definitely his sort would fail at handling the complexities involved in a country like Nigeria.
Nigeria is not ready for a ‘gentleman’ President. This brings me to the utmost importance of personality when one is making life choices, whether in marriage or leadership or politics. I have seen how personality should be the dominant factor, if not the most important factor to consider. GEJ, in spite of his altruism and integrity, simply hasn’t gotten the toughness and gut to confront Nigeria’s most critical problems. He felt he could succeed by simply ignoring these critical issues and build prospects in their stead. He brought about a magnificent change to electoral reform such that it would be difficult, if not impossible for this process to be done without in future. He managed to bring about the economic progress of the country at the international front, though many would still argue this has not translated to the average masses. People naturally have the tendency of warding off the big picture and focus on how they are personally affected.
GEJ’s singular act that has made me dole my hat for him is the fact that he conceded to GMB. This makes my heart melt.This is the mark of a real protagonist, and such are in short supply throughout the world. He is a man of peace. Some would argue that he had no option, but tell me, since Nigeria’s Independence in 1960, how many leaders have done this? In spite of setting up an electoral process that worked against him, he nominated an incorruptible personality to be the umpire; he allowed this man to pick the best men from respective universities and ultimately gave up power without a blood spilled. If that does not move your heart, few things on earth would. This man is unique.
I have seen people who loose elections and have let out the poor to die on their behalf. I have seen someone who completed his term and would change the constitution to permit his 3rd term, and shed tears openly when he faced the inevitable. I have seen someone, who rather than vacate was prepared to die – and whether by God or by ‘jazz’ , I don’t know, he eventually died between two women. I have seen someone who in spite of the tumults and death and open injustice could only say he was stepping aside….Go down the route of Nigeria’s history, you’ll discover how tough it is for the powerful to come down from the top. Death was simply easier. Okay, you say it’s easy, how easy is it if you have ever lost a job or failed a class? And that is just a tiny speck in relation to power. I know GEJ has a phlegm charism that has depleted Nigeria’s choleric personality, but all I can say with all boldness he’s got a beautiful heart. You aren’t seen all of him yet, I know.
General Mohammadu Buhari (GMB)
I strongly hope GMB’s arrival would bring real change back to the country. I'm convinced that, had his reign not been thwarted in 1985, Nigeria would have become a much better nation than we have today. GMB’S brief reign in 1983 was harsh for the corrupt but welcomed by the sane, and the economic improvement between 1983 and 1985 until he was overthrown is a fact we can all Google out. Nigerians got tired of a ‘Theory X’ President in GMB and willingly welcomed the intelligent ‘chop I chop’ smiling stylish man, IBB. And IBB bastardized everything.
I would say though, It was really during Shagari’s reign between 1979 and 1983 that I started witnessing economic collapse and how the prices of every products sky-rocketed, disappeared from common markets and became the exclusives of the rich, all in the name of his ‘Austerity Measures’ programme, whose windfall ended up in the pockets of corrupt officials. GMB took over in 1983 with ‘WAI’ programme and things were getting better, but IBB thwarted it in 1985 and came with ‘Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)’, and our suffering simply continued.
The test of Buhari’s spirit is in his incorruptibility and his never-say-die attitude, the attitude for instance, in his ‘clean sheet’ profile in every government position he has held (Remember PTF?) and of contesting four times before victory.
But certain things need to be soul-searched about the man GMB. The question may be asked: At what point does ambition become desperation? In the pursuit of personal goals, should it become a do or die affair? To what extent did Buhari and his colleagues take part in fuelling the Boko Haram crisis? Was Buhari a face of the Northern oligarchs bid to take power at all costs? Did he really say he would make Nigeria ungovernable or not? In the pursuit of success, to what extent shall we battle until we accept ‘destiny’?
What goes around comes around. I strongly believe we would find these questions answered in the performance of GMB in his current tenure. Events have a way of either vindicating us or bringing us to justice. Nevertheless, this is another character, tested of resilience and courage which duplicates the true Nigerian spirit.
Prof Attahiru Jega
Jega is a personality that shows how worthwhile it is to go to school and to be confident about what you are doing. To me, the best man of the election is Professor Attahiru Jega with his colleagues. Professors are not bunch of idiots; they know things we don’t know. Jega articulates professionalism, leadership and proficiency. The smoothness, openness and systematic manner of his procedure, I would say, is not something that is normally witnessed in our ‘Cowboy’ culture. His manner of approach would naturally attract one to the academia. Jega has a leadership quality of a President. He is calm, composed, intelligent, respectful and devoid of the ‘giragira’ mannerism that has characterized the average Nigerian citizenry. The way he buckled Orubebe and the calm composure he displayed during the tense counting procedures are vivid examples of his competence. It is not enough to be schooled only in the head, but also in the heart. In character and learning, And Jega epitomises all that.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT)
BAT is a fighter, a warrior. A real political leader who knows how to get his hands dirty when it matters. I was a witness of how BAT checkmated OBJ from catching Lagos in 2003 and 2007. Some say BAT is corrupt, which most likely is true, but Tinubu sure knows how to battle the Nigerian Principalities and win. Even in an increasingly complex but open national political terrain as we witnessed in the last election, BAT has been able to manoeuvre himself unto supremacy amidst the quantum terrain of Nigerian politics.
I know how this battle against the powers that be leaves very few politicians untainted; and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, though smart, is not part of those few. In fact BAT has become what he has warred against, even though few would equally argue against the fact that Bola Tinubu is not a renowned and well deserved political leader. He is a game changer who knows when, how and with whom to align his political comradeship.
Like him or loathe him, BAT has become a mighty factor in determining Nigeria’s political future and all power brokers as of now have to pay him some respect. But BAT’s position will soon get archaic; I'm talking of the Godfatherism position that acquires everything for survival. The very position that Tinubu has warred against is what he has become, and the end of such position is nihilism. Anybody beside BAT should give him a pinch and tell him to wake up and be a real man.
Principalities
Principalities can come in the face of a person or they manifest through clumps of bodies within an entity. They are such that hinder – knowingly or unknowingly - the progress of an institution. And there are many principalities in Nigeria, quite many. GEJ had the lofty vision of ridding the country off these principalities, but his being too nervous and being over calculative about it was his main undoing. The Principality culture got him overwhelmed and in the end,he would rather ignore them and focus on development than confront them. Would confrontation have worked? We don’t know, but what is obvious is that his other nonchalant strategy did not work either.
I see in Nigeria a country whose elders are not ready to let go, and are hell bent at retaining power at all cost, this is quite worrying. Not because elders are not needed in positions of power, but the continual perpetuating and recycling of these structures do not ultimately do well for the prosperity of the nation. The GEJ’s experience shows how really powerful, deeply entrenched and wildly desperate these Principalities are (I shall avoid naming names); and how experience, influence and strong character is needed to defeat such. These were often lacking in him.
The notion of principality is in a heart that is solidly opinionated, that believes in a sole singular mannerism and action, that languishes within a petrified heart, that bullies his or her way to get whatever, and the longer that he remains in this petrification, the more difficult it is for him to accommodate any other opinion, idea or ways that are contrary to his or theirs. Principalities are rife within our Politicians, in the Army, in our Monarchies, within our Business cultures, in our religions and in our families; all around us we see this deadly virus of death within our populace.
GEJ was well meaning, but the Principalities are still very powerful. Like my brother once said: ‘If the devil were an ugly black horny being with long tail, holding a long fork, few of us would be underneath its yoke’, but devil resides in the characters that I have just described above. May God deliver us. Amen.
Religious
The religious saga of the 2015 election is reminiscent of the middle ages. It became an open defiance as clergies entered deep into the forays of Politics, leaving vacant the position of Fatherhood. You may disagree with me regarding whether religious leaders should play open and active parts in partisan politics, but posterity will judge this.
On a personal note though, I have always been wary of a Church-State dichotomy, even though I know such ‘temporary’ divide is necessary for certain peace to prevail, but such model is ultimately unsustainable. One thing is certain though, it is better to talk and take action regarding events within our environ than to stay aloof. It is better to be hot or cold than to be lukewarm. I know of religious figures who stayed so much aloof during this important period of our national history that one often wondered whether they were Nigerians. Virtue lies in the middle, but it is not lukewarm.
In 2015, I witnessed prophecies about the election conflicting between respected Pastors, I saw those cursing the opposition and whoever dared support them, in the name of authority from God. I read about Pastors being involved in arm conflicts. I saw Imams and Sultans openly vying for Boko haram and their deadly causes. God shall tell. That is the scandal that takes place when elders become over active in kids plays.
We have a popular folk-song that goes as such: ‘In a village where the leader sells ‘pot’, where his wife sells booze and their son is a hooligan , you should naturally expect the reign of evil to persist’. That is not far from the truth about what is happening within our religious bulwarks.
South-South/South-East
The issue of allotting a position simply because of a person’s jurisdiction, even with the open knowledge of his lack of competence at tackling an entrenched anomaly, is a myopic view with the assured consequence of perpetuating mediocrity. Wole Soyinka said most of those who would vote for GEJ in 2015 would be doing so, either for selfish reasons or out of ethnic biasness.
We arrived at deep tribal and religious biases in our nation as a result of an entrenched distrust within the populace. Have we healed the deep rooted scar of the Biafra war? No we haven’t. The 2015 election was a revisit of the Biafra war in another dimension. It never ceases to amuse me how droves in the South-East would opt for GEJ in spite of his blatant incapability. It worries me how the nation still remains deeply divided between pure geographical, ethnic and religious sentimentality.
The South-South cum South-East have seen how big Nigeria is. In spite of the rocky solidarity that transpired within this block, it counted as little towards the ultimate number that allowed GMB’s victory, even though I suppose any attempt by GMB to take his pound of flesh and not to be broad minded enough to work at an open integration of the nation, would only open the unhealed Biafran wound. I see Biafra may just lurk at the corner without proper care.
North
Was there really a pact? Was there a gentleman’s agreement amongst PDP stalwarts regarding the shift of power back to the North after Obasanjo? How true is the notion of an agreement about rotational Presidency between the North and the South, or is it between the North, West and the East? In Law, a verbal agreement is binding, to what extent was the Northerners’ claim, after Yaradua’s death, that there was a power rotational agreement that was not honoured? Is Boko Haram a response to the dishonour of this pact by the Southern Oligarch’s or is it simply an extraneous reaction? To what extent is Boko Haram more political than religious? These are questions whose answers would become clearer in the time to come.
South-West
The South-West’s mix and match politics is how I would love Nigeria’s politics to evolve, transcending at large both tribal and religious biases. With the notoriety of the core north, the South East and South South, in line along deep seated biases, the South West for once became a swing region where no political domain was assured of any control. This was more as a result of the fact that no South Westerner was vying for the Presidency.
It could be argued that the APC worn virtually all the states aside Ekiti, but the beauty of this Zone’s politics in 2015 is that, except for few states, APC only won by ‘whiskers’ and as such there was no guaranty of any future domination. It took an open bullying from the Oba of Lagos before Lagos could escape the demise of the PDP.
It is the first time that the South West whose majority states were won by the APC, would be streamlined into the core ruling party of opposition (Remember, they did not vote for Obasanjo’s PDP then and MKO was not allowed to rule). Amidst all their cries amidst opposition, the ball is in the South West’s courts to make claim of the change they have always clamoured.
Conclusion
This marks the conclusion of my essay , just in time before the New Year. Wishing you all a happy new year.
