You wouldn’t be wrong if you say that governance at the level of the Presidency is effectively on holiday. What seems to matter at moment are issues that bother on the second term ambition of the president. The passionate pursuit has not only shrunk the governance space, it has charged the political atmosphere beyond measure. As the jostle for the next phase of politicking intensifies exasperation and desperation seem to be in a duel. With the elections getting close by the day, the turf game is moving from rhetoric to action.
In Nigeria, the nature of the game is akin to the Darwinian situation where only the fittest survive. Developments in recent weeks are a pointer to an emerging trend that may define the road to the coming elections. About a fortnight ago, Peter Obi, the most talked about politician in Nigeria of today was in Edo State to attend an African Democratic Congress (ADC) event. While in the state, hoodlums went after him. His convoy was shot at, a development that signposts the growing culture of intolerance in the country.
Nigerians were yet to get the hang to the assassination attempt on Obi when his fellow party man, Chibuike Amaechi, also had his convoy attacked in his home state of Rivers. Amaechi was not just attacked, the ADC office in his Ikwerre local government Area was razed. These are dangerous developments. They point to one thing: the opposition in Nigeria is being hunted and hounded.
The incidents in Edo and Rivers are symptoms of bad blood. They smack of hate and intolerance. The situation can further be interpreted to mean that those at the helm want to intimidate the opposition and render them ineffectual.
This onslaught against the opposition is coming on the heels of the devious intrigues that attended the electoral amendment exercise. Whereas Nigerians insisted on real-time electronic transmission of election results, the ruling All Progressives Congress which dominates both chambers of the National Assembly did otherwise. It created loopholes that can be exploited by by election riggers to thwart the will of the people.
We are where we are today because those who succeeded in worming themselves into power at the highest levels are students of Machiavelli. They can do anything to hold on to power. What matters ultimately is sustainability. If sustaining a bad order will enable them to cling tenaciously to power, they would have achieved their objective in the long run.
The ongoing horse trading in Nigeria reminds us of the immortal lines of Lord Acton, English historian and moralist, who told us over a century ago that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Acton’s thesis was part of a larger conversation about how the role of men of power and influence shapes societies. More than a century after Acton made this declaration, it still rings with eternal truth.
In fact, the present state of the Nigerian state best illustrates the ugly link between power and corruption. Those with whom the country is saddled at the highest levels are perfect illustrations of Acton’s thesis on power. The man at the helm, President Bola Tinubu, typifies the unholy wedlock between power and corruption. Since his arranged emergence as president of Nigeria, he has stopped at nothing to demonstrate that power grabbed must be guarded jealously. He had a complete picture of what he planned to accomplish while in office even before he got there. That is why he is never swayed by any opinion or representation from any quarters.
The Patriots, a group of eminent Nigerians led by Chief Emeka Anyaoku, tried him and failed. They had , in August 2024 sought and had audience with Tinubu at the State House in Abuja. While there, they discussed with the president the need for a new democratic constitution . They advocated for a national constituent assembly to draft a new constitution. The elder statesmen meant well. They were driven by the passion for a new and better Nigeria. Tinubu heard them quite all right. But he was not in any way swayed by their presence or what they said. Their agenda did not fit into his. So, he ignored them. In fact, Tinubu must have had a good laugh at their naivety. He must have told himself that people who do not know what it means and takes to grab power cannot be the ones telling the power grabber what to do with the enormous power he wields.
Contrary to the expectations of idealists like The Patriots, Tinubu has his own preplanned idea of what to do with presidential power. He wants to ensure the perpetuation of power in his hands. One way of achieving this can be seen in what he is already doing. He is positioning and empowering his Yoruba kinsmen to occupy privileged positions in Nigeria.
Now a ding ding battle is set to begin. Tinubu is determined to retain presidential power beyond 2027 so that he can consolidate his hold on Nigeria and further entrench the ethnic bigotry that he has begun. In the bid to hold on to power, the man now pays scant attention to governance. He is more interested in the politics that will keep him in office than anything else. As he jostles for political power, the entire northern region has come under the firm grip of terrorists. The Tinubu government has no clue about how to rein in the blood suckers. As Tinubu and his government mope morosely, the United States has moved in, thus effectively taking over part of Nigeria’s sovereignty. This abdication of responsibility does not appear to bother the Tinubu administration. What matters to it is second term.
The poor living conditions of the people has been worsened in the last few days by the ongoing war in Iran. There is little or no public power supply in the country. Yet, Nigerians can hardly afford petroleum products that they need to cushion the harsh effects of epileptic power supply. In a normal situation, government is supposed to address the concerns of the people in this matter. Government ought to take steps to ensure that the ugly effects of the war in the Middle East do not ruin our economy. But nobody is talking. The only language the government understands is that of second term.
The opposition, on its part, is not fighting shy. It means business. It is out to ensure that Tinubu is stopped in his tracks. The man who has all it takes to defeat Tinubu at the polls remains Peter Obi. Tinubu and his acolytes recognize this. That is why all manner of manipulation was brought into the electoral act amendment to create room for possible rigging. It is only a manipulated electoral process that will work for the ruling party. Interestingly, the opposition is not leaving anything to chances. It is determined to ensure that the votes of the people count.
QUOTE:
“The man at the helm, President Bola Tinubu, typifies the unholy wedlock between power and corruption. Since his arranged emergence as president of Nigeria, he has stopped at nothing to demonstrate that power grabbed must be guarded jealously”.
