In politics, they say, a week is a long time. In Nigerian politics, even a day is a very long time. During the last few days, enough has happened in the political space to give one a running everything - running stomach, running nose, running legs, running away! There seems to be, for the first time in the history of this political dispensation, a seemingly apparent desperation and palpable fear on the part of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP. Far from the determined promise of ruling for sixty years - or forever - the party seems to be facing a real existential threat to its very existence. The long never-thought-possible real Hausa-Yoruba ‘marriage’ is what is giving the PDP a real nightmare. This ‘marriage’, in the form of All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Buhari-Osinbajo ticket seems to be a real scare for the greatest party in Africa. (Forget about the earlier Yoruba-Hausa ‘marriage’ of Obasanjo-Atiku. It was, to say the least, highly contrived, and ended in a very acrimonious divorce. Forget the second Yoruba- Hausa ‘marriage’ of Buhari-Bakare as it was never ‘blessed’ by the ‘elders’, and it ended up unconsummated). A week in politics… There are, already, reports of stone-throwing at the PDP Presidential campaign convoys in Katsina and Bauchi. The act itself stands condemnable from any angle, but the major questions to ask are: why did this start from two states ruled by the ruling party itself? Could it have been, by way of propaganda, a self-inflicted injury to apportion blame elsewhere? That someone may have organised those youths to do exactly as they did? Or is it that the restive youths were so neglected by their respective governments that they chose to show their anger by attempting, and apparently succeeding, to embarrass their respective governors in front of his guests? A day in politics… And then we hear Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola speaking to the media the other day alleging that the Federal Government-controlled Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, regulator of all telecoms activity in the country, had shut down a portal the opposition party was using to receive donations. If this is the case, why would a party which had garnered Twenty One Billion Naira at a fund- raising dinner just recently bellyache the crumbs people send to the opposition? A week in politics… Then the so-called Death-Wish Advert by the Stomach-Infrastructure Governor of Ekiti State Ayo Fayose, which was at once despicable and condemnable. In fact, the newspapers that took that advert - including mine - stand condemned as well. For the advert to insinuate that northern leaders usually died in-tenure was crassly insensitive as it was inaccurate, as Shehu Shagari and Generals Gowon, Babangida and Abdulsalam are still around. General Murtala was killed at 38; Abacha died of mysterious circumstances; Yar’adua was ab-initio imposed on the nation by others. Must Long Fellow die to fulfil some diabolical plans? A day in politics… Wonders will never end. For lack of issues, Nigerians are now saddled with the prospect of a campaign on WAEC Result. For a leading politician who had contested in 2003, 2007 and 2011, and nobody questioned his then qualification, why now? Whatever happened ‘to equivalent qualification’ as laid out in the laws? And it seems the opposition party - APC - itself is bereft of ideas; how could it have allowed this ‘certificate’ to be so shoddily presented? But perhaps the ruling party wants the Long Fellow to return to Almajiri School to retake WAEC, or NECO. A week in politics… We hear, and we hope it is a misquote, that a governor of the ruling party had warned everyone that if you can’t lie, don’t venture into the murky waters of Nigerian politics. No wonder there’s still no explanation - and no hope for same - on the missing oil money and the lost billions of fuel subsidy and the billions on chartered flights among others, economy may not rise. The investigation all lies, then? A day in economics… The Naira, our darling currency, is at the moment trading at more than 200 to the dollar. This, to say the least, is not only tragic for the common person, but also for the general wellbeing of the nation’s economy. No amount of economic jargon can assure us that the more worthless the Naira is, the better for us. No! We do not export manufactured goods; so we have no need of a weak currency! That’s basic economics! A term in politics… That time has come again! That only time when we, citizens of this potentially-great country, are allowed, in theory, to change, or retain, our rulers. In theory. In practice, our rulers usually decide who to change, or retain, for us, on our behalf. Then they order us to troop out on election day and confirm their decisions. Generally. Except for a few exceptions. And even in those few exceptions, the ‘change’ seemed to be generally from bad to bad, if not worse. So even if one is not so enamoured with this country’s political system (being the murderous contraption that it is), one is almost resigned to the fact that, unless there is divine - or other - intervention, we are stuck with it. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is promising that only Permanent Voters Card, the so-called PVC, will allow a voter to vote. We hear, but we have seen, haven’t we, in elections gone by, that at particular constituencies, more than the sum total of registered voters - 100% plus - came out to vote, and their votes counted, and were counted. In fact, in some areas, people who were long dead resurrected to come out and vote and die again. We all saw the viral videos of multiple thumb- printing, of which nothing was ever heard of later. Can we trust INEC that this time it will work - that there can’t be 100% plus, or a Lazarus? If wishes were horses! (And this column hopes they will be!) For those who underwent Nursery Rhymes in school, says Wikipedia, ‘If wishes were horses, beggars would ride’ is an English language proverb and nursery rhyme originating in the 16th century. It is usually used to suggest that it is useless to wish and that better results will be achieved through action. The rhyme goes: If wishes were horses Beggars would ride: If turnips were watches I would wear one by my side. And if ifs and ands were pots and pans, The tinker would never work! So if wishes were horses, Nigerians would want see a new face being sworn in as President come May 29 at Eagle Square; if wishes were horses, most of the crooked and wicked godfathers of Nigerian politics would be swept aside by the tide of popular choice; if wishes were horses, the Ayes of the Chambers of Horrors would be jettisoned by the electorate for a more purposeful legislature. If only wishes were horses. And they could well be, for Nigerians are ready to act, and ride! So don’t just wish, ACT! A wise man once said: “Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.” Nigerians have been deprived of hope, and hope was all that we had in the first place. Alas! But someone had added: “Don’t kick a man when he’s down unless you’re certain he won’t get up.” We will get up again, in sha Allah. The time is now! And still on the forthcoming elections, we are still at the stage HasbunalLahu wa ni’imal Wakeel! (Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs!)
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 10:22:44 +0000
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