Opinion | By Tony Osakpamwan Agbons | 19. 03. 2022
There is a popular axiom that politicians only speak the truth to citizens during election campaigns and it is the words, “Please vote for me. I am the right man or woman for the job”. After the elections, the citizens are on their own and it becomes a case of what you see is what you get. The words of Nigeria politicians’ pre-election are remarkably different once they get into power. A psychologist friend of mine once described the average Nigerian politician as someone who rabidly becomes symptomatic of a `Personality Disorder` once they walk through the corridors of and take a seat on the throne of power. No arguments. Pure fact!
In the past couple of weeks, the public space has been dominated by high profile cases of fallouts and shenanigans by so-called political heavyweights in the land. This is not unexpected considering the next cycle of elections in 2023 is on the horizon. The tussle and jostle for key positions for the 2023 – 2027 cycle has begun. Intrigues, and betrayal by politicians or political parties are in high demand and supply. Politically scripted dramas with self-acclaimed protagonists oscillating to antagonists overnight is being served hot. What you don’t hear are ideologies, manifestos, or economic blueprint. What you don’t see is politicians setting agenda or pathways to deal with the myriads of challenges facing the nation. What is not spoken is all else, but the truth by the electorates who speak in varied tongues and attempt to out sing each other in direct proportion to how palpable the election inducement packages they receive from the politicians are.
What then is responsible for the infighting and fallouts between politically exposed persons in our polity? The answers are not far-fetched. The infighting is for the good of the Nigerian people. Yes, it is! The politicians are fighting one another over disagreements on the fastest way to provide uninterrupted electricity in Nigeria. They are fighting each other over how to provide world-class hospitals and state-of-the-art healthcare facilities across the length and breadth of the country. The politicians are quarrelling over the quickest way of providing good roads, railways, airports, making our refineries work and improving housing for the good people of Nigeria. These politicians are at war with themselves so they can reverse ‘Brain Drain’ to ‘Brain Gain’ by leveraging on promoting economic climate that will snowball the return of and leverage on the skills of our Diaspora population. These politicians are fighting one another because of differences in policy making on how they can add value to and ensure life is comfortable for every Nigerian. This is what the fight is all about. Yes! The politicians are fighting because of their love, care, empathy and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian on the street. Yes, they are! For real? Anyway, “if you don gerrit, fogerrit. I laugh in vernacular…kikikiki!”
Thank you for waking me up from my apocalyptic dreams. I think I am back to earth and reality with a big bang. Truth is we all wish the reverse of above is the case! These breeds of greedy politicians are not in dispute among themselves because of the ordinary Nigerian people. Alas, the fight among politicians is for self. It is all about ‘me, myself and I’. It is all about lining and enriching their individual pockets from our commonwealth. These breed of ‘cancerous’ and ‘venomous’ politicians are in it for how much they can loot for themselves, their wives, children, and their generations yet unborn. Least I forget, their numerous concubines, side chicks, side hens, side cockerels, side roosters and other hangers-on.
Across the spectrum, in this political dispensation, we have seen big fallouts between principals and their prodigies. The recent cases of the show of shame between the All Progressives Congress, APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his erstwhile right hand man, Rauf Aregbesola is a good example. The lingering crisis in the Edo State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP is another. The key actors in the latter are the Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki, his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shuaibu and their followers who came with them from the APC (new PDP) on one side and the old PDP (existing stalwarts), led by Chief Dan Orbih and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on the other side.
The unfolding drama In Edo State PDP has peaked with vituperations flying in from all corners in the last few days. The political temperature is at boiling point of mercury as caution has been thrown to the winds. Visuals of ‘yabis’ and `insults` on social media have become a hard watch for many neutrals. What is the root cause of all these acidities? Is this fight all about the ordinary Edo state people? (over four million of them) and how to give them better quality of life? Is this fight about building strategic governance structure and systems? Is it about policy directions and provision of vital infrastructure for the good people of Edo State? What really is going on? The innocent Edo state man, woman, boy, girl or child has a right to know. Na wetin all this fight be for? Who is it for? Na who dis fight wan help?
My dear, the answer is as simple is ABCD. It is all about personal interests, political ambitions, and self-preservation. It is a battle for the solar plexus and control of the ‘soul’ of the PDP in Edo State. Each of the key actors in this parody wants to outwit the other with the 2023 general elections and the 2024 Governorship election in Edo state in mind. That is what this fight is all about. Each of the gladiators are looking to secure and position themselves firmly on the ground so they can manoeuvre the other. It is a game of chess. By planting their loyalists in key positions in the PDP party machinery in Edo State, they hope to be able to call the shots in 2023 and 2024. A root casual analysis of all sides in this debacle brings up this common denominator.
The Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has a moral and ethical dilemma in the PDP. His antagonist uses this fact against him at every opportunity. They often point to his fallout with his estranged godfather, Adams Oshiomole in his former party, the APC. Obaseki`s opponents also allude to how they (old PDP in Edo state) gave him the all-covering umbrella during his wet days in the heavy rain and political downpour of 2020. The opponents of the Governor keep singing that song and some of the lyrics are that the Governor is ungrateful and high-handed. On their part, the Governor and his supporters are of the view that they must not be caged just because they were ‘helped’ and sheltered when rain was falling. Afterall, the sun is now out, and they should be free to spread their picnic mats.
In this whole fiasco, there are some questions begging for answers. Number one, in joining the PDP, was there an agreement (gentleman or paper signed) between the Governor and the old PDP led by Chief Dan Orbih? Number two, was there an agreed sharing formula for key positions within the party and for political appointments? Number three, was there an expectation from the party bigwigs of financial returns if and when the party wins the election that brought the Governor in for the 2nd term? Until these questions are answered by the key actors in the public space, I am afraid this charade will not abate. As an ultra-neutral (in this political matter) and a patriotic stakeholder in Edo State, I will make a few salient suggestions.
The key political actors and actresses as well as the political film directors in Edo State PDP need to sit down together, look at each other in the face, do a complete soul search and tell themselves the home truth. One, why is this fight happening? Two, who stands to gain from this fight – is it they (politicians) or the ordinary Edo State people? For the Governor, Mr Obaseki, he must find a way to bring everybody (both old and new PDP) together. The buck certainly stops on his table. No ifs, no buts. That is the price he (the Governor) has to pay for leadership. “Uneasy” they say, “lies the head that wears the crown”. As a leader, the Governor cannot expect to ‘win’ all the time. In dealing with his fellow politicians, His words cannot always be the `be all and end all`. The Governor must learn to let go in some instances. Sometimes it is 50-50, 60-40, 55-45 or even 70-30 percent in negotiations in politics. The Governor must put on the table his team playing and people management skills to resolve this political party imbroglio and inferno. The use of brute force of speech, stern body language cannot effectively solve this problem.
To the old PDP led by Chief Dan Orbih and Governor Nyesom Wike; a huge measure of magnanimity is required. Yes, it is true that you provided the famous ‘umbrella’ during the ‘rain’ but repeatedly saying it to the beneficiary is uncalled for and arrogant. Yes, the umbrella belongs to you (old PDP), but you couldn’t have done it alone. There are ordinary Edo State people who also ‘put their hands’ to hold the umbrella during the `rain` and storm. That was the reason the Governor won the elections in September 2020. Edo State people voted massively for him. In fact, political analysts contend that Governor Godwin Obaseki would probably have won that election on the platform of any another political party.
An open, honest conversation and dialogue remains the best option in resolving issues. Let every side to the dispute come to a round table, iron out their differences, have a give and take eureka moment (not sharing money oo) and move on. Power is transient and the Almighty omniscient God gives it to whomever He wants. This spirit of reconciliation is needed so that due attention can be given to GOVERNANCE. The ordinary man and woman on the street are not asking for too much from the government. All we need are the basic amenities of life. In conclusion, as we move into another election season, I want people to realise that wars are almost always finally resolved at negotiation tables. Something warring parties refuse to seat at in the beginning. Furthermore, what the Nigerian people need now are politicians who will tell them ‘how they will do it’ and not those who say, ‘I will do this, and I will do that’.
I come in peace.
•Dr Agbons is founder of the Institute of Good Governance @www.twin2.org
