As the economy continues to be in coma, with oil price going down and the dollar suffocating the naira, the political terrain which produces the caliber of leaders we have in Nigeria has not fared better. The system has become laughable and worrisome to sane minds across the world that has a focus on Nigeria and the possibility of their getting things right now or in the future. Since the return to democratic rule in 1999, Nigeria’s democracy has been described as nascent and politicians have been using that as an excuse for their misrule and abuse of the people’s trust. One may ask, how long will our democracy last for it to be real democracy like is practiced in some other nations of the world? A child born in 1999 cannot be said to be ignorant of his environment, such a child can reason to know what may hurt him or what harms him but in the case of Nigeria, we tend to always be in a haste to go the harms way. Our political parties and politicians are in constant struggle for who will undo the other in terms of abuse of the rule of law and violence. These attitudes of politicians have created the era of political brigandage with terrorists in the garb of politicians taking centre stage. Today, it is not difficult to see those who have been accused of having links with the dreaded terrorist group Boko Haram being in positions of authority from the presidency to the legislature and at the helm of affairs of political parties.
I must say without fear of contradiction that Nigeria political parties are not formed on the basis of ideology or any national interest but are the congregation of strange bed fellows whose only intentions are to use such platform to gain political authority for the purpose of aggrandizing the national cake to themselves and their cronies. I do not intend to go on political voyage of reminding readers of the structure of political parties since independence as today’s experience is not different from the same illogical and criminal amalgamation of the north and the south is an unholy political structure called Nigeria. Since that British intentional mistake, formation of political parties and leadership structure of same has left much to be desired. In 1999, the two major political parties the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the APP/AD awkward alliance and their choice of presidential candidates from South Western Nigeria was not to serve any national progressive intent but to romance the ego of tribal cleavage to appease the Yorubas for denying them the presidency in the most free and fair election ever conducted in Nigeria which Abiola their kinsmen won but was denied by the northern elites. At this point, it won’t be out of place to opine that the northern elites and their political tactics have at one time or the other drifted our country on the path of retrogression with their false and pompous born to rule mentality. This situation has contributed in defining the present political structure and experience in Nigeria.
Today we have the APC administration in power at the federal level. APC a marriage of disgruntled former members of the ruling party PDP and alliance of opposition parties from 1999 to 2015 before taking over power used many arm twisting tactics including threats, propaganda, intimidations and outright violence to cajole the Peoples Democratic Party who themselves were careless with power, to lose the confidence of the international communities and the citizens. With the mentality of born to rule, the northern political elites did not stop at anything in sending signal that they intend to grab power at the centre at all cost. The attacks on the office of the presidency under the command of university don from Southern part of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan by northern elements were unprecedented in Nigerian history. The clamour for change and return of power to the northern Muslim intensified which gave impetus to the dreaded terrorist organization Boko Haram. The organization rose and enjoyed the sympathy of some northern elites or somehow enjoyed the silence of majority of northern interest groups as they found a comfort zone at the Border States controlled by the opposition party then the ANPP. The Boko Haram became a security threat to the federal government and some of the opposition leaders were fingered as masterminds, financiers, supporters or members of the terror group. It was not surprise to see most of these politicians mentioned as having links with the terror group occupy very sensitive position in the formation of an alliance party which gave birth to All Progressive Congress, APC. As the new mega party gathers momentum, struggle for supremacy and positions soon set some of the leaders of APC on each other’s throat leading to some leaders and founding fathers of the APC exiting from the party and offered red carpet reception by the PDP. On the other hand, the tempting opportunity of relevance in the new evolving mega party and the carrot stick offered to some leaders of PDP who have to some extent fallen out of favour with the party structure soon drove some governors under PDP out to join forces with opposition. Note all these carpet crossing were not on ideological basis but for self recognition and financial interest.
What all these mean is that political struggle by politician in recent times in Nigeria has become a kind of terror and counter terror tactics. Like I noted earlier, intimidations which evokes fear on the citizens became evident ahead of the 2015 election. Gen. Buhari threatened that monkeys and baboons will soak in blood if he does not become president. One may wonder who he was referring to as baboons and monkeys if not the citizens of Nigeria. Today, Buhari is the President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria. He placed his interest above the lives of every Nigerian. Some opposition leaders in the Senate like Senator Ali Ndume one of the founding fathers of APC fingered as having strong ties with the terror group in Nigeria in whose house one of the terrorists who masterminded the 2011 Christmas bombing in Suleja Niger State was arrested in Abuja is today the Senate Leader of the 8th Senate. El Rufai who was touted as go between the Boko Haram and the federal government under President Jonathan is today the governor of Kaduna State. In the southern part of Nigeria, Rotimi Amaechi a former governor under PDP in Rivers State who was also touted to be a leading supporter and sponsor of the Niger Delta militants who also threatened that there will be no peace if APC loses the presidential election in 2015 is today a federal minister. Across the country, one will see all those individuals who in one way or the other threatened the peace of Nigeria and the citizens while in the opposition, occupying sensitive political position today at the federal level. These tend to indicate that only by being violent and instilling fears on the people can politicians and political parties make their way to the top of governance. One then asks, what is the hope for decent people those who are not violent, the loyal party members who have remained in their different parties since the end of the military regime in 1999 without cross carpeting?
In PDP, three of its national chairmen since 2009 have been decampees from the opposition, from Chief Ogbulafor who was a member of ANPP, to the present former governor of Borno State, Sen. Amodu Sherriff , a founding member of APC who is today the National Chairman of PDP. It is this recent development that triggered my thought into questioning if APC and PDP are not playing terror and counter-terror kind of politics which to mind may be counterproductive as it may not bring the expected progress in Nigeria?
Before I proceed I wish we could check what actually is terror or terrorism for us to see if the scenario depicts such experience. Terror according to the dictionary means a very strong feeling of fear, something that causes very strong feelings of fear, something that is terrifying, violence that is committed by a person, group, or government in order to frighten people and achieve a political goal. These fears are created by act of violence or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands. This strategy can be liked to what played out in Nigeria during the 2015 election which so many people believed forced President Goodluck Jonathan who vowed not to allow bloodshed for his political interest, to relinquish power which many believe was rigged in some part of the country in favor of the All Progressive Congress that intimidated the citizens of Nigeria. Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry, the sound of guns being fired in many parts of the country especially in the northern part of Nigeria by Boko Hram and so called Fulani herdsmen that filled the citizens with terror. Many civilians fled their places of residence in terror, a terror that is still fresh in peoples’ memory like the terrors of life in the jungle which intimidated INEC officials into succumbing to the antics of APC and forced the citizens into voting for the opposition or staying away from voting. That terror led to the emergence of the administration of APC, a regime that rules by terror, bombings and other acts of terror of intimidating the opposition in the name of selective war against corruption. To the ruling party, all leaders of PDP who could oppose or critic the policies of the ruling APC are guilty of corruption and must be silenced into jail. These people have been living with terror and the threat of terror of being labeled corrupt politicians who must be jailed in recent time that PDP needed someone from outside of them who could counter the campaign of terror against their members. This I believe led to the questionable elevation of Sen. Amodu Sherriff as the new National Chairman of PDP. This can be seen as counter terrorism. Fighting terror with terror is counter terrorism. Terror as description of a situation was first used in the 14th century as depicting fear, dread, fright, alarm, panic, and trepidation, while terrorism as a systematic use of terror as a policy” is first recorded in English 1798.
On the other hand, counterterrorism is operations that include the offensive measures taken to prevent, deter, preempt, and respond to terrorism. Looking at the Nigeria experience, to gain recognition, it seems plausible that one must get involved in the act of terror against the state. Today, we have some notable leaders across the country whose only credentials for rising to the top are nothing but their violent roles at one time or the other or their role as 419 kingpins. Others are those who disrupted democratic process and made themselves lord over others. The names Asari Dokubo, Ateke Tom, Government Tompolo and many others of the Niger Delta Militants, Gani Adams, Fredrick Fasheun of OPC,Generals Buhari, Babangida and many northern elites coup plotters, all these give the impression that decency do not pay in Nigeria. These are the group of people who run the affairs of the country called Nigeria. No wonder therefore the PDP found it politically expedient to choose one of those who had been accused of having serious ties with terror group in Nigeria who happens to enjoy the support and backings of the present ruling party APC when the PDP led government under former president Jonathan was on the verge of arresting him on charges of corruption and terror, a their new National Chairman. This move is to foreclose the possibility of APC led government, arresting or prosecuting the chairman of the opposition because doing so will expose the hypocrisy of the APC and their change mantra. How can you accuse, arrest or charge one of your founding fathers for corruption or terror now he is in the opposition will be the question on peoples mind.
Already commentators across the divide have started discussing the issue. To PDP supporters in trying to defend the choice of Sen. Sheriff as National Chairman of PDP when confronted by APC supporters that the chairman is a suspected Boko Haram sponsor, one AIC Akwarandu a PDP blogger noted thus “What of Senator Ali Ndume, he was accused and even docked for sponsoring Boko Haram. Yet APC considered him as the majority leader and I repeat Majority Leader of the Senate. What that means is that while Saraki is the president of all the Senators, Ndume is the general leader of all the APC Senators. None of the APC activists condemned it. They won’t anyway. Bad History students! All of them are awake, advising the PDP of whom to make her National Chairman. May God save Nigeria from hypocrisy and Pretence, Amen.” He went further to promote the image of the new PDP Chairman, “He was elected Senator for 8 years. He also served as a Governor for 8 years. Ali Modu-Sherriff is loved by his people.” On the other hand, an APC supporter responded, “ so you are now supporting this Boko Haram sponsor because he was made your party leader while you were supporting President Jonathan when he was looking for him. I don’t think you will last with this your propaganda”.
The PDP man went further to showcase a photograph of Senator Ali Modu-Sherriff with APC leaders including the commander of Change President Buhari at a rally in 2015 and noted that within this period in question, they drank and ate with him without raising any issue stating that it is hypocrisy that today, the PDP has appointed him as it’s National Chairman, the APC have remembered everything bad about him. In other words, the choice of Sen Ali Modu Sherriff is a blackmail stunt gainst APC and their war against corruption and violence. This is what I term fighting terror with terror which is terrorism and counter terrorism politics of APC and PDP.
I refuse to be one of those that will cast aspersions on Ali Modu-Sherriff just because of things that hold no water because all the allegations against him have not been proven. The party has found him worthy; all loyal members should support him and see the outcome. However, I have expressed my feelings to many friends that I am not excited over the choice of Sherriff because there has not been a known record where evil was used to solve the problem of evil.
The truth remains that even if you bring God to lead the PDP, some people will still question why He allowed His only Beloved Son to die on the cross of Calvary. Let’s give him a chance. Nobody has convicted him. He is a Nigerian like all of us.
On the tactical ground, the PDP has sent shocking message to Buhari and his party. The new Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ali Modu Sheriff, has vowed to mobilize all the resources in his disposal to send President Muhammadu Buhari, packing out of the Presidential villa come 2019. Sherriff stated this on Wednesday, February 17, during the re-dedication of the Supreme Court Victory of Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, in Umuahia, Township Stadium. Recall that the Supreme Court had affirmed the election of Ikpeazu, and other governors in South East and South South of PDP extraction in a unanimous judgment by a seven-man panel of the Supreme Court Justices.
The apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, voided the verdict of the Owerri Division of the Court of Appeal which sacked Ikpeazu and others from office. The turn of event at the Supreme Court jolted the ruling APC to the extent of their questioning the integrity of the apex court. Could this be part of the gift package that Sherriff brought on PDP table?
At the thanksgiving at Aba which had all the big boys of PDP in attendance, Sherriff decked in a flowing Agbada immediately took over the podium, after arriving the venue towards the end of the thanksgiving programme and spoke for barely two minutes. “As the new chairman of the party, I have decided to mobilize the party, especially the north to take over power from Buhari come 2019.
“Like I said, we are going to send Buhari out of Aso Rock to where he comes from (Daura),” Sheriff stated. He added: “PDP is on course, and taking over power is of paramount importance.”
The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the PDP had on Tuesday rectified and approved Sheriff, the former Governor of Borno State, as its National Chairman. From the tone of the new National Chairman, one can see the signal and message which is akin to the intimidation and threat messages of the APC ahead of the 2015 presidential election. Terror is again seeing its match and the citizens at the end will be intimidated to accept the eventual outcome sooner or later.
Sheriff had in his acceptance speech announced that the PDP is sure of winning the 2019 presidential election with him as chairman. He said he would not witch-hunt any of those opposed to his emergence promising that his main task would be to restore peace and unity to the party. Some of the dignitaries present at the occasion include: Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmannuel, among others who today are the war lords of the PDP.
From APC apologists views, it’s obvious that the fear of Sen. Ali Modu Sherriff, SAS is the beginning of their wisdom. At this critical moment, it seems what PDP needs is the man to challenge Tinubu”; decode Gen. Mohammed Buhari, GMB’s antics in the North as well as hold the ace in divulging the make, brand and source of APC’s campaign funding with most of them claiming empty Bank Account. This I call operation fire for fire, terrorism and counterterrorism. But can Sherriff who is Buhari’s inlaw betray his inlaw? The question of his sponsorship of Boko Hram has more questions than answers; it is either SAS did the sponsoring with some occupants of Aso rock: does he know something that may rattle the occupants of Aso Rock or the Change Party: or is he 100% innocent of all allegations? if not why is he walking a free man while Dasuki who only spent Security vote now branded as Arms Deal is facing the music?
Let me take us on excursion : In Nigeria, politics has never been a clean game, neither do we have saints in politics as it involves a lot of maneuvering. The day you venture into politics is the day you made a choice to fight dirty if not, where are the campaign promises of APC? Where are the Chibok Girls? Is the Dollar now equal to One Naira? What about Free Food for School Children? What about the N5000 for unemployed youths? What about the madness of stabilizing the global Oil Market? I am not a conformist to such standards but a drastic situation calls for a drastic measure and since Sen Ali Sherriff has never been convicted I am not condemning him outright. But like my friend Prof Oparaoji a political activist based here in the USA would say, PDP seem to have gotten it wrong by playing the politics of terror and counterterrorism instead moving a step further to search for decency in politics. If the statement credited to GMB that “an attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North” make him unelectable? Did the gruesome murder of innocent NYSC members, who were lawfully posted to the remote areas of Northern Nigeria, diminish the image or political profile of a GMB in 2011 after he threatened violence under his party then the CPC? Buhari still emerged president of Nigeria after the documentary that exposed his tyrannical proficiency, during his first missionary journey as military president with his decree 2. Despite the supposed parasitic life of Ahmed Tinubu against the people of South West, with his touted ownership of half of Lagos State; choice properties in other States in the South west, plus some choice properties all over the world, he still emerged the maximum leader of APC in the South West nay Nigeria? Tinubu single handedly nominated the Vice President of Nigeria and made his wife a Senator. All these can only happen in Nigeria and that’s why some call it monkey republic.
Buhari as the President of a ‘democratized’ Nigeria, it should be noted that as long as we keep to the rule of law, Sheriff, remains innocent of all charges of links to Boko Haram until it is proved otherwise by a Court of competent Jurisdiction. This I believe informed the decision of PDP to chose Sen. Ali Modu Sherriff, SAS as its National Chairman as a counter terrorism to the terrorism of the All Progressive Congress, APC because the Borno born politician cum businessman was the only man who was said to have challenged Ahmed Tinubu during the formation of APC and still have the capacity to do so on the battle field. My summation on this is that, it is not the solution to Nigeria lingering economic and political crisis. A referendum by all nationalities must be convened for people to determine their willingness to remain part of Nigeria or otherwise. Decent people and loyal party members must not be suffocated perpetually by violent people who play politics of do or die. Patriotism should be the criteria for reward not violence or ill gotten wealth. In the months and years ahead, Nigerians and the international community will come to see how this new political tactics of APC and PDP will affect the economic, social and political life of the country Nigeria which is already at the brim of serious economic recession.
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