Sabotaged and Scattered, the Opposition wobbles, by Ugoji Egbujo
•Is Jonathan also trying to scatter them, too?
Three weeks from critical deadlines, the opposition parties are in utter disarray. If this democracy fails, those who scattered the opposition must take responsibility. INEC failed to register parties in time. The government sowed moles and discord. Opposition leaders manifested greed , cowardice and ego. Another election is around the corner and the electorate faces the same old commotion, chaos and charade.
May our chickens not come home to roost.
El-Rufai is still in prison. He might be a villain stewing in his comeuppance. It could even be karma biting back. But may the thirst for vengeance not blind us when wolves come for our democracy. Our society has been torn apart by corruption, but when prosecution smells like political persecution, the sore will only fester. The timing deepens public cynicism .
At a critical time in the electoral process, the opposition cannot be treated as prey, otherwise democracy will be imperilled by distrust . Is this not the same judiciary that granted Yahaya Bello an easy bail? Yahaya Bello, who had literally thumbed his nose at the EFCC? Are we all supposed to stand on Tinubu’s mandate or face institutional jeopardy?
The system has surrendered to greed and knavery. Self interest and opportunism. Nothing illustrates the rapaciousness the opposition has to grapple with better than this story: Hope Uzodimma appears keen to metamorphose into Senate President. So while the “genius” clings to the governorship of Imo — where he still has almost two years left — he might run for the Senate. Our politicians are a special breed. Rumours say he may appoint a priest as the new deputy governor once the current one resigns to make way for the subterfuge. So the priestly stooge will take over Imo in May 2027 while Uzodimma goes for Akpabio’s seat.
But Akpabio, another cunning fox, will not be caught napping. A few days ago he masterminded a rule change in the Senate requiring two terms — eight years — before a senator would qualify for Senate leadership. Akpabio, who became minority leader of the 8th Senate in his first few days in the chamber, now thinks that ladder must be burnt to ashes to protect his position. A day later, the rule change — effected piratically — was reversed. Apparently its unconstitutionality could not be swept under the carpet. If it is true that Tinubu compelled Akpabio to retrace his steps, then Akpabio should be worried. Because this government uses constitutionality primarily as a sword to pursue political expediency and protect private political advantages. But the casual misuse of public institutions and rule of law should worry the citizens .
Wike, whom Tinubu calls the landlord of Abuja, has threatened to shut any bank that allows the Wabara-Makinde-led PDP faction to run a PDP account. Wike is not a policeman. Wike is not the Attorney-General. But he carries the menace of his boastfulness. A self declared behind-the-scenes operator in judicial affairs . He is a PDP man who believes the PDP, the largest opposition party, should become a literal subsidiary of the ruling party and should not field a presidential candidate against Tinubu. So he is intent on scattering the PDP rather than allowing it to organise for the election. Wike, whose faction is busy selling forms in Rivers, has dared the Wabara-Makinde faction to sell forms. His critics call him the coordinator of the judiciary. Others call him POS Africa. He calls himself a man of integrity. But the only reason Wike can threaten the opposition is because Tinubu — whom he works for and to whose advantage Wike destabilises the opposition overtly and clandestinely — controls the machineries of coercion. And once Wike is pursuing Tinubu’s interests, the country and its democracy can go to blazes. Wike’s ‘Scatter the Opposition Project’ is going well .
The scattering of opposition parties is proceeding on all fronts. The NDC, where Peter Obi has run to for refuge, now has some charlatans challenging its registration. Their beef is that the court was wrong to order INEC to register the NDC while these same fellows, who also tried to register parties, could not satisfy INEC’s requirements. Rather than approach INEC or the courts to demand the registration of their own parties, they want the NDC deregistered. A diabolical ‘kill the Second Baby’ submission in that classical biblical story . And despite the inanity of their pursuit, the folks always manage to attract the attention of the traditional press. Media houses that gather like vultures around loquacious interlopers must be careful about their reputations. Hopefully Wike’s last outburst and the capacity of these politicians for blackmail will deter influence-money reportage.
A few days ago a well-dressed fellow assembled pressmen for a world press conference. There he declared his ownership of the Obidient Movement and the dismissal of Peter Obi from the movement. When asked what he would do with the “Obi” in Obidient, he said he would change the name to Obedient Movement. Perhaps the movement will now become obedient to Tinubu and Wike and Okpebholo. Every political hustler in the country wants to partake in scattering the opposition. That is the surest bet for political relevance or a meal ticket.
Meanwhile President Jonathan, who left power 12 years ago, has started receiving rented crowds in his home. An aso-ebi crowd came to beg him to run for president and rescue the country. Jonathan, who belongs to no known party, didn’t shoo them away . He told them he would consult widely. Political parties have only a few days left to begin the process of their primaries. Only God knows where Jonathan plans to get the time for this “wide consultation.” Four years ago he had crawled around APC chieftains seeking to snatch the party’s ticket without sowing any effort. After leading him on, they rebuffed him and he disappeared. But in the last few months he has been meeting groups in the shadows, whispering his desire. Yet this man who seeks the ticket of the opposition coalition cannot muster the courage to voice any criticism of Tinubu. Is Jonathan also trying to scatter the opposition?
The scattering of the opposition is happening from within and without . Political egos of opposition leaders have probably done more damage than greed. The opposition has lacked painstakingness and tact. Internal suspicions and unhealthy rivalries have helped to whittle cohesion. As soon as Obi left the ADC for the NDC, all hell was let loose. Friends and foes went berserk. Datti Ahmed disowned himself, his earlier vows and made diabolical remarks about Obi and the North. His brother who chairs the PRP now thinks that Obi is the problem of the North . Abdullahi, the ADC spokesman, went for his own mic. He announced that Obi never had both legs in the coalition. Abdullahi’s lack of restraint was perhaps the evidence of the cold toxicity Obi alluded to.
Abdullahi mocked that Obi did not know the manifesto of the party . A party which had an illiterate national vice chairman a few months ago . Is the ADC manifesto now canonical political catechism? While Abdullahi was seething, Kenneth Okonkwo, Atiku’s latter-day associate spokesman, was brooding. When he surfaced, he grabbed his vuvuzela and gushed a profusion of bile. Separation can hurt but the opposition has not shown maturity . Three weeks from critical deadlines, the opposition parties are in utter disarray. If this democracy fails, those who scattered the opposition must take responsibility. INEC failed to register parties in time. The government sowed moles and discord. Opposition leaders manifested greed , cowardice and ego. Another election is around the corner and the electorate faces the same old commotion, chaos and charade.
May our chickens not come home to roost.
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