SUNDAY SUNDAY LEGAL AND POLITICAL TITBITS FROM THE ☆☆☆☆☆ 5-STAR CIVILIAN GENERAL
(PART 1)
Any Bible student will know the story of Judas Iscariot who betrayed his Master Jesus Christ.
Nigerian politics is full of characters that can easily pass for the role Judas Iscariot played.
One notable political leader says it bluntly- “there is no morality in politics”. He acts it out too although he is not alone in that painful reality. In the quest for power, many politicians are in that bad reckoning as people with no compunction.
Too many unthinkable things happen in politics that make it a boil down to a roguish business.
Naija politicians can do multiple somersaults plus 360 Degrees turn around and still keep a straight face.
I do not know where else that can compete with Naija politicians and their chameleonic traits. If you know, please keep it to yourself. It is all about “orizie okazie”. Interpret this Igbo adage to mean fair weather friend.
How do you reconcile the fact that someone (either alone or league with others) will oppose you with all his might, say unprintable things about you, put in everything at his or her disposal to stop or destroy your aspiration, drag you through the layers of courts and tribunal up to final appeal, sometimes make attempt at your life, but once you win, the same fellow will be the first to embrace you and be shouting himself or herself hoarse and singing your praises all in the name of helping you to “manage victory”?
This is why there is neither politics of ideology nor ideology in politics in Naija. Needless to accentuate that these are some of the things that make politics to be murky and uninteresting to the onlookers.
Truth be told, Naija politicians, men, women and surprisingly youths, are of seared consciences. They are brutal and do not remember that “tomorrow is another day”.
Don’t get it twisted, there are still good people in the business of hard-core politics but they are too few or insignificant that they cannot change the general perception that there is no honour or integrity in Naija politics.
Naija politicians truly no get shame and they make no apologies for it.
At the least prompting, they can betray and will be quick to explain it away (if they even consider it necessary to make any explanations).
Check out Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State and his latest “political jumpology” from PDP to APC and remember the rough road he and his PDP members travelled to be declared winners by the Supreme Court only to abandon his compatriots. Who will ever believe that Matawalle can betray PDP given the circumstances under which he emerged Governor?
Governor Matawalle is not alone. He is just a fitting example of the most recent high profile torn- coat politician.
Politicians are like JUDAS ISCARIOT. They betray shamelessly.
Let me share a personal experience which cannot even compare in magnitude with the worst encounters of many others.
In 2014, I aspired to be in the Senate to represent Okigwe Zone on the platform of PDP. I campaigned vigorously in all the 64 INEC Wards in the Senatorial District in company of my formidable Campaign Team.
One of my then six LGA Cordinators is a lawyer who was coincidentally a former undergraduate law student of mine in a Nigerian University. I trusted this guy so much that I rode in the same car with him every time we went for open campaigns/rallies. I took him to almost all private consultations or strategic meetings. He knew my campaign secrets, whatever that was.
A day before the election, I handed him the huge campaign funds and logistics for his LGA to disburse. On the D-day, this crook of an LGA Cordinator kept phoning to tell me that all was moving according to plan. One hour to the Imo North Senatorial District primary election which held on or about 8 December 2004 at then PDP Secretariat Okigwe Road Owerri, this my supposed confidant collected money from my opponents, turned 360 degrees and was going round the election venue falsely telling delegates that I had quit the race.
Don’t ask me his name or LGA of origin in Okigwe Zone.
He will certainly read this and all bewildered delegates who participated in that 2004 PDP Senatorial primary election in Okigwe Zone know the fair complexioned devil. I was thinking devil is said to black in complexion until I met this “yellow” one face to face.
Thereafter, I did not confront him or demand explanations or restitution as those were not necessary. I left him to his dead conscience and moved on like nothing happened. The guilty remain afraid. Talk of “Political Judas Iscariot”.
This my experience is but a microcosm of the macrocosm in the prodigal and wasteful Naija politics.
It is just a snippet of the roguish nature of what we call politics as many who know will confirm that I was lucky the devious scheme ended only as mere sabotage that cost us electoral victory.
Some others are not that lucky as they get killed or ruined completely by their trusted political associates.
Politicians have no scruples and many things account for this lack of fidelity.
Order and discipline are in short supply in Naija politics. That may also be why some mean folks embark on administering oath on their campaign staff or delegates before “powerful altars, shrines or juju” but there is absolutely no reason why anyone should compromise his or her spirituality and become fetish because of transient power.
In the military, unsuccessful coup plotters are tried, convicted and summarily executed.
I guess this tradition in the military is to enforce discipline, total loyalty and prevent mutiny and insurrection within the rank and file.
The military recognise clearly that sabotage is evil and that such untrustworthy characters should be neutralised.
A saboteur cannot forgive himself or herself even if you forgive him or her.
The military help such troubled characters and save them from permanent agony by putting them to permanent sleep. 💤
In the military, indiscipline, sabotage and sycophantic chants are not tolerated but those are the common attributes of politics.
In the Mafian world too, traitors are not spared.
No one puts a criminal on a payroll but politics is a different ball game altogether. Anything goes in politics especially the “stomach infrastructure” type we play here.
In Naija politics, barefaced saboteurs and criminal elements have a field day even as those who did not wish you well ab initio, brazenly and cunningly seek to manoeuvre themselves back to power once you win.
Shockingly, such torn coat politicians who sabotaged are tolerated and even celebrated in the guise of political correctness. Those are the “Political Prodigal Sons and Daughters”.
In Naija politics, a repentant saboteur is either assigned the inglorious role of an attack dog or he or she unilaterally takes it upon himself to be a vuvuzela or street sweeper throwing rough tackles in all directions to see if he can please his new masters.
Those things are the role of Judas Iscariot and Prodigal Sons and Daughters.
Many are shamless partakers in these anomalous pastime all in the name of politics being “a game of now”.
Make no mistakes about it, most big names in politics are guilty of this malfeasance. Infact, the bigger they are, the more their propensity to sabotage and play other forms of mischief while keeping a straight face.
(TO BE CONTINUED) 🐊
Politicians forgive a lot once their interests are aligned. They do not bear grudges too long knowing that a supporter today can turn an adversary tomorrow and a fierce critic today can be a most vocal supporter tomorrow.
What a paradox.
Will politicians make heaven? Hmmm….
A new normal is possible!
🖋️
Prof Obiaraeri is my name, the ☆☆☆☆☆ 5-Star Civilian General etc.