Category: Dayo Sobowale

Nigeria’s  former Democracy  Day or Obasanjo’s  Democracy Day, May  29, has  come  and gone with the fanfare of swearing in of   our   second term  President,  new governors as well as second term governors  all  over Nigeria. It  was  a fantastic day  for   first  ladies  and   families in the state  capitals as well  as the First Lady in Abuja, the outspoken  blunt lady,   who  stayed calmly and dignified as the husband our second term president took  the oath of office for a second term. However and  quite  inexplicably,   the    brooding  shadow   of Obasanjo  hovered around the occasion in Abuja  although Obasanjo  himself  was absent  at the event. The first time I think  he would  be absent  at  his   personally  decreed   and nationally   observed   May   29 Democracy Day. But  the reason was  not far to see. The new  second term  president had  changed  the Democracy  Day  from May  29 to  June  12,  the day  Obasanjo’s  Egba  kinsman, the irrepressible  MKO  won the election that was adjudged the freest and fairest in Nigeria and  that  did  not  go down well with Obasanjo.  That  could explain his absence  as a simple  case of sour  grapes  over  MKO who  he  bitterly  resented  as the   purported  ‘ Messiah  of  Nigeria’ in the heady days of the June  12  brouhaha.  Again,  that  could also explain  why the President did not give an Inaugural  Address  as usually  expected  on  May  29.  Ostensibly  that  would be done on the new and vastly  popular June 12 Democracy  Day  that    has become  Obasanjo’s  bitter  pill  to  swallow.

All   the same, that was  not the only reason why the former Nigerian  Head of State was absent at the swearing in of the Nigerian President for  a second term. The  occasion  was  an event  or  a  record that Obasanjo  held in Nigerian politics  till  the reelection of President  Muhammadu  Buhari  for a second term in the 2019 elections. Until the reelection of PMB, Obasanjo  was the only Nigerian leader  who  had  been  both  a military  Head of    State  and an elected  and reelected  president.  Obasanjo     was elected president   20   years  after  his tenure  as a  military   dictator   and PMB  30 years   after  his  military    regime was overthrown.  Again, even   that alone could  not  explain the absence  of  OBJ  at  the  swearing in of PMB  this  week  and that is  a  major  part of our discussion  today.

Before  the swearing in of PMB this week  Obasanjo  had thrown  spanner in the works  for the Nigerian president  in a manner that would have made  his presence  most  unwelcome and avoidable  at  the May  29  swearing   in, this week. Obasanjo  dropped  a  security  bombshell  at an  Anglican  Synod in Etsako,  Edo  state when he   said  that  the true  reason for the emergence of Boko  Haram was not poverty  or the Almajiri in the North  as we had thought  and  even  that  has evolved  into the’ Fulanisation of  West  Africa  and the Islamisation of  Africa ‘all  of which  have now metamorphosed into gun running, drug  running, human trafficking , kidnapping, all  dovetailing into  the high  security  risk  of regime  change.  Having  accused the reelected president of negligence  on  security  and collusion  on his watch  in his first term, Obasanjo  must  have deemed it safer  to stay  at a safe distance while   the man  he has lambasted  so  mercilessly  on connivance  on security  matters of the nation, is being reinvested with fresh powers  to  tackle the  pervasive insecurity bringing the nation to  its heels right before  our eyes. The  absence  could  not be called cowardice on the part  of Obasanjo  because  even  those who hate  his guts, and they are many all  over Nigeria,  agree and  applaud   that  courage is  one virtue  that the man  who accepted  the surrender of Biafra  has in  abundance.  This  time  however  I think  that  OBJ  simply decided that discretion  is the better part of valour  and  stayed  away  in the interest of national  security.

Nevertheless,  Obasanjo’s bombshell  and accusation of the Nigerian  government and his charge of  Fulanisation   and  Islamisation are  the bag  and baggage  that  the Buhari  administration  is carrying  into its  second  term.  The  issues  raised are of  paramount  importance  and  the President  should  show  that  even  though he is  Fulani,  he is for all Nigerians and  he belongs to all  the ethnic groups in Nigeria and  not the Fulani  alone. The  issue of a dedicated radio to  communicate with the Fulani herdsmen  who  have a reputation for killing people more than tending their cattle,  must  stop in the national  interest. Similarly, Myetti  Allah, the umbrella  organization for the Fulani  herdsmen must  be called to order  by our  security apparatus and shown  clearly  that it is not a state  within a state.  The  statement  credited to the Chief  of  Defence Staff that the state of insecurity in the nation is such that  the unity of the nation is at risk,   must  be addressed  to prevent the break up of Nigeria. In  addition  to the war on corruption, the   Buhari  federal  government, at its second coming must show that Nigerians  are equal  individually  and in terms of their diverse ethnicity before  the law in Nigeria  and there is no ‘master  race’ before   which other Nigerians must tremble  and  cower as  the  Fulanisation and Islamisation charges  seem  to imply.

Let  us now  look   some  election results in  India  where  the winner  was  reelected on a fresh  mandate  and his connection with the emergence of  nationalist leaders all over the world.  We   shall    look   later  at some unique  states  where new incumbents emerged  as governors  and the baggage they  have brought in with their  elections.  We  shall  look at  Lagos, Kano, Zamfara  states  and  explore  lessons to be learned  in the succession battles that  made  their  elections peculiar  and interesting. Today  however  we look at  Lagos state  and the emergence  of  Jide  Sanwoolu as the new governor.

In  India the  Prime Minister Narendera Modi  won reelection on a huge  margin that consigned the former ruling party, the Congress Party,  to  the dust  bin of history. The  result effectively ended dynastic politics  involving  the Nehru and  Gandhi families that have produced at least three PMs in India.  According to Modi  in thanking Indians for his election – ‘there  are now two castes in India, the poor and those who  want  to get them out of poverty  and it is our  duty to empower  both’. In  addition according  to some voters they voted for Modi  although there  is little  development  but’ Indians  feel  safer  and  can  hold their  heads  high ‘.  Such  confidence  and patriotism is what Nigerians need  from PMB  on  his reelection and inauguration on June  12  when  he  makes  his Inaugural  speech as expected and  must, at least,  thank  Nigerians for reelecting him.

The  swearing  in of Jide Sanwoolu  as  Lagos  State  governor was  a festive occasion in  Lagos at  the Tafawa  Balewa Complex which  was built for such state pageantry but neglected when the capital  was moved to Abuja.  Yet  Lagos  remains the commercial  heart throb of Nigeria  and its  politics  matter in the scheme  of things. Sanwoolu  as governor  should  build  a bridge for Lagosians and his  party in terms  of  continuity  in  government and control  of  Lagos  state  by the party.  That  bridge was broken when  his predecessor failed  to  get  a second term  and he Sanwoolu  was drafted as it were  to fill  a leadership  vacuum. He  must  boldly complete the projects his  predecessor put on the ground in terms of the people’s  welfare  and claim  credit for  completion of such  projects because  they  were built by the Lagos  tax payers and the electorate  and not the personal  wealth of his  predecessor.  Lagos  is  not like some states where  governors  built   sign posts that – this  road or  bridge   was  constructed by Governor X or Y.  In   addition,  the new  governor  should remember that he is fulfilling the second term of a governor from his party  based on the need  for a Christian  governor  for Lagos state. He  must  not forget that mandate and  should  govern  as such, as  the buck  stops on his table.  He should be in control  and make consultations but  there is no room for a two  in one governor   as   the  new  governor  must respect the wisdom of the party elders  and leaders  who  made the arrangement possible   for  a Christian  governor  in the last two  guber  elections in the state. I wish  the new governor  a happy  and  successful tenure .Once  again  long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

Let me muse today on the nature of politics and its practice in certain parts of the world. Certainly  US President Donald  Trump  and his brand of   confrontational  politics both at home and abroad takes pride of place in the scheme of things on such  a discussion. This is because Trump  has given the status  quo of world politics and trade a huge kick  in the ass by taking on both China  and Iran  on  trade and security  at the same  time and yet there is no world war  neither  have the heavens collapsed as usually  predicted on such   challenges,  before  the   highly  volatile Trump  era  of our  time. Similarly  in Nigeria the Minister of Information   Lai  Mohammed  cautioned the opposition  party   PDP on  its brand of politics which  he thought  was destabilizing and undemocratic  and the opposition  PDP  in return  thought that was insulting and  threatened to go to court  to redeem its image.

Also  during the week  Nigerian senators  at  their red chamber  in Abuja   suddenly  became  unusually  patriotic and concerned about the widening gap  between  the rich  and the poor in Nigeria,  the colossal  rate of unemployment  of  Nigerian  youths  as  well as our inaccurate  controversial  census  figures  and called  for  a state of emergency  to   tackle these   serious issues.  At  the same time Myetti  Allah  the confrontational  umbrella  body of  herdsmen killing and  destroying farms all  over the nation announced that once herders are not allowed  to graze their cattle they  will  fight back  to earn a living  anyhow  and  cannot be blamed for that. Their  spokesman then highlighted that the so called offer of 100bn  said  to have been offered his organization was by the Jonathan Administration   but it was not for amnesty as wrongly  deduced  by the public,  but for  the   establishment of grazing sites   all over the country   and that was  why they  voted then  for  Jonathan   Administration  and the offer was available  for the   present Buhari Administration to adopt.

Today  then  we shall  look  briefly  at  the Trump brand  of confrontational  politics  both on the domestic  scene as well as international  politics  and its effect on American  and global  democracy.  We  shall  also  look at why  Lai Mohammed  has branded  PDP’s  politics as  subversive  and   appraise that  party’s umbrage at  such characterization of its democratic  role at this point in time in Nigeria’s  power  transition politics.  We  shall  again examine  the  lamentation  of Nigerian  senators over  poverty, unemployment  and census to  see if they  are genuine  or crocodile tears   and take  on Myetti  Allah  on its unapologetic  support  for  herders who  seem  to be killing innocent Nigerians more than they  tend their  precious cattle. Indeed  on Myetti  Allah  it is enough to say that  it sees itself as a state within the Nigerian  state and it is up to the Nigerian security  apparatus to cut it to size with regard to its confrontational  politics and its   crude   challenges to  the  collective security   of     our     multiethnic  federal democracy.

Starting with US President Donald Trump let me say that I find  his confrontational policies and politics somewhat productive  in terms of his campaign promises locally  and   peace promoting. He  has decked the US Supreme  Court with his allies  as judges in majority and is poised to take on gay rights as well  as abortion  as the banning of abortion in Alabama  has  shown  as  well as the baker’s  case on religious freedom . The US economy is booming  under Trump  and  he can  boastfully  claim  –  it’s the economy stupid to show  he is on course. On  the international scene he has brokered nuclear peace with N Korea  and last week the Russians said  they  want to  revive  good relations with the US.  He  is taking on China  on  counterfeiting, copyrights   and    technological   security  with  his emergency  order meant  to snare Chinese telecom giant Huawei.  With regard  to  the threatened war  with Iran  over the Straits of Omuz, Trump  has asked  the Iranians  to call him and has endorsed the Swiss as arbiters for negotiations. If  his unconventional  diplomacy  yield  such  unexpected prospects for world  peace, I can  only  doff my hat in admiration,  no matter how grudgingly.

On   the  alleged  sabotage  of the Buhari  administration  by  the  Minister  of Information,   I  think  the Minister overstepped  his  bounds. He  was an  opposition spokesman  for  the APC  and  he was a very robust  and outspoken  one and  his present charge of sabotage against   the opposition   party smirks of hypocrisy and  intolerance. He  should  develop a healthy  respect for dissent  and take the PDP  on, on the issues  as fearlessly and eloquently as he did against  the Jonathan Administration as party spokesman  for the virile  opposition that the APC  was then.  As  for the PDP going to court  I want  to see  the SAN that  will go  and prove  to the courts  that   commenting on a court case such as the presidential  election petition  going on,  inherent in the present sabotage charge against  the PDP,  is not sub judice  and as such not   contemptuous on the part  of both parties.  Surely  both  parties must know that those who live in glass  houses  should  not throw  stones.

With regard  to  the concern of the Nigerian  senators on  the welfare  of Nigerians one can  only thank them  for their concern and  patriotism.  They  even  acknowledged  that  something be done urgently  so as to avoid a looming violent  revolution.  Which  in a way  is a statement of fact and inevitable if the poverty gap  is not closed urgently. But  why the state of emergency and how? Will  the senate or  government be closed for the emergency to prevail and take drastic  measures to bridge the poverty gap ?Who  will bell  the cat? Definitely the senators  can blaize a trail  by letting us know their emoluments and fringe benefits and what percentage cuts they  want  to offer as their sacrifice  to  improve the poverty line of  the Nigerian  masses  in order to avoid the looming violent revolution they  see approaching  Nigeria. A  stitch in time saves nine and  I pray  the senators  have  not  closed the stable doors after   the horses have bolted.

Infallibility is the notion that someone or institution cannot  make mistakes or do something wrong. It  was a concept  used to sustain the authority of the Catholic Pope  when the Church  was the state and Papal  Infallibility was the doctrinal  instrument of  authority. Nowadays  however it is a  best  forgotten piece of history  with no relevance  to  modern politics and society.  For  anyone to talk of it nowadays is to make a mockery  of democracy  and insult  the intelligence of modern society,  individually and collectively.  To  invoke  the infallibility  of the Pope  in modern  times  is  to behave like the proverbial  ostrich  which  buried its head in the sand   and thought no one was seeing its  body  or motive which  was not lost  in plain sight. Such  invocation is sheer  hypocrisy  and is a futile  attempt   to  make mischief  with authority   and  make  a fool  of  intellectual  integrity, again individually  and  collectively.

In   politics,  both ancient and modern,  the  concept  of infallibility is associated  with  absolutism  or  absolute  monarchy  a concept  adequately  and bloodily  dealt  with in history  by the French  Revolution  of  1789.  A   time when  the French  Revolutionaries  invented the guillotine  to behead royalty, the rich and mighty in French  society  and usher in mass  participation  in politics  and democracy  and the government of the people  by the people and for the people.  In  my  view   infallibility   is the antithesis  of  democracy  and human progress  and  should be allowed to rot  in hell where  the French  confined it   historically,    albeit    to the admiration and    global   applause    of  an  admiring international   community, from   then  till   now   even  in  2019.

I   intend  to show  today  incidents  and   event   that  connote infallibility  in actions  and utterances   and proceed  to condemn them as fallacies  and illogicalities in terms  of leadership  goals and objectives. The  first  is the reported carving of the empire of the Emir  of Kano  into six  different  emirates  by the governor of  Kano   State. The  second  is  the reaction of Senator  Shehu  Sani   of  Kaduna  State   to  the sermon by the Imam of the Aso Rock  Mosque to the effect  that the present  pervasive   insecurity  in the nation  is because  Nigerians have sinned . The  third  is  the  retort on insecurity  by our President that  the Inspector  General  of  Police  has lost  weight because  of  his  concern  and  actions to battle  insecurity.   The fourth  is  the show down  by the US House  of  Reps  with  the US  President over  the infallibility of the Legislature to overlook the actions of the government  through  summons and subpoenas and the resistance  of this by the current  Trump   Administration  which  is unapologetically anti political  correctness  and as such   no  respecter   of  any  notion  of  institutional   infallibility.

We  go back  to the  dismantling of the Kano Emirate and the dissipation of the authority of the Emir of  Kano.  It  is a logical   progression of  democratic  politics that traditional  institutions must  wither and decay to give way to  modern representative institutions in  a democracy. In  a way, the  creation   of the  Kano six  emirates on equal  footing  with the sole  Emir may  have political  undertones and   malice  but it  has shown  that the Emirship is  not  infallible  and is indeed  under the control  of a  modern democratic  government. The   distribution   of authority   is also  bound   to  improve the  management    of  security    which  in these  days   of  Boko  Haram    is   a Kano   government  priority.  Which    is  a sharp  departure  from  the  infallibility of the Emir    during  colonial   rule when the British   used  the colonial policy  of divide  and rule and Indirect  Rule to  make  the Northern Emirs absolute  rulers  over their  subjects  as long as they play ball and implement  the policies of the colonial  government.  Now, what is good for the goose is good for the gander  and the Emirs  must   now  play  ball with an elected  government  of the people  called  democracy in  Kano  State.

In  Kaduna State  Senator Shehu  Sani  was reported as lambasting the Imam of  Aso    Rock  Mosque  who  preached that the recent  killings and kidnappings were   a test  from  Allah.  The senator disagreed  and said the insecurity  was the result  of a failure of leadership which  I found logical. This  is because    it is the duty of government to provide  security for the people that elected it into power in any democracy including  Nigeria.  According  to the senator ,   religious  leaders fail  to tell  Nigerian leaders the truth but talk to the poor in a fiery  manner .According  to  Sani ‘ it is the way  of state clergies to preach  to power  with flowers  and  the poor  with  flames’ and that they ‘ reshape  the gospel to  comfort and exculpate  power‘.  Of  course  such  sermons  and false  advice  are  not infallible  as the good senator has shown and  the bitter  truth is that until  the religious  institutions speak  truth  to  power   on the dire condition of our national  security, the rulers will persist  in their infallibility in thinking that they  have done their best   and  they  can  not  do  any more.

Such  negative  attitude  must  have been  read into  the joke  of the Nigerian  president  on his return   from his recent  overseas trip  when  he said   that  the Inspector  General  of  Police in charge  of  our national  security has  lost weight in  finding solution to the pervasive insecurity in the land.  Some  have accused the president of treating the issue of security  with levity and showing  the trait  of infallibility  on the  matter. I  beg  to disagree and see things  differently . Some  have even gone on to assert that since  some security chiefs are  pot bellied and overweight it shows from  the President’s description of the IGP’s  weight  and work that overweight security  bosses are  not  diligent like the IGP. I  beg  to  disagree  and will show why.

To  me the President’s observation on the IGP’s weight   showed  empathy  and  understanding of the mammoth  security  problem  facing the IGP. In  addition the President as Commander In Chief in charge of security is also  accepting responsibility on behalf of the IGP  for  any  shortcomings on the matter. The  president is saying that he has delegated responsibility to the IGP but  he has not abandoned that responsibility and he has trust  in his IGP.  That  can  only spur the IGP  to  aspire  to do better  and that gives us hope that there is no infallibility  on the part of government  with regard  to the killings in the nation.  We  can only pray  that the chain of security  command  and  management  is  tight   and   productive   enough   in the short  run,  rather    the  longer    term ,  to deter the criminals and hoodlums  who  are challenging the authority of the Nigerian  state so  boldly   in protecting  its people.

Lastly  US  President  Donald  Trump  has shown the US  Lower  House  that  his Administration  will  not  be cowered  by  the perceived infallibility of  the oversight  functions of the House in summoning government  officials for questioning even  when  the law  protects such  officials.  That  has led to the Attorney  General  failing to show up and  his arraignment  for contempt  before the House.  In addition Trump  has invoked his executive powers to protect state security  and operational   matters in the face of the assumed infallibility of the House to probe as it wills.  That is the   presidential system  of  checks  and balances at play  in uncharted  waters.  This     definitely  shows  that pragmatic  politics can make a mess of untested authority camouflaging in the guise of tradition,  protocols and blatant  infallibility even  in a free wheeling  and time tested democracy like the US.  Once again long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.

Imagine Baba  Sala the famous Nigerian comedian defeating MKO, the winner of the famous   June 12  election,  in a presidential election and you will get an idea of what happened in the real presidential election in Ukraine recently.  Similarly imagine our security chiefs resigning because of street protests in Abuja and Lagos and you see the gravity of the situation in  Sudan where protesters in  Khartoum, the capital have not only forced their president out of office, but have also forced his replacement and some generals to resign in the same  Sudan. Now   cap   these  imaginations  with   the    real    and   working    visit   this  week   of  the  Nigerian  president   to  Maiduguri  and  Lagos    the  capitals  of two  states,  and  Borno  and  Lagos,  both  of  which  suffer  respectively    from  the  notorious  terrorism  of  Boko  Haram,  and the    provocative    nuisance  of  trailers making life and traffic a  real  drudgery   for  citizens  and  workers  in  Lagos,  and  you  have a feeling of my mood as I write  today  on this  vibrant  topic.

By   now  you  would  have sensed   that   I   am  trying   to  make sense   and   reason  out  of  a form  of  anger politics  in democracies  around the world  that has  thrown  up  unexpected leaders  and strange    winners  of  elections  in  many   political systems.  It  is my contention   today   that  a new Arab  Spring    of   2011  is back  in modern  global   democratic  politics . It  may  not exactly   be  bloody, violent  and   dismissive  like the French  Revolution    of   1789   but  it  is  angry and vitriolic  enough against  established  and well  known sources and origins of power  in  contemporary   modern  society.  Even  in  France  the nation of    Revolutions   it  has taken  its fresh  toll in planting a   political  nonentity in power  in France’s  last  presidential  election. Even  then, the revolution  is not finished  with him  and France  yet, as the  angry   and  violent  Yellow vests  have shown  that unlike the French  revolution of  1789,   the  new  French did not elect a Napoleon  Bonaparte into  power  to build  climatic   empires  abroad at the expense  of the hard working suffering  masses of  France, when  they  elected Emman Macron  as president in France’s   last  presidential election.

It  is my contention again  that the global anger against  the established  political order in any political system is so intense   that it does not  care who  takes  over or who wins elections as long as the   existing, known  and    repugnant political   order and failed system  is swept  away  and replaced.  That  is what happened this week  in Ukraine where a clown, Volodymyr Zelensky  who  played  the role of president in   fictional  films in reality  became  an elected president by  defeating the incumbent  president, Petro  Poroshenko who  campaigned woefully  on the clown’s  incapability  to  understand  the rudiments of  governance.  But  the clown   Zelensky is now  president and  has defeated the incumbent billionaire president, Poroshenko in claiming  electoral  victory in a nation’s  rare  and new    fit  of anger against  a non  performing political order. That    in a   way   seems  to  be the order of the day in many  political  systems  nowadays   and  it is in   such tautological terms that one should  see  the emergence of a Donald  Trump in the 2016 US  presidential  elections and the many problems of the American political system thereafter.

Let  me postulate  again,  that  in reality, political  anger in terms of protests  and sit ins and even violent  protests,   do not always achieve their  objectives  successfully  as in Algeria and Sudan  recently. Egypt  is a  good  example  of  a revolution   that  misfired. The Arab Spring   of 2011   started   in Tunisia    and  toppled the Mubarak regime in  Egypt   and the Egyptian  army played  along  initially   as a friend of the revolution.  An  elected government, the first democratic government in Egypt was put in place, headed  by millionaire Morsi. That  democratic  government  was later toppled  by the Egyptian  army as  the leader of that   army  General  Fattah Al  Sisi  played  ball  in toppling  his   former  boss Mubarak   and  came to power.  Protesters  were then sentenced to death or jailed and tramautised in all aspects of Egyptian life. This  week,   the  army  Commander and  now President Sisi  has amended  the Egyptian   constitution  in a  referendum to make him remain in power till  2030.  That  is a good  example  of  a counter productive revolution or a protest  that  went haywire, a major potential  risk  of any  anti – .government protests nowadays.

Let  us now  let the chicken come home to roost here in Nigeria with the visits  of our president to Lagos  and Maiduguri  to commission infrastructure projects before  jetting out to London reportedly from Maiduguri.  The  two cities visited  by the president  to launch  infrastructural  projects  are  significant  for  the  purposes of this  topic  for two  reasons. One  has to do with traffic congestion and deterioration of the quality of  life both private  and public for  the citizens of  Lagos. The  other  has to do with security  as well as the safety of life and property in  Maiduguri  where Boko  Haram has made life a horror  for the citizens with suicide bombers,  such  that  the Shehu  of Borno  once complained to  the president on a similar visit,  that nobody  is safe from the bombings and suicide attacks within the confines of  Maiduguri. This was an ancient  city protected by the Emperors  of the ancient Karnem Bornu Empire against  the Jihad of the Sokoto  caliphate  such  that  the Sokoto  Caliphate  Jihad  never  conquered the Karnem Bornu Empire. Nowadays  however  that ancient city trembles  under the terrorism of  Boko Haram  and Maiduguri  citizens and their rulers feel unsafe and unprotected. They  have   nevertheless  shown their  doggedness and resolve in supporting democracy and supporting  the president in the last elections when  they trooped out en mass to  reelect  the president with   more  votes   than the safer parts   of  the nation.  The  projects  commissioned by  the president   this week  should  in my view   be such  that will  guarantee the safety of life and property  of the citizens of  Maiduguri  from the bloody  terrorist  fangs and suicide  bombs of Boko Haram.  Otherwise   the projects will  become sitting ducks for  Boko  Haram  terrorism because  development  and human  progress  can only stagnate in an environment  where  government  cannot    guarantee  the safety of life  and property of its citizens at any time –  and that  is overdue in Maiduguri  and its environs in the face  of unrelenting and furious Boko Haram  insurgency.

However  the city of  Lagos  faces  a different challenge both  to its rulers and citizens. The  challenge is not terrorism  as in Maiduguri   with the menace of Boko  Haram.  But  it is equally  debilitating  and  energy  sapping enough to make  Lagosians  feel  like  the living dead in their environment. It is traffic  congestion of the worst  order especially  on the main three bridges  that  workers,  traders, school  children, students take to work, schools, markets   and their places of  abode.  At  key  points and parts of the city and  at  the bridges ends, and on  them, lines of trailers clog  the flow of traffic in  and out of Lagos Island,  the key  commercial  heart throb  of commercial  Nigeria. The trailers look   menacing and hostile and have  caused numerous  accidents  both when they  are  mobile or packed at  night without any light or hazard  caution. The  names on them  are notably  those  of Dangote and some leading Nigerian companies, which  appear unfazed by the poor  or hostile  corporate image their long lines of packed trailers on Lagos bridges  convey in the public mind in Lagos.  Even   on Ikorodu Road the main traffic  artery out of Lagos  into Nigeria, the trailers  have taken  over along the vast  express  way. What  is insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians is the fact  that trailers are cleared  for  visits like that of the president last week and resume their nuisance, cruel   and  disturbing presence even  before the president has boarded his plane  in Ikeja  back to  Abuja.  Again  it is my view that whatever the president came to commission in Lagos  should solve  the menace of trailers clogging the traffic in Lagos state  and making  every  day  living and commuting, an  unhealthy  experience  for those living in Lagos, the real  commercial capital  of Nigeria. Once again, long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

As state governments transit to change hands after the last presidential elections in Nigeria it is now clear how many governors  are migrating from the seat of power in our state capitals to the Nigerian  senate   in  Abuja. To  such  former governors it is  a  positive development for it keeps them in power  and perhaps  at a more  prestigious level   at  the federal  level  than  their  posts  in the state  capitals.  For  them  the saying on  Julius   Caesar, Emperor   of  the   Ancient Roman  Empire   that –  for  Caesar it  is better  to be first  in a village  than  second  in Rome –  is  not  applicable.  This is   because   in Abuja,  in our very  Imperial red  seat senate  they  are still  very  much in  power in the legislature  as part of the checks  and balances of our  presidential  system  of  government. That  is what  I want  to label  as tenacity of office  today.   I  will  then go   on to  show  that  it is not that condemnable as long as the new  senators bring impeccable credentials to the senate as former  governors who  performed in  their  previous  assignments  to have earned such  power  promotion  to their new political  assignments.

Interestingly  the desperation of governors to get  to the senate in Nigeria is best illustrated by the plight of the Imo  State  governor   Okorocha  who  allegedly  put a gun to the head  of the INEC conductor of his election to announce  him winner. A misdeed    for which INEC refused to give him a winner’s  certificate and   for   which  a court in which he filed  a protest  has refused  to consider his case, such  that  he is in a quandary  on how  he  can fulfill  the power  fashion of  governors  becoming senators after their tenures  as governors in Nigeria.

As  I said  before  performance  matters in the way and manner governors resurrect in our  senate  after their  tenure. This is just plain common sense in that even a primary school student knows that to be  promoted he  must  earn  that  promotion by passing his exams which  indicate good performance.  That  was the humorous way  that  Chief Igbinedion  campaigned for the reelection of his son Lucky  as governor of  Edo  state by  saying  rhetorically  that  if he had  performed in office he  should  be given  another term of office as a reward. So  on the face of it  I  do  not quarrel  with tenacity of office  provided it is anchored on  good  performance which  can  be echoed in the saying  that you  do  not change  a winning team  in  football.  It  is   definitely the same  in politics according to the rules  of tenure  and succession.

Given  that  the presidential  elections  have come and gone  and the incumbent  president  has  been  reelected one can  safely assume that  the reelection is a reward  for performance in the last  four years of  his first  term  of  office. That  would be a fair and realistic  assessment. But  it is not all  that glitters that is gold and the ruling and victorious party  the  APC  knows that. One  could point out constraints, unexpected,  that made optimum performance impossible like the president’s  sickness;  or  the hijacking of the senate by the senate president and the defections  that  made  the resurrection of  PDP possible  as the war against corruption floundered in the absence of the president and anti  corruption forces rallied and fought back  so  massively  that  the PDP, infamous  for  corruption  got  more states than it deserved in the 2019  elections.  But  every  cloud   has its silver lining.  That  of the APC is the fact  that it  has not allowed itself  to slip into  complacency   in  retaining power  now and in the future. That  is how  I see the   call  by  the National  Leader of the APC  Senator Bola Ahmed  Tinubu   for  the government  to review its policy  on power such  that  Nigerians  can  be able to  thank it as an  agent  of  change  and  economic   empowerment  of Nigerians.  It  is in the light of meaningful  performance in office that one should  view  the call  by the Jagaban  on his government  not to increase  VAT because  of  its dire  economic  consequences  on our productive resources  and the sectors that   are the goose that lays Nigeria’s  golden  eggs in all ramifications for  the Nigerian  economy. In  a way  the Jagaban has played his  part like  the  American  general who  rallied his troops  after a failed assault  by  telling them home  truths  on  their deficiencies  and  prodding them  to victory  with  the admonition   –‘ we  have seen  the enemy  and the enemy  is US.‘

Let  us  leave Nigeria  for a while  and look  globally  on the way  today’s  topic is playing out in some capitals  of  the world  and  with  their leaders.  In  terms of leaders  who  have not performed  but are  clinging   to power   tenaciously  there is insurrection against  their  tenure in Algeria  and  Sudan.  In Israel  where an  election just  took place the  incumbent PM   Benjamin  Netanyahu  won  a  famous but  close victory by  making  security  and nationalism  his last  ditch  political  assault. In  the  US embattled President  Donald  Trump  who  just  survived the Mueller Investigations on his election in 2016  took  the fight to his enemies  by  prompting his Attorney  General to probe   those  who initiated the Mueller Probe  of his election on the ground of plotting a coup against  his election   thereby   committing treason.  I will   examine  these global events serially.

In  Algeria 82  years  old   President  Abdelaziz   Bouteflika   after   20  years   in office  finally  gave in and agreed to quit office after weeks of protests  by Algerian  youths  who  said he was too old  to govern  and has ruined their  present and future by  his  poor  leadership that  has made their  economy  moribund  and the youths  massively  jobless. Bouteflika  had stroke and had not  been seen  in public till  the protests  started. Instead  of reading  the handwriting on the wall for him to go,  he came out to sack  his cabinet and clung to power. But the protests continued and he had  to  give  in this week.  A good example on how tenacity of office  cannot  survive  poor leadership  performance.

That  was  the  situation in Sudan  too where the army propped up the Omar  Al  Bashir ‘s dictatorship  for over three decades and   finally  toppled  it this week. Protests against bread and fuel  prices started in Khartoum, Sudan’s old capital weeks  ago. They  were led by professionals in Sudan especially  doctors who were severely   beaten and manhandled by Bashir’s  henchmen  and security  forces. This week  they used real arms to disperse the protesters and the army finally  asked Bashir  to quit  after 30  years  of ruling without economic progress.

I  skip  Netanyahu’s victory  for now  and end up with a good example of  leadership performance  in terms of  economic progress   and  good   tenacity  of office,  albeit in controversial  circumstances. That  example is  US President  Donald  Trump who  I initially  labeled  before his election, which I predicted, as the Nemesis of American  politics . Before you  call  me names let  me  give you  a quote from him on his inability to disclose his tax returns  because he is under  audit,  which he claims the US laws  allow. According  to Trump  – I built  a great  company, one of the best companies. I  have some of the  greatest  assets in the world. I did  a good job  and now frankly I don’t care about them. I only  care  about the United States.’ How  many world leaders can  boast  so  credibly    and boldly  on top of a performing economy  in the two  years he had  been in office  against  all  the odds?.  Certainly,  not  many.  But  that is the way  that tenacity of office  can  be beneficial  without protests in any democracy. Once  again, long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.