Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” admonishes the scriptures in Matthew 6:33, “and all these things would be added unto you.” That was the Christ Jesus telling the multitude to shun mammon, and glory in godly living.
If people’s faith is their way of life, then politics is the life of citizens in a democracy. Even if you are not an active politician, you’re periodically being called to exercise your franchise by those politicians, for whom politics is a way of life.
Whatever your attitude, even more than the hyper-visible executive positions of president and governors, just know that securing the parliament is key. If you did that, you just may have secured the political equivalent of the biblical kingdom of God, and frankly, you can expect every other thing to follow.
How so? Ask All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole. He has been reported in the news, saying his ruling federal party would reward loyal party members in the National Assembly, and do away with opportunists and traitors.
Ha, Comarade Adams should know! Since 2015, his party had endured a pair, at the helm of its parliamentary machine, who answer Dr. Jerkyl, representing APC during the day; but no less zealously, answer Mr. Hyde of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at night.
The duo of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara ensured a slowdown, if not outright sabotage, of legislative backing for President Muhammadu Buhari’s programmes — in delayed budgets, padded budgets, rogue bills forged to ensure own selfish interests, threat to abandon parliamentary confirmation duties as rogue protest, sundry cynical filibustering and allied parliamentary rascality, that tend to de-market the government in which they both served.
The latest phase of that enemy-in-the-house-war-of-attrition took off when Saraki announced senatorial defections to the opposition, hoping to build a new rogue majority that would still retain him as senate president, even in PDP colours! Talking of Mr. Hyde finally coming out in the open! Since that backfired, it’s been parliamentary shutdown — maybe until new stratagems are forged?
Dogara has, more or less, pranced in Saraki’s wide and merry way. As he has crossed over to PDP, he stands degraded, by the standing numbers, as a minority lawmaker. Yet, he holds on as “Speaker”. Well, the bastion of this 8th National Assembly is hardly honour!
Hardball’s concern is not parliamentary personalities per se. Politicians of several hues would still be politicians and would play politics — euphemism for cynical opportunism, if they can get away with it.
Hardball is rather concerned with getting the people a good deal. That is what the 8th National Assembly, under the duo of Saraki and Dogara, are not doing.
That is why, as we build up to another bout of elections, the parties must ensure that, whoever their candidates are, they are not just another band of opportunists, who would feed fat, mouth cant but leave the people’s job undone.
Which is why it is imperative to secure the parliament. It starts, first with the parties to present their best minds — diligent, honest, industrious and loyal to their party’s programmes. Then, the stage moves on for the people to choose right.
Those done, there would be assurance that both the executive and legislature are on the same page, double-charged to delivering a renascent Nigeria, where the people come first, and not the antics and whims decadent leaders, no more than vicious power dealers.
