Muhammad Muhsin Ibrahim
@muhsin234
Without digging deeper into the
history lane in the Nigerian politics, many people know that last-hour relinquishment,
nay betrayal, by swayers in a political journey often results to the success or
failure of a particular candidate. For instance, Kano people saw that in 1999 when a
comparatively more popular Engr. Magaji Abdullahi lost governorship election to
Engr. Rabiu Kwankwaso. There was a similar scenario in 2011 at the presidential
election. General Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) entered into
an ill-advised alliance with Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) at the last
minute of the eleventh hour. It didn’t work as feared. ACN and its south-western supporters dumped
CPC and the party’s candidate, too, Nuhu Ribadu for President Goodluck Jonathan
(and his party, PDP).
Yesterday, a well-informed Yoruba friend
of mine posted on Facebook that an experienced friend of his feared that
opposition might yet again give in to PDP on March 28 presidential election.
Needless to mention, by “opposition”, he means ‘their’ people, the south-western
political bloc. Some among the respondents expressed more trepidation; others
rejected the caution outright as baseless, for, according to them, the
opposition of today is far more formed, firmed and formidable. Thus, it couldn’t
and wouldn’t be sold out. I sincerely think otherwise, for, after all, Mr. Bola
Tinubu and co. are not as honest as some Nigerians seem to think and believe.
Many people have a cotton-candy
view of the opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC). They ought to wake up to the reality. Looking
at the party as an entity and its members as individuals reveals a
simple fact that most of them are no better than their counterparts in PDP.
They are largely the same, if not even worse. During its embryonic days, I
argued that deserted PDP members in APC are like an old wine in a new bottle,
except a few. Numerous crooks saw APC as a heaven, or as a remedial niche,
where a common membership cleanses them of any sins no matter how grave.
Tribalism aside, and fact be said, many
Hausas trust Yorubas very little in politics and fewer can vouch for their pledge
of allegiance. Where, for instance, the late Chief MKO Abiola, a Yoruba candidate,
defeated Alhaji Bashir Tofa woefully in his own state, Kano , of all places; General Buhari has never
won any state in the south-west, in all his three consecutive contests, even with
an accord in 2011. Therefore, if, God forbid, it happens again on March 28,
Nigerians should not be bemused, not even surprised, for it’s simply a history
repeating itself.
No denying that the north suffers
more in the hands of President Jonathan, but nobody is immune. The dreadful depreciation
of Naira, for example, and the hiking inflation in the country affect everyone.
Likewise insecurity does not kill only the northerners; many southerners are
also plunged as armed robbers, kidnappers and cultists are increasingly having
field days. Systemic failure, falling standard of education, corruption, etc
are gnawing the fabrics of the country in the whole. Therefore, the
continuation of Jonathan is not peculiarly a northern problem. It’s all ours.
I am not being pessimistic; I am
rather a realist now and always. The earlier those south-western oligarchs
rethink what they are musing, the better. They are not doing any good for their
people, not for themselves. For now, it may yes seem that Jonathan’s corruption-ridden
government may give them a plump reward, but that cannot sustain them forever. Only a better Nigeria can, and the simple way
towards finding that is by kicking this government out and voting in a better (note:
not the best, for he too is not) person, a little more committed party, the
APC.
I hope and pray that should they
refuse to heed the aforementioned, then their people should revolt against
them. They are not God-sent nor must-obey; they are humans. It is high time
Nigerian youth stood up for their right, for themselves and their future. We are
the victims of Immigration Recruitment tragedy, of 2011 post-election violence,
of Boko Haram insurgency and so on. What more motivation are we waiting for to
be ourselves, to use our God-given conscience, to practice the kind of politics
of non-violence we see in the developed world? It’s now or never!
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