Even now, it is not clear if amnesia is a disease or ailment peculiar to the Nigerian system or even Nigerians as a people. But the rate at which the deplorable setback permeates our public atmosphere is baffling. Indeed, if before now amnesia was an ailment, surely, it has deteriorated into a disease, with the hope such is not terminal.
That is our lot in view of the series of incredible rascality in the recent process towards the 2023 general election. For purposes of reminder, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, with the implied, if not active, encouragement of Aso Rock, defiantly exhibited ambition to participate in politics through bureaucracy. The second incident was the attempt of former President Goodluck Jonathan to smuggle himself back to office on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the same party, which removed him in 2015. In line with protocal, ex-President Jonathan’s matter merits the priority. For rebuke?
The attempt by the man shows to what low level of thinking our supposed leaders have consigned us. All of them, both in government and the profession of politics. I am being corrected here that politics is an art. So what? That we, the rest, are incapable of discerning what is tolerable from what is intolerable or that we should just swallow whatever is tossed at us, all in the name of politics? The foundation was laid in the lies unleashed on the Nigerian people. For the avoidance of any doubt, the issue was not on the human or even constitutional right of Jonathan to be elected into office again. Nigerian voters remain the judges on that. Instead, there were two insurmountable issues. The first was the very idea at all, while the second was the pack of lies scented round the shameless effort.
We, of course, have to be blunt that Aso Rock was all part of the conspiracy, despite the series of international assignments with which Jonathan was being decoyed. Accordingly, Jonathan should have persuaded himself that, if at all he was to embrace politics again, especially as an elected President, he should have been on the platform of the same political party on which he got elected in his first coming, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), at least as a mark of gratitude. Instead, the pack of lies almost chocked us. Jonathan kept us in the dark with his gobbledegook, while Aso Rock kept releasing wrong signals continuously by sending him (Jonathan) conveniently on foreign assignments. Despite the deceitful tactics, God, in His mercy, exposed them at the clandestine meetings between Jonathan and APC national chairman, Abdulahi Adamu, both of them always emerging from their meetings shaking hands with conviviality.
All these at a time outstanding members of the ruling party, including the sitting Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, were being encouraged to vie for the same post on the platform of the same party. If only that was the end of the dark valley to where they were dragging us. To keep us darker on the goings-on, a hitherto unknown figure in Bayelsa State, approached a law court with a demand for declaration that (despite an amendment to the Nigerian Constitution to end all confusion on the length of his tenure posed by the circumstances of his ascension to office) Jonathan was eligible once more to seek Nigerian presidency. Clearly, it was all in preparation to enable him contest on the platform of the same party, which disgraced him out of office in 2015. If Jonathan were that much of electoral value, why did he not, since 2015, seek return to office on the platform of the same party on which he (had) earlier been elected deputy state governor, substantive state governor, Vice President and President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the latter for almost six years?
The other issue on which Nigerians were dared and fed with lies was on the unprecedented attempt to infest the office of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with politics. It was as if the centre of action was the Jankara market in Lagos. Could it be true that Godwin Emefiele was to bid for the Presidency of Nigeria? The poser was not only whether he was bidding as the governor of the CBN but more importantly whether he was bidding from that office. The very thought of bidding at all could only be because Emefiele was tired of the office or does not care a hoot about rules and regulations guiding or even guarding the conduct of any governor of a Central Bank in any country anywhere in the world. It is mandatory for such a man to resign and pursue his new choice and, definitely, not from that seat. But what was Nigeria’s lot with a politicking governor of the Central Bank? The bravado and arrogance were daring. Calling the bluff of the nation, Governor Emefiele told whoever cared to listen that his critics could suffer heart attacks (en masse?), while, on his part, he was having fun. These were enough proof that he was contesting. But they continued misleading us even as the naira was on a free fall.
The N100 million charged to obtain forms for any aspiring presidential candidate was said to have been paid, in the CBN governor’s case, by almajiris and farmers reported to have benefitted from Emefiele’s policies. Obviously aware that such a lie could not be told to the marines, the Central Bank still said the amount (N100 million) should be refunded to the donors as he (the Central Bank governor was comfortable enough to fork out N100 million from the earnings of his working life of the past 35 years. One fact was missing. If the Central Bank governor had participated in the APC presidential primary election, what would he have done to earn victory or to have escaped defeat? Would he have incentivised the delegates or would he have been incentivised by rivals? With dollars of course. Emefiele was the first to credit Buhari had the right to choose his successor even before the man requested to be allowed to choose his successor.
The arrogance and bravado did not end there, as the nation was being bluffed as there was guidance from the Rock from which premises he chose to dish out the insult. Worse actions were to follow. An injunction was obtained at an Abuja high court compelling INEC to appear in court to explain why the CentralBank governor should not contest the primary election. Another injunction was obtained in Kwale (the Governor’s village) not to exclude Emefiele from contesting the APC presidential primary election.
As we cope (assuming we can cope) with the present standard in the conduct of public figures, any dissatisfaction is the hallmark of our degradation. Can we stop for a moment and imagine the governor of America’s Reserve choosing the green lawns of White House in Washington to assert his bid for the Presidency of the United States? Or the governor of the Bank of England on the precinct of No. 10 Downing Street, London, to boast of his impending foray into British politics?
The major concern. Immediately after the primary election, everybody seems to be back to the (ab)normal life, as if nothing happened. If we condoned the head of a sensitive agency like the Central Bank to dabble in politics from his office, we should be prepared for any other(s) like the Chief Justice, the Controller-General of Customs, the Controller-General of Immigration, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff or the Director-General of our secret police to contest elections from their incumbent public positions, thereby compromising their supposed neutrality. The Inspector-General of Police is not excluded. That is the legacy being left for the future.