Clash of Ambition in Taraba: Who is the Necessary Evil? -By Felix Peter Vogarempi

Felix Peter Vogarempi

One of the most conventionally accepted modern system of government is ‘Representative Democracy’ which is a form of system where people run the government or exercise political powers through their elected representatives. These representatives are either in the executive or legislatives organs of government. Therefore the means by which a person represent his/her people in Nigeria as an executive member or legislative member is embedded in Nigerian constitution which is guaranteed through electoral processes, Nigeria as a nation strongly uphold the tenet of democratic system both in federal, state and local government level. Today Nigerians have been pitched at the stage of ideological and physical conflicts because of political interest and party affiliation, and this has led to retrogressive development in our beloved country, this affirms the saying of our elders that two rams cannot drink from the same bucket at the same time, they will lock horns.

The desperate political ambition among Nigerian political candidates and their followers post a serious threat to the democratic processes and this desperation to have political office have led to what is considered as clash of ambition. At the centre of power the party that may show case their candidates are APC and PDP, i.e. it is going to be between the APC’s Buhari and the yet to be known PDP candidate (possible contenders are Sule Lamido, Atiku Abubakar etc). In the states level especially in Taraba State there are many contenders for the executive office, i.e. governor’s seat but the candidates to watch are PDP’s Darius Ishaku Dickson and yet to be known APC’s candidates (potential candidates are Aisha Alhassan, professor Yahaya etc), the fact that some candidates are yet to officially declare their intention their supporters are already drumming for war if their candidates fail. The large number of contenders for the legislative office i.e. house assembly seat in Zing local government area is very startling and disconcerting, it seems everybody want to become member house of assembly whether qualified or unqualified, the top contenders for this office are John Kizito Bonzena (PDP), Pascal Felix Pulevo (APC), Kallamu Alhamdu (PDP), Mrs Leah Oluseyi (PDP), Mrs Christy (PDP) Fidelis Adamu etc.

The conventional principles of judgement holds that each government, political officer, civil servant, public servant are to be judged by the good or harm that they do to individuals, the above contenders for the political offices are known citizens and their profiles are well known and documented from their past place of work, political, governmental and individual responsibility, in honesty, from objective perspectives and conscience, who do you as a good citizen consider among these candidates to be the necessary evil for the Taraba state? Be it in the executive or legislative office. The concept necessary evil is a philosophical concept which refers to an evil that must be allowed for a greater good to result, this is to say they are human and has their weaknesses, and therefore they are not angels and cannot proffer solution to most of the community problems

I am writing as a philosophical pundit not an attack on political party or individual candidates, this is an invitation to all educated Tarabans to ruminate on the existential reality on ground before drumming support for any candidates, you should have your why, and it should not be on religious sentiment, regional bias, tribal, age, party affiliation or peripheral belief but cogent reasons that may bring development to our country. Those shouting Bonzena 2019, Kallamu 2019, Youth project 2019, Leah 2019, united project 2019, Christy 2019, etc, you are perfectly right to drum your support for whoever is your candidate, this should not be  an avenue for insulting each other’s personalities and choice, it should be an avenue to sell your candidate, portray him through your attitudes as a marketable candidate but not through your vulgar comment or post on social media or any means of communication or means of attacking other individual personalities . Finally Use your head   or you will be represented by thugs, futureless leaders and those whose interest are in gathering wealth for themselves, building whore houses instead of youth empowerment and community development