Fubara Deserves Our Support To Strengthen Democracy -By Dele Sobowale

A precedent embalms a principle” – William Scott, 1745-1836

Trying to impose a successor on the electorate is frequently the last refuge of the elected official – President or Governor – who has several skeletons in his cupboard which might be exposed after he departs office. Some succeed; others fail. Even those which appeared like successful coups against the right of the people to choose their leaders all the time sometimes end in hostilities between the two office holders – whether in the public or private sectors.

Those with clean hands would allow due process to take its course in the selection or appointment of the next leader. Those with soiled fingers would go to any length to ensure that the next helmsman is someone they can trust to protect their own special interests – even if it is not in society’s interest. Nigerians have observed how several attempts have ended up. Quite frequently, it has not ended well.

“Men make history; but not just as they please” – Karl Marx, 1818-1883

Like most things reprehensible in our polity, the first attempt by a President to impose his successor on the party and the nation started with President Obasanjo. After his failed Third Term ambition, OBJ selected as his successor Governor Umaru Yar’Adua of Katsina State; who had shown no interest in vying for the presidency. Additionally, Yar’Adua had spent his last three years as Governor frequently out of the country for medical treatment. Those very close to him were aware that the poor man had grave health challenges.

He lacked the stamina for a job which breaks the health of strong men. Instead of allowing others more vigorous – Odili, Attah, Onu, Ezeife – to run for the office, Obasanjo used the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, under Nuhu Ribadu, to harass all the other contestants out of the race – sometimes based on unverified allegations. Yar’Adua collapsed during one campaign rally, at a time the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was already becoming a one-man show. He was flown abroad for treatment. No better divine warning was needed except for a man who was hell-bent on having his way, and damn the consequences like Obasanjo.

Yar’Adua became President; failed to last the distance and was replaced by the least prepared person to be President – also imposed by OBJ as Vice President. History would record that two of our first four Presidents, after 1999, were imposed by one man. Like most other Nigerians, OBJ soon discovered his great blunder when Jonathan stepped up as President. The frantic search for a successor yielded somebody far worse than Jonathan in every respect. At least, with GEJ the Nigerian economy grew on the average of about five percent for five years.

The rapid growth propelled Nigeria to the largest economy in Africa. Buhari, with strong endorsement from Obasanjo, took over, and, by 2018, the country became the poverty capital of the world. Two recessions, one in each term, yielded average annual growth of the economy of less than one and a half percent for eight miserable years under Buhari. Consequently, this country, by the end of this year, will no longer be the largest African economy.

We are heading for the fourth position. Obasanjo should be held mostly responsible for the under-development of Nigeria from 1999 till now. His administration failed to redeem its promises to Nigerians and he imposed successors worse than himself in every way imaginable. His administration also established the template for corruption in governance for others. Till today we still don’t know how $13-16 billion meant to increase power supply to 10,000MW per day vanished. The results are there for all to see.

GOVERNORS FOLLOWED BAD EXAMPLE

State governors soon followed Obasanjo’s bad example. Every out-going governor assumed that it was his right to determine for the people who should succeed him. For reasons which are still wrapped in mystery, the Deputy Governor is seldom the choice. Almost invariably, it is somebody else. That decision inevitably leads to political disruption in the states. The Governor, using the dictatorial powers of his office, ends up having his way within the party; but, that does not mean total victory. His party sometimes loses in the final election. But, even when his successor wins, he would soon discover, as Albert Camus, 1903-1960, told us, that “there is no equality in the world of power”.

Awolowo tapped Akintola as his successor in the old Western Region. They became sworn-enemies in the end. Governors Chimaroke Nnamani, Enugu State, Aregbesola in Osun State hand-picked their successors and they ended as antagonists. That pattern has been followed several times in Nigeria since Awolowo and Akintola. The enmities started by the main actors infect their followers and families for decades. Few chosen successors have been willing to play the figure-head role assigned to them by the former leader. This is not surprising, because Africans generally don’t learn from history – even the most recent history.

FUBARA VERSUS WIKE – WHY TAKE A STAND?

“Democracy will survive if we fight for it” – US President Barrack Obama. The CNN repeats that advert frequently; and to me, not often enough. Democracy, in spite of its faults, is the only form of government which rests on the principle that power belongs to the people. It is also the only one which demands that peoples’ votes should count. Political parties and their leaders, generally selfish, would rather water down the peoples’ powers by bending the rules and monopolizing the power.

That is why political god-fathers exist. They are leaders of conspiracies aimed at seizing the resources of the nation and sharing among a few people in their cabal. Unfortunately, we, the people, indulge and even encourage them. The result invariably is atrocious governance. It is only when we re-assert our right to choose that we can expect good governance. And, we should seize every opportunity to defend our power. Fubara versus Wike is only the latest, but not by any means the last example of a Governor wanting to lengthen his two terms by imposing a figurehead as his replacement. I am always delighted each time the plot blows up in their faces.

One of the happiest days of my life was the day Obasanjo’s Third Term ambition was terminated. Still financially strong then, I treated everybody in sight to a free drink and ‘suya’ the day the Third Term bid hit the rocks in the Senate. Nigerians, on that day, brought an end to life-time presidency such as Cameroonians suffer under right now. By giving our full support to Fubara, we will start to send a message to Governors that they should leave when their terms expire; instead of seeking to extend control beyond their legitimate tenures. If anyone needs bad examples of anointed candidates, Governor Soludo defending his predecessor Obiano and Ododo preventing the arrest of Bello should serve as warnings to voters whenever a Governor selects his successor – instead of allowing the people to choose.

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