Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s Political and Strategic Repositioning and the Political Future of Nigeria: A Reality Or A Mirage -By Dokpesi Timothy Adidi

In recent times, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has been on the frontline in the Nigerian Socio-Political discourse. His recent comments as far as the Nigerian Projects are concern calls for either suspicion or applause. The controversies, unwarranted comment, criticisms and reactions that characterize Mallam Nasir El-Rufai will either make him strategic in the political landscape or it will mar his political career. The possibility of trusting the Nigerian Project into his hand and the recent calls on restructuring, democratic consolidations and structure, community policing can either be taken seriously or neglected and taken for granted.

One fact remains, despite Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s progress in infrastructural development in Kaduna State and the issues that has bedeviled his administration in matters of insecurity that has given rise to ‘high density kidnapping and banditry’ puts the Governor of Kaduna State either in the searchlight or in the dark. Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in the past, present and almost in the future has been considered an enemy of the Nigerian Project when considering so many things at the same time. The climax was his rejection at the Nigerian Bar Association conference where he was selected and recommended as the keynote speaker. Has this really made Mallam Nasir El-Rufai unpopular? In my own opinion, I would not understand why he is becoming more popular in the political landscape despite the outcry rejection from almost every quarter.

Nonetheless, it is almost impossible not to accuse and malign him as an accomplice due to his reactions, comments and manner of seeing the issues that relates to his State in matters of insecurity. The more you want to accuse him of silence amidst killings in Kaduna State, the less you understand the dynamics involved as to determining whether it is possible for a Governor to be so interested in infrastructural development and at the same time be interested in the destruction of his own architectural cosmopolitanization and urbanization framework and foundations.

This is almost the same way of trying to either interpret Thomas Hobbes in his Social Contract Theory in which many have interpreted him to be an advocate of a ‘revolution’. It will be very difficult to ascertain the position of Thomas Hobbes in regards to calling for a revolution which is yet to be known as to what form of revolution is been advocated by him; but it is believed he indeed called for a revolution when the social contract is broken. It is most likely Thomas Hobbes did not advocate a bloody revolution; because in the verge of trying to establish a peaceful state, in which he described as ‘warre and brutish’ he ought to look for ways of making it peaceful amidst the bridge of the social contract. My interpretation could be wrong or correct; but at the same time, it is left for political theorist, political philosophers to constantly interpret.

The question is, is it possible to consider Mallam Nasir El-Rufai a friend or an enemy of the Nigerian Project? This will be difficult for me to give a straight forward answer; because in a place like Nigeria and with the social media as it is today, your comments can either make you or mar you. But the truth remains; and which is, it is either the future exonerates Mallam Nasir El-Rufai or the present makes him a victim of circumstances. During the days of Olusegun Obasanjo and the demolition characteristics bestowed on the personality of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) no one will ever imagine that he will emerge the Governor of Kaduna State despite the fear that he would come to carry out demolitions in Kaduna State. No doubt, he did carry out demolitions and it is very much obvious he did; but are the people of Kaduna State reconsidering the justification of the demolitions done so far? This again can be looked at critically with the current infrastructural development which of course he is known for as it is seen now. The only danger is that Infrastructural development without social cohesion put the state at risk to a deficit in integral development. In the midst of this am not an authority in this regard but the people residing in Kaduna State have a better opinion on this; since we cannot always give 100% in an examination.

Despite these exaggerated anxieties and worries Mallam Nasir El-Rufai did emerge as the Governor of Kaduna State; but whether the elections that emerged him as Governor of Kaduna State was a credible elections is again not within my jurisdiction to discern as competent courts can lay claim to his victory. At the point when in his first tenure it appears he was learning on the job and the show of his level of political maturity was almost doubted, it appears he would not have come back for a second term. Again he won the elections that were such controversial and open to debate; but again it is not within my jurisdiction to certify credible elections since a competent court has pass its Judgement on the elections. Whether this Judgement as given by competent courts is truth as against facts is again open to philosophical discussions. As it is, there is a need to decipher the realities and mirage in this whole process.

In one of my political reflections I tried to reconcile the visit of Olusegun Obasanjo to Kaduna State and made an attempt to X-ray some political dynamics involved and the strategic implications for the Nigerian Project. I did this because anyone familiar with political intricacies and intrigues will know that Olusegun Obasanjo is very strategic in the Nigerian project. No doubt, when Atiku Abubarkar was campaigning for the presidency there was a need for him to be reconciled to Olusegun Obasanjo; an event that was more pastoral than political as explained in the words of Matthew Hassan Kukah. This again is subject to interpretations and misinterpretations but the fact remains it appears Olusegun Obasanjo is politically strategic even in his age still full of sap and still green.

In the midst of all these, one cannot undermine the political future of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. The political future might not necessary be in terms of the Presidency but one of a key political stakeholder in the Nigeria Project as envisaged; and my interest here is to help Nigerians be more critical to ensure that the recent media chat between Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Seun of Channels television calls for serious attention, consideration, or should even be rejected as ‘whitewashing’ and a hypocritical gesture (everyone is free to interpret his recent interview and be responsible for their interpretation). Again, whether the opinion and recommendations of Mallam Nasir El-Rufai will bring a lasting solution to our political dilemma is left for the future to settle. This is because with the sense in which the Governor of Kaduna State dealt with the issues in such an objective manner and considering his political score cards in areas of insecurity as always put on the frontline of his administration; and when considering the present predicament we find ourselves in Kaduna State and the entire country at large and how he has been made an accomplice in so many ways, there will be every reason for some Nigerians to doubt his objectivity in this regard. To what extent can we say that he was objective if indeed he was? This again calls for serious debate; but again, not to throwaway the baby with the bathing water.

It is very hard to consider ones position on Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and the strategic repositioning he has garnered in recent times and the future of the Nigerian Project. To many it is a risk; but whether the risk is an informed one again calls for serious questioning. At the long run, his comments, reactions and contributions were indeed not out of place even if there are doubts. In fact, in the parlance of epistemology doubt can be the beginning of knowledge as some contemporary philosophers would not undermine doubt as a tool for a viable epistemological foundation. Again, whether the message and the messenger should be judged differently or taken to be one and the same thing is another area of interest that needs to be discerned.

The bottom line remains and which is, there is a clarion call and this call might be the beginning of a New Nigerian Project; irrespective of whether the call is a reality or a mirage. It is a wake-up call for this government to act on very fast and as a way of redefining our present and the future.

ADIDI, Dokpesi Timothy