Will Democracy Eventually Dethrone Feudalism In Northern Nigeria As Time Goes On -By Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh

Every time an average northerners’ shallow mindedness or power of perception is excused on the altar of having been molded by the feudalistic system of administration in the region because he perceived things in a much different way from his southern compatriot; I always responded by reminding whoever it concerned that feudalism doesn’t make people mad. Feudalism, as I understand it does not reduce a people’s sense of knowing their need.

Or does it? When a people are governed by a feudal lord, what happens is that the said ‘lord’ sustains self in power by playing on the mindset of his subjects. For example, a feudal lord who governed the people in the area of selling trado-medicine to them; quickly backs his claims for potency by either giving it a religious coloration or colored it by playing sycophant to any notable religious or political figure.

He does this because he understood the thought process of the people. Look at feudal lords who are currently gunning for one political office or the other; you will easily notice that although one vied for senate, he attaches the photograph of Mr. President and the people see this and are glad. Just recently, media was treated to a delightful story of bribery and corruption which involved Gov. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano state.

Now, notwithstanding the authenticity of that story – that is, whether or not he was guilty as charged – any other culprit would not have survived the damage to reputation. The first national assembly of the 4^th Republic witnessed the fall from grace to grass of Hon. Salisu Buhari – the ‘renowned’ graduate from the Toronto University, Canada – who as Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives boldly claimed that he was a graduate of Toronto.

He was not so lucky because then, he was not fast enough to hide behind any popular sentiment that could protect him from the law. The truth is, one of the reasons why feudal lords continued to lord it over the people is the fact that an average northerner believed in buying food stuffs cheaper than the prevailing price, believed in utopian religious fallacies as well as that their poverty was because the southerners controlled the region’s economy.  

On their part, the feudal masters hardly exerted on the people with their own ambitious desire rather they weaved their desires around the people’s mindsets; some of which are highlighted above. Every body knows about the educational crisis in the north but what only a few is aware of, is the fact that this crisis is a mindset that has been exploited over the years by feudalism and so whoever stands up to challenge it now became an enemy.

Even though democracy is gradually advancing, the reality is that it remained a threat to feudal interests in the northern region. Since inception, the 4^th Republic has witnessed a lot of politically motivated killings in the region north of Nigeria. Elections have continued to be a do-or-die affair. The latest campaign for the presidency of Nigeria – which is generally conceded as the turn of a northerner by the zoning arrangement – may not be different.

The fact that two major contenders are – Alh. Atiku Abubakar and General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) – from the north and are both faithfuls of Islam has done little or nothing to change this reality. Yes, it can not be disputed how many feel about these two towering personalities, yet the truth is that in these two and in the coming elections; Nigeria is being treated to a melodrama featuring the clash between feudalism and civilization.

Why is Buhari so popular with the have-nots in the north while Atiku is not? On face value, apologists of Muhammadu Buhari want Nigerians to believe that Atiku Abubakar represented contemporary feudal lords but a closer look exposes the lie for what it is. Agreed that Buhari is and will remain a decent personality but agreed also is the fact that he has lost control of his government and was at the moment; only a puppet.

If Atiku Abubakar was a feudal lord as his opponents wants us to believe, he would’ve been very popular with the have-nots and, the fact that he owns a university in the region made him all the more unpopular. This is because the have-nots are strongly against western education and like I said earlier whoever felt otherwise was an enemy. Atiku has talked about the need to restructure but his stance was against feudal interest.

Atiku is against everything the feudal interests represented. He frowns at nepotism and sectionalism in this government. He has also openly romanced with his compatriots from the south and owns business concerns over there. Now, the feudal interest would not so much as build one industry in the north to employ the people but they no doubt can make allowance for free monies and for smuggling of contraband items as a way to assuage the have-nots instead of encouraging them to earn a living.

Civilization is about positive change. It is about the laying down of irrelevant and the taking up of cultures that has contemporary relevance. Feudalism is about status quo and backwardness. A government that fights corruption but encouraged nepotism only goes to show that they did not understand what they are doing in the first instance. Buhari’s effort to lift his brethren has sunk his government deep into a sinkhole.

He does not think that every Nigerian was equal in terms of opportunity. But this is what feudalism is about; when a select few enjoyed all the privileges while at the same time pretending to care for the interest of those they would never allow to know what they knew. Because democracy is civilization, one is tempted to ask: will democracy eventually dethrone feudalism in northern Nigeria as time goes on?

It’ll be better we understood what we are going into before – like Boko Haram – the north some day turns around to accuse this federation of deceiving it into democracy. So far, I do not know an Islamic country that has thrown its weight behind democracy or that is a successful democracy. We can see that despite ineptitude; despite crass impunity, the likes of Abdullahi Ganduje will go scot free with whatever offense they are accused of.

Nigeria has not progressed as should be due to the situation whereby the forces of retrogression (feudalism) constantly clashed with the force of civilization. What I see of 2019 is APC’s taking power at the cost of much innocent blood. If feudalism was the same as civilization; with shared interest will it matter whether Atiku won? I might sound a bit off- track in this write-up but believe me the clash of these forces is real.

This clash (for instance) was at work during the Late Yar’Adua’s government and the man of honor (May his gentle soul rest in peace) took sides with the force of civilization and paid the price for challenging feudal interest. We have heard Aisha Buhari at different times mentioned some powerful interests who had enormous influence on her husband.  All because of the vestiges of power; they are ready to create anarchy if need be.

They tell us that thieves were ganging against Buhari’s desire to seek re-election but who has really disappointed us between – the PDP of yester years and the APC of now? PDP’s madness could be excused for they did not forecast relinquishing power in the next 60 years back then. But the APC knew all these yet their performance can never be placed side by side with the madness of the PDP’s 16 years.

The past 16 years are no doubt fraught with many incidences that are blamed today as directly responsible for the realities of comatose in the scheme of things. However, it is irresponsibility on the part of the current administration and its too many apologists to continue to find their excuse for failing in the things that happened in the past. That is why I know that whoever wins in the 2019 election would be the one who most out-buys the voters.

With the unwillingness to come out and campaign like they did in 2014; talking about the likes of Rotimi Amaechi, Lai Mohammed, Bola Tinubu and John Oyegun’s reluctance, the most probable of the limited options left for the APC if it must return itself to power come 2019 was to buy out the electorate. They have given their reasons for not signing the Electoral Act into law as amended and Nigerians are asking: Was it the president’s first opportunity to have signed that Act? If he had signed it a long time ago, the reasons offered would’ve not been plausible.

To say that Nigeria is One was indeed, arrant nonsense. The clash between feudalism and civilization is the sole reasons why Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB is considered by everyone except Mr. President as a freedom fighter. But to the feudalistic, Kanu must remain a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria that has already been mortgaged to feudalism. Unless you are an apologist for feudalism, you are shunned from gaining employment by merit. Contract-by-nepotism is today more potent than contract-for-sale. WHAT A SHAME!

I can go on and on; pointing to the features of this administration which I believe made its affinity with feudalism almost impossible to refute. The south-south geopolitical zone had in their moments of torment, lamented against the feudal oligarchy. The Middle belt region is at the moment crying foul. Beyond them, scores of citizens have had their rights abused in one way or the other.  I mean, bona fide Nigerians.

If not feudalism, what is still keeping Sheikh El-Zakzaky in prison? What is not clear now is why millions of Nigerians – who have become slaves of the feudal system – still clamored to have Mr. President re-elected and thus experience the NEXT LEVEL of change that may be worse or perhaps better disguised than what obtains now. Feudalism is indeed dangerous. What we should be concerned about today is where democracy would be if the APC returns to power because there is no doubt where it is now; 3 years on.      

By and large, it is the responsibility of government to lead by example. One wondered if it was right as per common sense to beat the people (one claimed to want to save) into the earth just so one could say: Hey, I fought corruption to a standstill you know. Only that the people were not strong enough to stay alive and reap the gains of a corrupt free society! Only the Buhari-double hypothesis could explain that: The savage rough-handling and the lack of fatherly love that Nigerians have experienced in the last 3 years.

Because Nigeria did not become a graveyard or the society of ghosts but have survived after all the rough-handling; the APC must show character that indeed, it mattered less who wins this election next year but mattered more that the elections satisfied the standard that proved we are growing and no longer a nascent democracy.

Only when this is done that sanctimonious critics of the PDP who have raised dust over the implications of not signing the peace accord (that was itself an impotent piece of document) but approved of the president’s refusal to sign the Electoral Act can rest assure that criticism of the opposition does little to augment the image of a failing feudalistic government in the minds of suffering Nigerians.  

Comrade Ifeanyichukwu Mmoh is an advocate for attitudinal change, a researcher and authored (THE ORIGIN OF IGBO MARGINALIZATION IN NIGERIA). 08062577718.