It is said that in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interest. In the world of geopolitics, whether local or global, it is often the case that whenever interest and values come in conflict, interest always wins. The only distinction between some societies and others – as far as this interest vs values conundrum is concerned – is that in some societies, the overriding interest of the nation is sacrosanct, and supersedes all other considerations, while in others, selfish or sectional interest is allowed to hold sway, to supersede the national interest and undermine the quest for the common good. In the latter group of societies, genuine patriots are often derided as fools, at best, or dissidents, especially if their opinions run against the grain of the government of the day.
It is safe to say that Nigeria belongs squarely in the latter category of societies. It is a country where the fortunes of the commonwealth are in constant jeopardy, no thanks to the tone and quality of what passes for political discourse, and the thinking (or lack thereof) behind certain government policies.
One factor that has greatly eroded the tone of our politics in Nigeria over the years is the underlying (and often ulterior) motivation of the typical Nigerian politician and would-be political office-holder. In Nigeria, the majority of persons who venture into politics do so solely for money and what it can buy. Political careers are hardly built on principles or ideologies. The notion of selfless service to the commonwealth, and faithful stewardship over the common patrimony, are alien concepts to the average Nigerian politician.
This is why a politician, or his spokesperson, can canvass one position, with great vehemence and eloquence, in the morning – and then canvass the exact OPPOSITE position, with equal if not greater vehemence and eloquence, in the evening OF THAT SAME DAY. This is why a politician can make the rounds of two or more political parties, in terms of membership, every electoral cycle. This is why a politician will ditch his long-time friends and associates, and embrace his enemies as political permutations change, so as to enjoy the greatest benefits from the current dispensation – a phenomenon Nigerians refer to as AGIP (Any Government in Power).
This is not new; in fact, for eight years under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, even as the country steadily fell into dysfunction, Nigerians were divided into two broad camps – his sharp critics (also known as Wailers), and his strident defenders (or Hailers). Over time, as Buhari and his party, the All Progressives’ Congress (APC) entrenched themselves in power, the line between Hailers and Wailers became increasingly blurred by the day – driven, not by a latter-day appreciation of Buhari’s leadership abilities or the country’s improving fortunes, but by what a former Governor famously described as the quest for ‘stomach infrastructure.’
Before Buhari, such turncoat-ism was also rampant under the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, no thanks to his willingness to respond to criticism, no matter how harsh, with inducements rather than brutal repression (as was the case with his successor, General Sani Abacha, and indeed with the Buhari/Idiagbon dictatorship before him). For Babangida, it was a case of ‘keep your friends close, and your enemies closer,’ and ‘every man has his price.’
Since the ascension of the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu-led government in May last year, this tendency on the part of the character of the typical Nigerian politician has become even more pronounced, as certain prominent Nigerians – fierce critics of yesteryear who once took pride in their readiness to ‘speak truth to power’ at the front lines of public discourse and engagement – now seem to be falling over themselves to pledge their fealty to Jagaban and his administration. The 360-degree change of language and tone by some of these personalities on the state of the nation and what needs to be done shows that sycophancy and naked self-interest are never far from the seat of power – especially when pockets are lined to the right degree.
The recent appointment of Mr. Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for the Campaign Organisation of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Tinubu’s rival in last year’s presidential elections, as the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications is, in the view of many, a case in point. Prior to his appointment, Bwala has had a history of casting aspersions on the character and competence of Tinubu (sometimes in the most caustic language) on behalf of the former Vice-President.
Bwala is one of many. Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, formerly a strong critic of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has since been twice rewarded with ministerial positions, while Mr. Bosun Tijani, an online standard-bearer for the Obidient movement, became a Minister – though not without being called out during his screening in the Senate on account of his past anti-Tinubu utterances. Others include Femi Pedro, a former Deputy-Governor of Lagos State; Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister and Ambassador; Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister whose dramatic turnaround was all the more remarkable because of the acerbic, even sinister, language with which he often characterized the APC and its leaders; Chief Adeseye Ogunlewe, a former Senator and Governorship candidate, who – along with Chief Bode George – had been a pillar of the opposition to Tinubu’s hegemony in the politics of Lagos State; and Olusegun Dada, whose stunning metamorphosis from vocal critic to avid supporter of President Tinubu – openly branding Tinubu as a criminal on more than one occasion – has now earned him a spot as a Special Assistant to the President on Social Media.
Expectedly, this rash of turnarounds, and the swiftness of their rewards in terms of appointments, has elicited some reactions amongst a cross-section of Nigerians on social media – with some respondents humorously urging Tinubu not to ‘forget’ the likes of the afore-mentioned Fani-Kayode, Reno Omokri, a former adviser to ex-President Goodluck Johnson, and Dr. Doyin Okupe, a former presidential media aide and lately head of the Campaign Organization of Peter Obi, another of Tinubu’s rivals in the 2023 elections. Says one tweet (on Bwala’s appointment): “Finally, hustle don pay… Let us see how he will … repaint or rebrand the product he once smeared and castigated.’’ Another tweeted: “May the God of Daniel Bwala also do it for Reno, Okupe and FFK.”
While it is easy to adduce that the dramatic shift in the allegiances of these turncoats is driven by exigency (and to question the genuineness of their new-found loyalty) it is more difficult, however, to gauge the President’s true motivations in rewarding these men with plush appointments in his administration. Is it simply in line with his famous magnanimity in refusing to respond in kind to the machinations of those who do not wish him well, in the name of unity and reconciliation? Is it simply in line with his democratic instincts, which, his supporters say, abhors the winner-takes-all nature of the presidential system of government? After all, in many democracies the world over, certain strong opposition voices are often brought into government to deal with the issues they criticize. Or is it, perhaps, a replication of IBB’s Machiavellian (or shall we say, Maradonic) tendency to keep his adversaries constantly off-balance, always having to guess his next move? Is the Jagaban, who is known for his chess grandmaster’s approach to politics, planning to briefly embrace these former critics, leverage on whatever influence they have to bolster his own image and political capital, and then – once they had outlived their usefulness – discard them and leave them to navigate the complexities of their now-compromised reputations?
Whatever the President’s motivations in bringing these political ‘enemies’ so close, it is fraught with dangers, not necessarily for him, but for the nation, her political culture, and the survival and sustenance of her democracy. Because it is about something called INTEGRITY, that intangible but potent currency without which no human transaction is possible in the long term. The fluidity of alliances and the sheer ease with which criticism turns to praise undermine the trustworthiness of political figures in the eyes of those they lead, or seek to lead. As Nigeria navigates its current socio-economic challenges, the need for genuine leadership and principled politics has become painfully evident – as the lack thereof in previous dispensations is one of the reasons for our present plight.
True, politics everywhere is driven in part by expediency. We saw that, for example, in the rapid transformation of US Senator J. D. Vance from being a harsh critic of former President Donald Trump (famously calling him ‘America’s Hitler’ and ‘morally reprehensible’) to now becoming his incoming Vice-President.
But like America, Nigeria must balance such expediency with authenticity, principle and patriotism in leadership if it is to make any progress as a nation.
• Keem Abdul, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via +2348038795377 or [email protected]
