Death and Politics

Also published in Daily Trust

Though politics generally involves intrigue, it is particularly intrigue-ridden in Nigeria due to the virtual absence of the rule of law, which makes power struggle often desperate. Aspirants and candidates jostling for power go to any length to get it, and those who manage to get it become even more desperate in order to retain it for as long as possible and at any cost. And even when they have to relinquish it, they still want to be succeeded by their chosen candidates to ensure the continuation of business as usual.

Ironically also, political opposition in Nigeria is not necessarily based on party differences because in many cases, internal feud within a party is severer than the conventional opposition based on party differences.  In any case, many Opposition elements go to any extent in their equally desperate, dirty and indeed unethical struggle for power. And when they fail to achieve it, they lurk around literally wishing for any accidental incident e.g. death to change the political equation in their favour.

On many occasions, death has of course caused some unexpected and dramatic changes in the equation of power struggle among the country’s ruling elite. Certainly one of the most significant of all such death incidents was that of late General Sani Abacha whose period of military rule was defined by an intense power struggle among both military and civilian elite alike, which created a widespread tension all over land.

In order to allegedly succeed himself in office, General Abacha had already perfected his extremely controversial and indeed funny political transition program, where all but perhaps one political party nominated him as their sole presidential candidate, even though he was still in active military service and Head of State for that matter. However, amid that delicate situation, death suddenly took him away, which resulted in a dramatic turn of events that eventually culminated in the rise of the hitherto jailed political prisoners, persecuted and other marginalized politicians to power. General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) who was literally brought from prison where he was serving a jail term, and given the leadership of Nigeria on a platter of gold, was certainly the most notable beneficiary of such dramatic events.

 Late General Sani Abacha

 

Subsequently, other similar incidents happened at various levels of government e.g. the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, which also considerably changed the political equation to the detriment of some and the benefit of some others. Interestingly enough, late Mr. Patrick Yakowa former Kaduna state governor, who has recently lost his life in an aviation accident,  had benefitted on two major occasions from such death incidents, the first of which was when he first rose to the position of the deputy governor in the wake of the sudden death of the former Kaduna state deputy governor Mr Steven Shekari in 2005, only to emerge as governor following the death of former President Yar’adua, when his successor; President Jonathan appointed the then Kaduna state governor, Alhaji Namadi Sambo as vice president.

Ironically enough also, just as Mr Yakowa had benefitted from political circumstances created by death, his own death is currently causing some huge changes in the state’s already delicate political equation, which are expected to impact on the situation at the Federal level also.

In any case, in the context of modern day politics, where personal interests before anything else (if any) drive the whole trend and define the bases of individual, group and party alliances and/or otherwise, it is quite natural that, those who lose out in the game or miss some opportunities due to the death of an incumbent would particularly grieve over his death. And on the other hand, those who would probably benefit from his departure would definitely feel glad. Nevertheless, this does not in any way justify rejoicing over the death of any influential individual or any other person for that matter, after all the same death will not spare anybody either, once his time is up.

Therefore, it was quite unfortunate that no sooner had the news of the sudden death of former Kaduna state governor Mr Yakowa began to circulate on some social media sites than I began to read some morally disgusting comments, literally rejoicing over his death. As a matter of fact some-though unconfirmed-reports claimed that there were celebrations in some parts of Kaduna state and elsewhere. Similar reports had also circulated in the wake of a similar accident involving the Taraba state governor, who is currently undergoing treatment in Germany.

Incidentally, this uncivilized practice of rejoicing over the death of influential people in Nigeria under the pretext of ethno-religious or political differences, which by the way indicates the amount of stupidity, insensitivity and indeed inhumanity deep-rooted in the minds of many people, is not confined to a particular region or ethno-religious group in the country. Over the decades there have been such incidents in all parts of the country, and probably it is not going to stop anytime soon. After all, with the persistent leadership failure in the country, everything including the already relatively low level of social civility is also declining accordingly.

Perhaps the first of such unfortunate incidents was what took place in the wake of the assassinations of Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa and Sir Ahmad Bello Sardauna, among many other top politicians and military officers from particularly northern part of the country and some few others from elsewhere. It was reported that their assassinations were celebrated in some parts of southern Nigeria. As a matter of fact, even in Kano state, which was the hub of political opposition against Sardauna’s party in northern Nigeria, Sardauna’s assassination was reportedly celebrated openly before the actually motive of the assassins became clear.

Ever since then, this ugly phenomenon has persisted at various degrees depending on the influence of the particular personality involved and the circumstances prevailing at a particular point in time. For instance, the death of General Sani Abacha was widely celebrated in southern Nigeria particularly in the south-west, perhaps more than any other celebration of such nature in the history of Nigeria. However, just as all other incidents that had taken place before the phenomenal proliferation of the Internet and social media sites, news and reports about it could not circulate extensively enough to elicit appropriate amount of commentaries.

Anyway, in as much as I condemn this phenomenon, I believe it has a lot to do with the leadership failure in the country over the decades, which has created a deep-rotted resentment and frustration in the minds of many people, as a result of which they lost hope in Nigeria as a corporate entity. And it is obvious that only an efficient and purposeful leadership can restore that hope, revive people’s shattered dreams and inspire them to imbibe the culture of civility and strive for excellence.