THE CONCEPT of state capture can best be described by the activities of godfathers in Nigerian politics. The godfathers, with their wealth and influence, have captured the state and turned it into their gold mine. Godfatherism is one of the hindrances to true democracy in Nigeria. It is a cankerworm that has rendered Nigerian politics useless and universal franchise inactive. It is a persistent plague in Nigeria’s political landscape, undermining the development of democracy and perpetuating corruption.
Akinwunmi Ambode’s case is still fresh in our minds. From 1999 to date, Ambode is the best governor Lagos State has produced, but the Boudillon thrown and its entire ruling house were not happy with him. He could not get a second term. Those who want to succeed as godfathers should take tutorial from President Bola Tinubu, because that is his best achievement in Lagos.
The system of godfatherism allows influential individuals, often with questionable motives, to install puppet leaders, to cover up their own past corrupt actions. It has resulted to political slavery, puppetry leadership, and dogmatic citizenship.
The fight in River State is because a godfather does not want to allow his godson space to govern the state.
Democracy was actually designed to give every citizen a sense of belonging in the running of the affairs of the state. It is expected to instil cultures of rule of law, free and fair elections, independence of judiciary, political equality and respect for fundamental human rights.
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In Nigeria, godfatherism has destroyed the cultures that democracy was intended to cultivate. Our democracy has taken a different turn with the advent of chronic ‘godfatherism’ in our political space. Nigeria’s democracy is now characterised by election rigging, vote buying, incentivisation, political violence, bribery and corruption, looting of funds, disenfranchisement, electoral malpractice, nepotism, tribalism, insurgency and religious disputes. All these heinous practices are the handiwork of godfathers who must ensure that the state levers of control remain with them.
Since the return of democratic governance in 1999, we have not seen any godson, and godfather relationship that has fared very well. From Calabar to Sokoto, and from Lagos to Maiduguri, the story is the same.
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The rancorous relationship between the late Dr Olusola Saraki and Mohammed Lawal in Kwara; Nwobodo and Nnamani’s faceoff in Enugu; Adedibu and Rasheed Ladoja’s crisis in Ibadan; Chris Uba and Ngige saga in Anambra; the late Chief Tony Anenih and Lucky Igbenedion unfortunate political relationship in Edo; Mbadinuju and Emeka Ofor, also in Anambra; Oshiomhole and Obaseki in Edo, and even Dr Saraki and his biological son Bukola in Kwara. The list is endless!
In Kano, Ganduje; a godson of Kwakwanso, had to ban his godfather from entering Kano. Each time a fight starts, governance suffers, development is put on hold, and citizens are made to focus on the maddening elites. The ultimate victims are the citizens who suffer from poor governance, insecurity, and economic stagnation.
Godfatherism undermines Nigeria’s progress, entrenching poverty and inequality. Because of the persistence of their style of disagreement, people have started to think that it may also be one of the heinous plots of our wicked politicians to deceive the wary and unsuspecting citizens. While they do nothing with governance.
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It is only in Lagos that no godson has been able to prevail over Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Even at that, Lagos has had its own share of political brouhaha between the thrown in Boudillon and godsons. When Fashola wanted to raise his voice against candidate imposition, he was quickly reminded by Tinubu that he, Fashola, was a product of imposition and has performed very well as governor. We will not forget the famous quote by Fashola: “May your loyalty not be tested.”
All this struggle for power is not for service. We all know that no politician is out to serve anybody. The scramble is about state’s resources. Politics is the easiest way to cheap stupendous wealth after mercantile Christianity. People are ready to kill, maim and commit all manner of crime in other to remain politically relevant.
Akinwunmi Ambode’s case is still fresh in our minds. From 1999 to date, Ambode is the best governor Lagos State has produced, but the Boudillon thrown and its entire ruling house were not happy with him. He could not get a second term. Those who want to succeed as godfathers should take tutorial from President Bola Tinubu, because that is his best achievement in Lagos. The father of modern Lagos was late Alhaji Lateef Jakande and the infrastructures in Lagos, were built by the Federal Government of Nigeria when Lagos was the federal capital.
Wike’s ambition to become the Jagaban of Rivers State politics may not work. Rivers State is more politically militarised than Lagos State. “Rivers state no be Lagos, as it is said in local parlance. The president must ensure that one man’s ambition does not throw the nation into serious chaos. Crisis in Rivers has the capacity of inflaming the entire nation.
Our economy is in dire strait, and any drop in daily crude production spells doom for us. My fear is whether the president who has benefited so much, godfathering politicians over the years, will have the moral energy to give an advice that could restrain an angry godfather from pouring venom on his estranged godson.
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Public assets are being destroyed by political thugs and criminals and tax payers money will still be used to put them back to functional state. The people who deem it civil to approach the court to get some ruling against the LG election, ought to have gone back to court to complain about the disregard to the court ruling, and not to take the laws into their own hands. Politicians have deceived us so much and they will continue to do so if the citizens refuse to stand and act.
All this struggle for power is not for service. We all know that no politician is out to serve anybody. The scramble is about state’s resources. Politics is the easiest way to cheap stupendous wealth after mercantile Christianity. People are ready to kill, maim and commit all manner of crime in other to remain politically relevant.
Rivers is the second richest state after Lagos. The money on ground is enormous, and politicians can kill for money. Right Honourable Rotimi Amechi, was a past governor and a powerful minister in president Buhari’s cabinet. Even at that, he did not use his experience and federal might to oppress Wike’s government.
Mr Nyesom Wike should mend his ways before it is too late.
Comrade Amechi, Lagos-based trade union activist, will write this column, ‘The Observer’s View’, every Tuesday.
