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Wednesday, 12 March 2014

APC And The Glorification Of godfatherism



Godfatherism is a phenomenon that hinders participation,political security and peace as it torpedoes the consolidation of democracy.The political godfather usually brings the godson to political limelight by helping him to an exaulted office.The godson then becomes a stooge to the godfather because he that pays the piper dictataes the tune.Various administrations practiced this in the past.
Under President Jonathan,such practice has been buried because his government is answerable to the people.But i am afraid if the All Progressive Congress is allowed to take over power in 2015,Nigeria will be sliding back to those urgly days as APC is a party controlled by godfathers.Now i understand why the APC sometime ago urged Olusegun Obasanjo to be their navigator.The former President was a master in this field.

Bola Tinubu
This known godfather is sadly the leader of a party that claims to be on a rescue mission,how laughable.A former governor of Lagos state who ever since leaving office has taken the position of a godfather,deciding the political future of his subjects in Lagos and the South-West zone excuding Ondo State.He controls the South-West not out of popularity but as a result of his anti-democratic tendencies.While he was in ACN,candidates for elective positions were chosen right inside his bedroom,accepting to do his will was all you needed to qualify.
Justifying that he is a godfather,Tinubu once said"I play godfatherism in the South-West for the good of our people.My godfatherism is for progress.Really?Now someone should please tell me how these amounts to playing godfatherism for the good of his people;
  • On the death of his mother who was the Iyaloga of Lagos,Tinubu replaced her with his daughter
  • He removed Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora from the Senate and in his place,installed his wife as Senator
  • His wife's sister is apparently a member of the State House of Assemly
  • His daughter's husband is a member of the Federal House of Representatives
Does the above portray him as a man who leads a party that is out to rescue Nigeria?For Tinubu,leadership and politics is a family business.Nigerians chose rightly.

Bukola Saraki
Like Tinubu,he is also a former governor of his state,Kwara,now a serving Senator.Senator Bukola Saraki confirmed his status as an emerging godfather when he undemocratically installed Abdulfatah Ahmed as the governor of Kwara State.Ahmed has been a perfect example of a stooge as Saraki continues to rule Kwara from the hallowed chambers of the Senate in Abuja.
Little wonder why governor Ahmed will never take any decision that affects the state or his own career without taking orders from Saraki.Ahmed showed the world that his godfather was the governor of the state and not himself when the APC came calling on him to join their fold months ago.During the meeting,Ahmed displayed his helplessness when he told the APC delegation that only Saraki could decide the direction he would follow.Listening to him speak,i kept wondering how the system got so bad that a serving governor is so afraid to decide his political future.That was godfatherism in display.
Nigeria cannot be ruled by a party that glorifies godfatherism.We do not want governors who take orders from a particular individual instead of taking orders from the electorates,how much more a President who will be controlled by the likes of Tinubu,Saraki,Buhari and the other godfathers in the party.Nigerians must reject the APC and its gang of political and economic desperados NOW.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

exactly my thoughts

Anonymous said...

exactly my thoughts