My friend Prof Sabella Abidde writes on Ribadus defection finally, it has happened: Nuhu Ribadu has left the All Progressives Congress! According to a report by The PUNCH on Monday, August 18, “Mallam Nuhu Ribadu justified his defection from the opposing APC to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, saying the APC was not better than the PDP.” Through his spokesman, Mr. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Ribadu went further: “In Nigeria, especially in politics, you can’t say that this is an exclusive party for the people who are thieves or this is for good people.” In essence, there are no saints or sinners or the redeemable. All are destined for the purgatory! Oh, Ribadu! Even if there was no difference between the two major parties, why didn’t he remain to make a difference, to move the party from the lowlands to the highland; sanitise it and drain it of its excesses? He ought to have remained to make the APC what it should have been: Mould it in the images of liberal-progressive parties in Europe and elsewhere but with cogent Nigerian sensibilities. Perhaps, he didn’t have the stomach for drawn-battles and didn’t believe in the APC’s methods and agenda. May be he didn’t get along with Bola Tinubu. Who knows? Or, could it be that he had his own private agenda and ambition all along? However, defection is not new, and neither is it a bad political step to take. But to do so, a politician must have very good reasons, personal or ideological, but nothing flimsy or nonsensical. One may also defect if prevailing conditions make such a step inevitable. Why Femi Fani-Kayode defected is no great mystery. The people know him, and they know why. No one was surprised. When a politician defects two or more times within two election cycles, one begins to wonder why and begins to question his or her integrity and principles. But, who is Nuhu Ribadu? Does anyone really know? No one wants to be an Aminu Kano, a Tafawa Balewa, an M.C.K. Ajuluchukwu, an Nnamdi Azikiwe or an Obafemi Awolowo. No one wants to stay put in his or her party to contemplate solution to our problems and challenges. No one! All they want to do is self-service, remain in power or the corridor of power and steal and or engage in sharing the people’s wealth. Politics is no longer about serving the people; but about economic gains and self-glory...
Posted on: Wed, 20 Aug 2014 04:44:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015