PDP NEW CHAIRMAN AND THE BURDEN OF HONOUR - It has always been an open secret that PDP is synonymous with corruption. Not only that, it survives practically on corruption so much so it no longer deploy pretense in its affairs. It is numb to the basic demand of projecting a decent image to the public because the public have never being part of the PDPs problem. For once, I found myself completely in agreement with President Jonathan when I heard him confessed that 50% of politicians found themselves in politics by accident. Not even the horse mouth could say it better and truer than the president. The president, presumably convinced that politics as being played by his party, the PDP is one and the same with politics according to the general understanding of the rest of the modern world. And, who will deny him his right to personal opinion even if such an opinion is weird. Agreeably anybody within the PDP could reasonably be convinced that immorality is a basic demand for politicking. How else could one explain the emergence of a man submerged in numerous corruption cases as its leader? And to say, the new leader emerged after a long deliberation by a congregation of the highest decision making body of the party says a lot about the moral make-up of the PDP. One may need to know how the PDP goes about its business. In the last few days, the party was busy screening people likely to replace the sacked controversial00xS former chairman of the party, Alh. Bamanga Tukur. Candidates were supposedly screened by the SSS and other relevant agencies to clear aspiring candidates. Lo and behold! The winner is Alh. Adamu Muazu, a former governor of the North Eastern state of Bauchi. Muazu, yes, the same Muazu that escaped and went on exile in Dubai to avoid prosecution for corruption - need no introduction in the history of politics in Nigeria. His dismal performance as governor of Bauchi state saw to it that he failed to anoint a successor in the usual tradition of the PDP. Not only that, he equally failed to win the usual consolation prize of a senatorial seat usually reserved for governors facing tenure exhaustion as an ingenious retirement plan that will, at least keep anti corruption agencies at bay. This failure forced Muazu to escape to UAE on the pretext of attending the graduation of his daughter - a graduation that lasted for almost four years. Muazu returned only after the intervention of elders who put pressure on his successor and estranged friend, Governor Isa Yuguda to soft peddle on the corruption charges he was bent on sending Muazu to jail. This intervention helped Muazu to escape the bloodhounds of the EFCC. Still, he had a white paper slammed on him by the Bauchi state government which barred him from public office for ten years. One may like to know how a certified bad for consumption in Bauchi state Muazu, suddenly became edible for the PDP - and by extension, edible for Nigerians. Is it not clear that despite all the noise about fighting corruption, the ruling PDP is yet to grasp the true meaning of corruption as well as its effect on a society? No one should entertain any doubt about the dogged resolve of the PDP to drag Nigeria to lowest level of decency by its constant assault on the sensibility of Nigerians. Unless the verdict of a duly constituted judicial commission of inquiry is to be taken lightly simply to satisfy the whims of few people holding Nigeria by the jugular, the Nigerian demand to know the basis for this abuse of their collective honour. Of course, some people may insist that the white paper hanging on Muazus next was orchestrated by Gov. Yuguda, but then, what happened to the conviction of the former EFCC boss, Farida Waziri, who left office insisting Muazu have several cases to answer? Are we to believe that the findings and pronouncements of the judicial commission of inquiry are of no effect whatsoever? We should recall that while the Judicial Commission lasted, Muazu neither challenged his indictment in any court of law nor did he take any step to vacate the decision barring him from holding any public office in Nigeria. Simply put, Muazu accepted the verdict of the commission for his absolute guilt which was proved beyond any reasonable doubt. However, on the brighter side, it is apparent that the greatest loser is the strongest ally to President Jonathan in the North East zone, Governor Isa Yuguda. Despite all his sacrifices (and they were many) to hopelessly maintain a decent picture of the president in the North, it always seems as if the presidency is hell bent on embarrassing Yuguda using any offered opportunity. First, it was his shameful outing, together with his siamese twin, Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina state in the controversial NGF leadership elections which left the two with bruised ego having suffered a humiliating defeat in the hands of weakling, Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau state. The sudden crash of Yuguda from Commander of the PDP to 2nd in command in Bauchi state is a deserving reward for Yuguda who abandoned his people and their needs to serve the desires of a president who, by the way is completely disconnected with these people. Let him now contend with a new king right inside his bedroom for the PDP he looked up to for his political survival. Talk about frying pan to fire.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 15:39:29 +0000