The strained relationships between former governors and the successors they handpick have develop into legendary in Nigeria. Though it’s widespread for godfathers and godsons to show towards one another after a interval of preliminary cooperation, it’s curious that the tendency to impose chosen successors has develop into much more entrenched in Nigerian politics, suggesting that few classes have been realized by the brand new governors from the previous ones.
This development dates again to conflicts such because the one in Abia State, the place present Senator Orji Uzor Kalu handpicked Theodore Orji one other present senator as his successor as governor of Abia stater in 2007, later resulting in friction when the godson turned towards his godfather.
Equally, in Anambra State, the connection between Mr. Peter Obi and his chosen successor, Willie Obiano, soured because of undue interference and antagonism between godson and godfather. Typically, such conditions might be seen as a type of retribution towards the questionable observe of putting in successors to keep up affect or take pleasure in a 3rd time period by proxy fairly than selecting a successor based mostly on advantage and talent to ship superior efficiency.
A comparable godfather/godson battle performed out in Kano State, the place Dr. Musa Kwankwaso, as governor, selected his former Chief of Employees, Prof. Umar Ganduje, as his successor. Not lengthy after, each males discovered themselves in a protracted wrestle for energy, with one end result being the destabilisation of the revered Kano emirate. For the primary time within the historical past of this historic emirate, there are two emirs, every having been deposed and reinstated, reflecting the political energy struggles between former governors and their chosen successors.
In 2007, an analogous state of affairs unfolded when then-President Olusegun Obasanjo, within the aftermath of a bitter political fallout with Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who meant to succeed him, did the whole lot doable to forestall Abubakar’s ambition from materialising. As an alternative, Obasanjo supported former Katsina Governor Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed reminiscence and who’s the youthful brother of Obasanjo’s political ally, the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, to develop into president.
Tragically, because of extreme well being points, President Yar’Adua handed away in 2010, barely two years into his first time period, leaving the nation in a precarious scenario, as this was the primary time a sitting president had died underneath democratic rule. The navy dictator, Normal Sani Abacha had died whereas serving as a navy head of state.
The Nationwide Meeting finally resolved the constitutional disaster created by that unprecedented scenario by invoking the “Doctrine of Necessity,” permitting for a clean transition of energy.
Remarkably, earlier than Yar’Adua’s passing, he was not following OBJ’s agenda. In truth, he had overturned the sale of NNPC refineries to non-public sector traders, together with Dangote, and even reversed the privatisation of the electrical energy sector—insurance policies that the present administration underneath President Bola Tinubu seems to be reviving, as seen in latest gas and fuel insurance policies shifting management of vitality safety to the non-public sector.
What the examples above underscore is that there isn’t a proof that engineering surrogates as successors has long run advantages as such perfidous acts all the time backfire.
As I want Senator Monday Okpebholo, who has assumed workplace as governor of Edo State a profitable tenure, he needs to be guided by the experiences of his predecessors within the godfather/godson dynamic that has formed Edo State over the previous few many years. This counsel is to assist him draw classes from historical past and set up guardrails towards any such damaging relationships.
To my senior buddy, the distinguished Senator Oshiomhole, I imagine he understands the futility of taking part in the godfather function, having fought towards it almost 20 years in the past.
As for Obaseki and Ighodalo, who’ve been left holding the unsuitable finish of the stick within the battle for the management of Dennis Osadebey home, Edo State seat of energy, as a democracy advocate l urge them to proceed to pursue justice in court docket to check the regulation and make democracy sturdier because it develops taproots in Nigeria.
That’s a method that we will hand our kids “a banner with out stain” as captured in a stanza of our nationwide anthem.Concluded.Onyibe is an Entrepreneur, Public Coverage Analyst and creator. He wrote from Lagos,USA, and a former commissioner within the Delta State. He might be reached by way of:www.magnum.ng.
