Written By Prince Tubo Johnson Aghogho.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand”…..Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865).
I believe that never in the political history of the country in contemporary context and in recent times, had Nigeria experienced such factionalization, balkanization and fragmentation in it’s conflicting mode, as it is right now.
In political context, “Split Ends is refers to a split in political parties, when there are factions, ideological fractures, and when they internally fray into opposing sub-groups.
It encompasses every facets of breakdown, division, or in relationships, mistrust, or disconnected factions, which could be on economic, social, or isolating effects of communications and also in the political ecosystem, that affect the citizens in all ramifications.
This is even so, as political platforms or parties do not have distinct political ideologies with which they use or attract their citizens as a result internal of disagreements and inconsistencies. As such, there is always “ideological splits” – leading to “Splitting” or fracturing.
At this moment, if we are to make a hyperbolic deduction, I will say that just as when the Rivers Niger and Benue meet at the confluence, and pose “serious damage or danger” with ferocious floods to both people, properties and the environment, in the same manner, I think, we now have a situation in Nigeria where come crop of politicians have become dangerous (danger) to the country and her citizens, where ‘criminal political elites” meet “high-stake corruption”, and turn us into “a stigmatized nomenclature of corrupt nation”, and hence, or thereby causing divisions, factions, and polarization in the political space – across and within party lines and among Nigerians, as induced tribalism, ethnic divisions and religious acrimony escalate.
Consequently, as a result of the complexity of factions and polarization in the party’s politics, and lack discipline, there is tendency for instability, which easily necessitates defections and cross-carpeting.
On the other hand, although in a democracy where we have a multi-party system, political parties can form alliance or coalition. However, there can still be “coalition fraud”, as smaller fringe parties would want to pull away from the main agenda, as evident in the Nigerian clime, which is why one powerful political figure can easily decide to form a political party randomly within his whims and caprices, and before you realise, crises and factions become imminent.
It is imperative to note that democracy in Nigeria since the inception of the Fourth Republic from 1999 to date, has been characterised with factionalization balkanization and fragmentation of political platforms.
And rather than establishing themselves as strong and virile political parties, they turn themselves into factions, fragments, and balkanized organisations and institutional gridlocks and engage in internal bickering and political paralysis, as they could not make policy decisions due to polarization and institutional decay.
And so, just as members of the ruling APC government are out to polarise the opposition, they couldn’t even tell Nigerians the truth concerning the humongous corruption scandals associated with it, even as the confidence level of the government has dropped with the passage of time in the over eleven years since 2015 when it came to power.
For instance, in the United States where Nigeria borrowed her presidential system from, there is a distinct separation of powers, where “Checks and Balances” is maintained and upheld among the three (3) arms or branches of government – the Executive, Legislative and the Judicial.
However, in the Nigerian context, we operate as though the arms are fused together, but only on paper, in what seems like the executive arm is controlling the rest – with all on “your mandate we stand” syndrome, where they all act as “rubber stamps”, in what may seems as though we are operating an authoritarian democracy where the Presidency had captured both the NASS and Judiciary, as if they are departments under the executive branch.
That brings to mind of the executive rascalities in our governance system where a fraudster and his cohorts within the system purportedly cooked up fictitious, fake and ghost agency, and swindle Nigerians of billions of public funds with an alleged implications of the Presidency through the Chief of staff, NASS, the budget office, office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), CBN, office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) among others, with their “hatchet man” whose actions and activities seem like a “cul-de-sac”, with a new found lexicon in our public domain as “Non-Existence” or fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and it’s alleged Director General, (DG), one Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
As it stands, never in the history of the country, had we had such factionalization and polarization in governance, in institutional weaknesses and breakdowns as it is.
No wonder that the malicious actions and activities of the government and it’s agencies now laid bared, as they seem like “a silent dagger in the hearts of Nigerians”. In Nigeria, politicians cannot be trusted any longer, as propaganda, deceit, lie and manipulation have become the driving tools for governance, while the citizens suffer under the prevailing economic circumstance, and security challenges across the country.
Furthermore, another despicable attitude and habit that seem to have affected the political space and democratic governance which has become so infectious in the country is the tribal ethnicity politics. And if we should continue with the spirit of “the sins of the fathers cannot be forgotten or forgiven politics” in the 21st century where the Hausa man does not the Ibo man, the Ibo does not like the Hausa man, the Yoruba man does not like the Ibo man, and vice versa, then we have a huge differences and trouble ahead of us. This is the polarization that breeds hatred and suspicion, and thus divide us, which in the words of Abraham Lincoln, would not allow us to stand together in Unity.
Meanwhile, outside the government circle, nothing seems to be happening within the opposition rank, as they are also being traumatised by actions of government and it’s agencies, in addition to their self inflicted internal trauma.
In conclusion, what is required right now, is that, Nigerians (citizens), should in a metaphoric context, place a fire under their (our) bottom, and when they (we) get burnt, it will do two (2) things: it will remove the wax from our ears, and the scales from our eyes will begin to fall off, and thereafter, what we should demand is but Service delivery, and no more noise”, as stated by Professor PLO Lumumba.
On the other hand, we should all realise that the country belongs to all of us, and not only for the politicians to rule and mismanage the common patrimony of the country. And that, politicians are the representatives of the people – we the citizens, and as such, they are just managing the resources on our behalf. Which brings to mind the statement of Robert Mogabe, and I quote, “to praise a politician because he presided over the building of a road, is like praising an ATM machine because it releases (pays) your own money”, end of quote. Therefore, we shouldn’t forget that the funds (the resources) belong to all of us – it’s the tax payers money.
That is why when those representing us in the government are not doing what is expected of them, “the call to answer session” – the accountability session, would to vote such politicians out and elect credible leaders who are empathetic to the course of the community for the common good of the people.
Meanwhile, to mitigate factionalization and polarization in the Nation’s political space is to ensure the followings:
* Enforcement of strict internal democracy – ensuring transparent, decentralisation and bottom-up approach in leadership selection to prevent imposition.
* To transition from personality-driven to ideology-based politics and ideological consolidation.
* Strengthening of independent institutions.
* To put in place an anti-defection mechanism (legislation) to deter defections and cross-carpeting.
* There should be judicial and institutional reforms – the independence of INEC, autonomy of law enforcement agencies.
* Enforcement of strict prosecution of electoral offenders.
* Mitigate underlying ethno-regional tensions as a result of marginalisation and settlement of resource control (true fiscal federalism), and constitutional reforms to foster a sense of belonging and reduce the “do-or-die” desperation tendency in politics that fracture party system should be checked in a more strategic compliance process/procedure.
* We should ensure to minimise innuendoes and tirades against one another as means of tribal/ethnicity inducement.
As stated by the learned sage and one of the founding fathers of the country, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, and I quote, we should, “Always remember that any wealth accumulated on a selfish basis at the expense of the State in defiance of social justice, helps to create a disorganised society in which every body will eat every body, and no one person can be safe”, end of quote – meaning that no evil should be tolerated.
And so, we should realise that the legacy of good governance is for posterity to remember those who were part of the system today, as both leaders and the led have part to play.
Prince Tubo Johnson Aghogho, is a Columnist and Public Affairs Commentator.
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