It was Niccolo Machiavelli who once wrote in his Prince book that the end justifies the means. While I was a student, this used to be my word, my quotation and my favorite philosophical dictum. How wrong could I have been thinking that I can tell people to go to sleep, the ‘end’ of their sins will absolutely absorb them of the guilt of the means of such sins and iniquities.

I was away from Nigeria when I read that the judgments of the tribunal sitting to consider the election of President Yar'Adua had passed a verdict of victory in support of the scandalous elections conducted by Professor Iwu. I was away on holidays so I tried to take my mind away from what was going on at home and allow myself the tranquility of the moments; allow me to have some peace, some rests after working in Nigeria for so many months tolerating the absurdity of the Nigerian Nation and political mis-rules. But it was too selfish to stay off my home so I went online to read about what was going on at home to inform myself with home news. What I read was not encouraging at all. Emotions are already divided; people are already jubilating at the result of the tribunal and there seems to be a consensus that the world should move on and forget the scandal of the April 2007 elections.
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I must confess that I am deeply saddened by this judgment and other political development. I am ashamed of the conscience of Nigeria at this moment. I left home believing that Nigerians will jubilate over what is right and not casually and nonchalantly accept what is expedient or as it is called; ‘political settlement’. What is right cannot have two names; it must be right at all times. It is difficult for me to think people are willing to accept mediocrity as a standard. Good lord, the election was a scam; it was a huge shame and a bad example for our records of the past. Hence with this judgment, and the public crave to wave this off and move on to another level not minding the scam and shame of those elections, we are sending signals to the future children of Nigeria that do not worry, go on steal, cheat in examinations, kill people to make money, visit and patronize Okija shrines to seek power, do whatever you need to do- even if you were caught, the end will justify the means. Ah… what has happened to the soul of this nation? What happened to the dreams of the founding fathers, what happened to truth and justice and why are people simply uninterested in what is just and what is right?

Walking around the city of Vienna, I see Nigerians doing odd jobs. I see families exchanging their wives and some wives abandoning the flirts of their husbands to go and be with  some white guys just to have the passport or residence permit. When I speak with Nigerians here, they tell me the ignominy here, the immorality of their stay in Europe is better than the shame going on at home. I rejected that, I argue against them, I try to convince them that home was still home. Then came these tribunal results and I have been receiving calls from people who felt I was trying to get appointment from the Yar'Adua administration….

Was I right? Do I have the right to say the insanity of the political developments at home are better than seeking ‘aduro’/ asylum papers? That it does not matter the nature and manner of the means, the end justifies it? What a shame; really a great shame. It is sickening.
Okay, Nigerians….

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Dele Sonubi can be reached on

dele4you2@yahoo.com

Robot  # 1 | 28.02.2008 10:55

It was Niccolo Machiavelli who once wrote in his P...Read the full article.

yashuaib1  # 2 | 29.02.2008 01:51

I wont like to repeat myself here or comment on the obvious. I will rather provide a link to my piece which I also posted here in June 2007. The article may be instructive. Please click President Yar'Adua: Our Gai... YAShuaib

philipikita  # 3 | 29.02.2008 03:28

=yashuaib1;4294992621>I wont like to repeat myself here or comment on the obvious. I will rather provide a link to my piece which I also posted here in June 2007. The article may be instructive. Please click President Yar'Adua: Our Gai... YAShuaib Yashuaib1: Your article did not in anyway address the disappointment(s) expressed by dele sonubi...so, I wonder....

peterclaver2006  # 4 | 29.02.2008 09:14

This is a short and moving narrative that should make us to fight on and ensure that these vampires, no matter the elaborate efforts they make to entrench and sustian evil, are frustrted. I know it is going to be a hard fight but the duty we owe ourselves is not to be dettered to be led by such compromised judgments as that os last Tuesday to know believe that black could be white, the ends justify the means. if we do that, we would have contributed in legalizing fraud as the presidential election tribunal ruling aims at doing. I am sure that we would record victory in the short time, despite the odds. These fraudtsres never believed that such cases as it involved Andy Uba, Nyako, Omehia, Idris were possible when they were concocting these scams. Let us not tire in fighting these scams and let us see compromised judges as parts of this elaborate web of fraud. It is heartening that the NLC President has forcefully spoken against this terrible judgment. Victory is certain.

Dele4you  # 5 | 02.03.2008 04:17

my dear Peterclaver2006 , i quite agree with you that to be tired of the fight at this stage is to lose it all- the fights that need to be fought. (but sometimes you get battle weary. Look at the struggle that got Atiku totally strength-less. The body gets weak, it tells you, now i am done, allow others to continue) i quite agree with you as the yoruba will say, 'bo pe, boya, akololo a pe baba....' no matter how long it takes him, eventually the stammerer will complete his sentence. i am sure one day most of all these annomalies will be corrected. but my fear is for how long do we continue in this 'penkelemes'? it continues to drag on for far too long. Suddenly the people of this country started to see hope in the judiciary. we started to sing new songs that whatever the injustice, we can approach the judiciary for justice. Now, with this judgement which is most likely to send interesting signals to the tribunal sitting in Benin, the ones sitting in Oshun, the one sitting in Ekiti, the ones that are already apprehensive in Oyo....This judgement must not be viewed in its singular effect, its ripple effects must be considered. i will love to return to nigeria and see the face of Yaradua in the heat of this fiasco! what kind of country is this for the love of god! yet, i must relax, i must be calm and I must be calculative. I must give hope to the hopeless and I must continue to say to people bi iro ba to ogun odun, ojo kan ni otito a ba. even if lies are told for more than 20 years, one day be one day, the truth will overtake it dele

Remi Oyeyemi  # 6 | 02.03.2008 15:49

=peterclaver2006;4294992702>This is a short and moving narrative that should make us to fight on and ensure that these vampires, no matter the elaborate efforts they make to entrench and sustian evil, are frustrted. I know it is going to be a hard fight but the duty we owe ourselves is not to be dettered to be led by such compromised judgments as that os last Tuesday to know believe that black could be white, the ends justify the means. if we do that, we would have contributed in legalizing fraud as the presidential election tribunal ruling aims at doing. I am sure that we would record victory in the short time, despite the odds. These fraudtsres never believed that such cases as it involved Andy Uba, Nyako, Omehia, Idris were possible when they were concocting these scams. Let us not tire in fighting these scams and let us see compromised judges as parts of this elaborate web of fraud. It is heartening that the NLC President has forcefully spoken against this terrible judgment. Victory is certain. Dear peterclaver2006, Your words are words of encouragement. It is probably what Nigerians need at this moment. But I have a different take on this situation. Here is my take. How many struggles do we have to be engaged in to make a country out of Nigeria? Look back since 1960, why has there not been success but more failures than the previous one? Have you pondered to consider this? Why is it difficult to bring Nigerians together to fight the ruling class? Why was Abacha an Hero in Kano and a villain in the rest of the country? Why is IBB a hero in Minna and a villain in the rest of the country? Why is Alam a hero in Bayelsa and not in the rest of the country? Why is Arthur Nzeribe a hero among his people? Why is Adedibu still having a clout in Ibadan? Why is Obasanjo still working the streets of Nigeria and calling the shots? If you are able to answer these questions then the Yoruba saying that "if you follow one masquerade for three years and your fortune is not imrpoved, then you need to follow another one" will make meaning to you. This will mean that Nigeria can not reform because of the mutual suspicions of the peoples against themselves which allow these criminals to get away with their acts. This takes us to the next step: How do we curb the criminals without conveying partiality in the view of the ethnic groups represented by these criminals? If you arrest Tafa Balogun, Lamidi Adedibu and Olusegun Obasanjo try them, jail or shoot them, the Yoruba will cry foul. If you arrest Shagari, Buhari, Atiku IBB, TYDanjuma and try them or shoot them, Northerners will cry foul. If you arrest Andy Ubah, Ojo Maduekwe, Arthur Nzeribe and try them or shoot them, Igbo will cry foul. I am sure you knw what has been happening since Alam was being tried, Ibori was detained and others of their ilk. If this is not a good option who can do this in a manner to refelect NATIONAL CHARACTER? If there is such a person do you think others from ethnic groups will trust him to get there and do this? I do not think so. So, if the massess are willing to tolerate their own people to be corrupt because of the way they view Nigeria and are not willing to allow their tribesmen to be used as scapegoats (you remember the first coup and the second coup?) what is the next option? The next option will be that WE all forget that all these people have committed these crimes, forgive them and try to start afresh on a new slate. But do you think this is feasible? Do you know the implications of such decisions? Then what options do we have left? This will mean that we break up the country and let each ethnic group deal with its own problems internally and not have the chance or opportunity to blame other tribes for their woes. I have several idea on how to do this without us shooting guns at each other. But the first step in this direction is to ask the people: DO WE ALL WANT NIGERIA? The answer to this will determine how we proceed. In my opinion, it is evident that the peoples of Nigeria do not want Nigeria. But until they make this known unequivocally, no one will seize the bull by the horn and move towards it. But I think we are getting to that crossroad to make that decision known. NIGERIA IS DEAD BUT YET TO BE BURIED. Thanks and regards, Remi Oyeyemi