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No
news is good news; or so it is commonly thought. But no news or
incomplete news about our president’s actual state of health or his
extended absence from the nation is not good news as far as Nigerians
are concerned. No news or incomplete news in this regard has given rise
to a thousand speculations, none of which are positive. Is the
president undertaking the lesser hajj or is he undergoing major
surgery? Is it one or the other, or more of one and less of the other,
or is it a bit of both in equal measure? Someone needs to let the
nation know, and needs to do so fairly quickly.
If
he is performing a religious function in Moslem holy lands, then he
needs to speed up his prayers and return to his secular function of
administering
Nigeria.
If he is undergoing a medical procedure, then we wish it is successful
and offer our supplication for his speedy return to robust health. But
at the same time, we ask the question of him, in the context of his
health, whether he still feels up to the stressful task of governing
Nigeria. Nigerians deserves an answer to this question.
But
while he ponders this question in Arab lands, we need to know who is in
charge of the nation while he is away. The answer to this ought to be a
no-brainer, since we have a vice-president in place, and the assumption
is that it is he, in the absence of his principal who should be running
the shop. But since we have not seen or heard much from or of him,
particularly in the context of dispelling doubts about the president’s
health or his actual purpose for being away at this time, one wonders
if indeed he is in charge.
And
in wondering whether he is in charge or not, one also wonders whether
he is up to the task of stepping up to the top job, should the
president decide that he has had enough, and wants to relinquish his
position in order to focus his attention on restoring his health. On
wonders further, in the face of the complexities of Nigerian politics,
whether the vice-president even has the ambition to climb up the
remaining rung to the top of the executive ladder?
If
he does have the ambition, then he has a remarkable way of concealing
it. And if he doesn’t have such ambitions, then he is probably a
smarter man than he is given credit for; one who would much rather
remain in second spot enjoying all the perks and having none of the
responsibilities and suffering none of the abuse that goes with the top
job. In any case, Dr. Goodluck has demonstrated, throughout his
political career, an adeptness for being non-threatening to those above
him, hence his spectacular rise in Nigerian positional politics.
But as far as
Nigeria’s
political power brokers and kingmakers are concerned, this may be the
time to ponder, plot, and perfect their political game strategies in
respect of who occupies the top job going forward. Such considerations
will of necessity encompass some or all of the following scenarios.
1. Prop up the current president and allow him to finish his term;
2. ‘Encourage’
the current president to step down and put the vice-president in his
place, but only as a ceremonial president, whilst appointing a powerful
candidate from the core north as vice-president to run the show;
3. Look
to the Supreme Court to nullify the results of the last presidential
election on the basis of wide-spread irregularities and call for new
elections;
4. Look
to the Supreme Court to declare one of the other candidates as the
rightful winner of the election, thereby giving the nation a new
president.
Looking
briefly at the above scenarios, each one presents its own difficulties.
The first scenario preserves the status quo promising us more of the
same with prolonged periods of governmental inertia, which the nation
can ill-afford at the present time.
Nigerianow, more than ever needs proactive and purposeful leadership to correct its many wrongs.
The
second scenario, in which the vice-president steps up in style and
title, but not in substance, superficially lends itself to
constitutional adherence and political continuity; but in actual fact,
will only serve to highlight perceptions and the reality of unfair
northern dominance/superiority of Nigerian politics. And this will only
heighten and breed resentment and mistrust amongst the different people
groups.
The
third and fourth scenarios are wholly dependent upon the Supreme
Court’s thinking and actions. And one cannot intuit the thinking of the
Supreme Court, nor in matter of fact should one be able to. Whatever,
the Supreme Court decides to do as the court of last resort; it will no
doubt take into account the continued stability and viability of the
nation.
Were
the Supreme Court to order a re-run of the election, then as appealing
as this appears on the face of it, we will once again, find ourselves
at the ‘mercy’ of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (a misnomer, if ever
there was one). A party which has perfected the art of returning its
candidates to office by any means necessary. So it, rather than the
totality of Nigerians, will decide who bestrides Aso Rock. Whether such
candidates will be desirable or not remains to be seen; and whether we
have the appetite for another bout of wasteful expenditure on
predetermined elections also remains to be seen.
But
should the Supreme Court decide to declare the candidate of another
political party, the rightful winner of the last presidential
elections, and then we may be in for a change of sorts. But whether
Alhaji Atiku or General Buhari or others still, can be regarded as
representatives of change is the subject of an entirely different
debate.
In
the final analysis, whether Dr. Goodluck is ready to step up or not, it
is the Supreme Court which ultimately holds all the aces in this
national game of political poker. And, whether it will unveil a joker
from its pack of cards remains to be seen. But given their recent ‘Fiat
Justitia, Ruat Coelum’ (‘let justice be done, though the heavens fall’)
approach to political issues, I wouldn’t bet against it.
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 05.09.2008 23:26