‘You be thief, I no be thief’: Atiku and Tinubu should face the issues

The opening line of inimitable Fela Anikulapo’s “Authority stealing” aptly describes the current drama on Nigeria’s political plane. It is just about one month until Nigeria’s next presidential elections, and the atmosphere is full of more noise than substance from the candidates.

In the last two weeks, there has been enough mudslinging to go round the four leading candidates and then some. You would wonder whether electioneering was about what politicians planned to do for the people or digging up dirt about their opponents. It is tiring and becomes nauseating.

Spokespersons, whose struggle for relevance and post-election gratifications is understandable, have now abandoned the duty of marketing their candidates and, by telling Nigerians the road map to national revival, to becoming mudslingers and trouble-shooters at the same time. The muddling up of issues is becoming unprecedented as Nigerians worry about what the future holds.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan took the words right out of my mouth when he urged politicians to desist from smear campaigns earlier this week. 

Jonathan, speaking on an occasion in Akwa Ibom State, said: “I am worried by the negative energy generated ahead of the 2023 elections. We have noticed a level of bitterness in our politics that does not bring development, and I plead with politicians that politics is about marketing your ideas. Politics is not about fighting, it’s not insulting, it’s not about abusing…”

 It is part of the game for political parties to de-market their opponents. However, when this, rather than projecting what the people stand to gain by choosing you, becomes a priority, there is a problem. This is more so in a country in need of urgent intervention like Nigeria.

The other thing is that politics is not necessarily for saints. This applies to every country where human beings govern the affairs of men. Politicians are susceptible to tendencies to take advantage of people everywhere in the world if they have the opportunity.

Nigeria is a sore case of official malfeasance for two main reasons, both of which result from the elite capture of the country. One is the deliberate crippling of national institutions, and two is the weaponisation of poverty and ignorance, which has hampered citizens’ capacity to hold the government accountable.

 If institutions were stronger and citizens had more interest in governance, politicians would conduct themselves more circumspectly. That would be in situations where loyalty is to the state rather than individuals.

 For instance, in November 2022, President Joe Biden’s lawyers found classified documents at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. They immediately notified the National Archives. The day after, the Office of the Inspector General of the National Archives communicated the discovery to the Department of Justice. One week later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) assessed the facts surrounding the documents to find out whether there had been any mishandling. The week after, the Attorney-General assigned the US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois to determine whether there was a need to appoint a special counsel.

Over the past couple of weeks, Biden’s aides discovered more such documents, which they reported to the authorities without prompting.

Last week, Attorney-General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the president and his office handled these documents during his tenure as vice president. No one needed to prompt Biden’s lawyers to report the discovery, nor did the Republican Party need to call a press conference to spur the National Archives or the Department of Justice to do their duties. Everyone knew what to do, and they did it promptly in the overall interest of the country. Failing to respect national institutions is why Nigeria is this way, and the entire political class is complicit. It is upsetting that politicians and spokespersons on all sides know this, but would rather play to the gallery.

 For instance, it is difficult to find an executive who would not run afoul of one rule or another. Politicians with executive powers wield so much power that they can muzzle every organ of checks and balances, transforming themselves into tin gods with the ability to do and undo.

There are a few exceptions where people stick to their principles, but in most cases, the system frustrates them. The interest of the average Nigerian in politics is pecuniary, and anyone who stands in the way may end up crushed. Political merchants are in all political parties, so politicians should stop wasting Nigerians’ time with their smear campaigns.

Is this some way of endorsing corruption and inappropriate behaviour? Absolutely not. It is only an attempt to ask for the redirection of attention to issues.

Spokespersons know for a fact that campaigns of calumny would go nowhere. No institution would investigate these matters, and even when they do, they almost always end nowhere. The accused party is most likely to cry foul, tagging investigations as persecution. Most often than not, they would get the sympathy of the people, and in the end, only time, resources and energy would have been spent for no gain at all. It is the way of Nigerian politicians.

In any case, Nigerians believe that most politicians have skeletons in their cupboards. So, in the end, they would leave Nigerians with a plethora of allegations and counter-allegations, without a deep understanding of what politicians offer us.

Most depressing characteristic of all is that allegations almost always have no effect on the electorate. Religion, ethnicity, and such primordial considerations are still the most important factors in Nigerian elections. Loyalties to these affiliations trounce common sense and the ability to perform. Here is a country where, eight years ago, people dismissed the importance of candidates’ academic qualifications or their record of non-performance. Nigeria is like an orphan, whose interests no one protects.

It would be welcome for candidates to come plain with Nigerians about what they have done in the past and all of that, but I think that the visionary capacity to take Nigeria out of the woods is a more important requirement.

Politicians should stop bogging Nigerians down with cases of infractions committed by their opponents. Take these matters to law enforcement agencies created and funded to deal with such crimes.

What Nigerians want to hear is the plan of our political parties to take 20 million children off the streets and secure their future. Nigerians are eager to learn about concrete plans to improve healthcare delivery, put food on their tables, ensure that their children are gainfully employed, and protect their lives and property. Nigerians want institutions to function so that merit can once again rule in the country.

Vision and a sense of hope are what Nigerians need now. The energy spent on mudslinging is a disservice to the people of Nigeria, whose only desire is a visionary leader capable of lifting them out of their current despair. It denies them the opportunity to sift the wheat from the chaff, from separating the empty vessel from the still waters that run deep. As it concerns character, I do not think that Nigerians are under the illusion that any of our current political actors is a saint.

Adedokun can be reached via Twitter@ niranadedokun