Unparalleled Treachery of Nigerian Politicians
The famed Mama Taraba and former women affairs minister Aisha Alhassan is back in the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Alhassan has returned to the party under which she contested and won the senatorial seat of Taraba North in 2011. In my beloved Nigeria, there is nothing like ideological beliefs or principles when it comes to party politics. It’s usually about desire for power, bread and butter. This is why a Mama Taraba, who in 2014 dumped the PDP, with her hitherto Godfather, Atiku Abubakar, for the APC, after stacking heaps of rubbish on the PDP, has now rejoined this same “rubbish” party. After she failed to get the APC gubernatorial ticket for the 2019 elections, Alhassan picked that of the United Democratic Party (UDP). Mama Taraba subsequently suffered massive defeat in the election.
Alhassan, after a UDP stakeholders meeting in Jalingo, said majority of her supporters in the 168 wards of Taraba had encouraged her to shift base to the PDP. She said: “I cannot go against the decision of the popular opinions of my supporters. I was glad that the committee did not suggest the APC as an option.” Yes, the same APC Mama Taraba told us was the only way forward for Nigeria in 2014 is now a beast. The PDP she told us was bosh few years back is now the messiah. Anybody that believes her would believe anything.
Let’s flip to another comedian called Nyesome Wike, governor of Rivers State. While his party is in the Supreme Court challenging the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the victory of President Buhari, Wike was all over congratulating Buhari for his victory at the tribunal. There is nothing like party discipline in his dictionary. This man was even threatening his own party because he was rebuked for his incongruous congratulatory message to Buhari. Wike did not in the real sense of it support Atiku Abubakar, his party’s Presidential candidate, because his preferred candidate, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal did not get the ticket. For Wike, it’s better to do business with his party’s opponent, because his candidate did not get the ticket. This is the usual treachery by Nigerian politicians for personal goals. I won’t be surprised to find Wike in the same party with his sworn enemy, Rotimi Amaechi in no distant future. It’s all about bread and butter.