Godfathers and Godsons

In 2003, thanks to his political godfather, Chris Uba, Candidate Chris Ngige of the People’s Democratic Party was declared winner of the Anambra State Governorship Election. On July 10, 2003, a letter of doubtful authenticity got to the Anambra State House of Assembly. It was a letter of resignation from the office of governor, a letter which Ngige disowned. The confusion emanated from a disagreement between godson and godfather. Anambra State was placed on the receiving end of chaos. Nonetheless, the attempt by the godfather to remove his godson was unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Candidate Peter Obi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance who had contested the same election, had gone to court to challenge the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission that Ngige had been elected. On March 15, 2006, that declaration was declared null and void by the Federal Appeal Court, paving the way for the emergence of Peter Obi as Governor of Anambra State. Did Ngige lose the case because he no longer had the backing of his godfather?

An identically unseemly altercation was going on in Oyo State between Governor Rasheed Ladoja and his own political godfather, Lamidi Adedibu. Ladoja was declared elected in the Oyo State Governorship Election of 2003. Then a quarrel ensued between him and his godfather, who was also godfather to members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who ensured that Ladoja was impeached in January 2006. The illegality of the impeachment was confirmed by the Supreme Court in November 2006.

Something similar has just happened in Rivers State. It was an altercation between former Governor Nyesom Wike who, as political godfather, “facilitated” the emergence of Siminalayi Fubara as his successor in the office of governor. In the course of the mayhem, the Rivers State House of Assembly was set ablaze.

In the three cases cited here—and even more could be cited—criminal acts prejudicial to democratic governance and detrimental to security in Nigeria were committed. But, just as the Uba-Ngige fracas in Anambra State was declared a “family affair”, and those who committed grievous crimes went scotch free, just as those who threatened the peace of Oyo State in 2003 were never arrested, those who disturbed the peace of Rivers State in 2023 will most certainly go without being apprehended, without trial, and without conviction. After all, it is a “family affair”, and Governor Fubara has simply declared that there was nothing wrong in a conflict between a governor and his godfather. Statements such as this give the impression that, in Nigeria, one may commit crimes and get away with it if it is a “family affair”.

Those who set the Rivers State House of Assembly ablaze should not go without trial. But will the Nigeria Police apprehend them? This should not be another “family affair”. It would amount to a grotesque misuse of words to describe sheer criminality as “family affair”. It would amount to an assault and insult on our collective psyche to break laws that protect democratic governance, and then turn around and declare such acts as “family affair”.

It is no secret that the bone of contention in every election season in this country is: whose turn it is to sit on Nigeria’s huge wealth in Abuja and in the state capitals? All foul means are deployed to settle the dispute. We witness rigged party primaries, and we witness rigged elections. Violence is unleashed, funds from known and unknown sources are spent to buy votes and to hire lawyers in the event the case is dragged before the judiciary. Whatever the outcome of an election in Nigeria, whoever is declared elected, it is abundantly clear that it is not the people who emerge victorious. It is the godfathers and godsons. Politicians are winning while the people are losing.

The electoral process in Nigeria is lacking in integrity because many of the principal actors and factors in the process are distant from integrity. As a result, those who are declared winners consider it unnecessary to be accountable to the people. Living in a “democracy”, ruled by politicians with regard for neither consultation nor representation nor accountability, ruled by politicians who are more interested in enriching themselves by impoverishing the populace, Nigerians bear the dubious distinction of destitute citizens of a land flowing with milk and honey.

Nigeria is a land where the oppressed cheer their oppressors, and the deprived eulogise as benefactors those who subject them to untold deprivation, especially when the oppressed and oppressors are members of the same ethnic, regional or religious communities. It’s alright to steal as long as you are my brother. It’s alright to abuse your office as long as we profess the same religion. It’s alright to misappropriate security vote as long as you as political godson use it to gratify your political godfather. Common good does not matter. What matters is the fortune of the politician. The interest of the political godfather is greater and higher than the common good. But where selfish interest is the only thing that matters, there banditry is blatant, immorality patent and undisguised. Such is the manner of politics in our blessed but battered Nigeria.

But we would be less than honest, we would be sanctimonious, if we were to pretend that such immorality existed only in the relationship between politicians and populace. We the people are not innocent. Collectively sailing far from the ocean of integrity, in the way we relate with each other, promises are spoken and promises are broken. Promises are made that cancel out each other. I make a promise to you which I do not intend to keep, because I know I cannot keep it. But I make the promise to get a job or a contract. And, faithful to the logic of cunny man die cunny man bury am, you too make a promise to me which you do not intend to keep, and we joyfully announce our done deal, a deal that is just a bad card. Our yes is no, and our no is yes. Such is the conduct of godfathers and godsons on the precarious terrain of Nigerian politics. And where parties make promises to each other which neither intends to keep, an altercation will ensue that might require the intervention of the United Nations Peace Keeping Force. Many times have we strayed from the path of justice, and we satisfied to have so strayed, until we get caught and hurt.

Who does not know that Nigerian politics is a reflection of Nigerians, and Nigerians are a reflection of Nigerian politics? Brigandage is mistaken for politics, subterfuge for governance. And we still hope for peace and comfort? Who would deny that every election in Nigeria is a recurrence of criminality, of vote buying, voter intimidation, falsification of results? The electoral process, if it can be called a process, is anything but credible. Even infants can recite our litany of electoral malpractice. Nothing short of individual and collective return to the path of moral rectitude can put an end to this embarrassment. But are we ready for that?
• Father Anthony Akinwale, OP, PhD, STM is Professor of Systematic Theology and Thomistic Philosophy; Deputy Vice Chancellor, Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State. He was Pioneer Vice Chancellor, Dominican University, Ibadan, Oyo State.