Oyebode, Aribisala disagree over President’s performance

IN the wake of litigation trailing the ban the Nigerian Communications Commissions placed on N25 billion campaign fund raising by the All Progressives Congress (APC), renowned scholars have expressed disagreement over the manner the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) undertook its presidential campaign fund-raising.

  But for the timely intervention by the moderators and renowned scholars, uproar over arguments for and against President Jonathan’s presidency and candidacy could have resulted in total break down of law and order in the main auditorium of the university, as emotions rose within the venue.

  The scholars, Dr. Femi Aribisala and Prof. Akin Oyebode vehemently opposed each other during a public discourse on “Political Campaign Funding and Looming Tsunami of Poverty in Nigeria.” 

  Organised by the Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP), West Africa Chapter, and the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos; the event, held at the main auditorium of the university, was planned and executed by Dr. Adepoju Tejumaye and Dr. Ismail Ibraheem. 

  The programme, which started on a cordial note, suddenly went viral when one of the speakers, Dr. Femi Aribisala, repeatedly berated Prof. Akin Oyebode over the latter’s comments on President Goodluck Jonathan government’s.

  Oyebode, who was the Guest Lecturer, said that under Jonathan’s presidency, nothing seemed to work and therefore, there was need for a change, and that the Nigerian political system was up for grabs. 

  “Unlike in advanced political systems where the ruling classes operate within a veneer of shared values, the Nigerian political system is up for grabs, as there is a glaring lack of consensus among the contestants regarding the primary and secondary contradictions in society which, therefore, renders the struggle for power a do-or-die or winner-takes-all matter, in a no-holds barred fashion in relation to the contest and appropriation of the ensuing spoils of battle,” he said.

 The Professor of Law added: “In other words, politics in our own circumstances is reminiscent of the Hobbesian state of nature of a war of all against all with the political warlords taking no prisoners. 

  “In this blood-chilling internecine struggle, little room is left for compromise among the contending forces. It is, indeed, a war of every political party for itself while the devil takes the hindermost.

  According to him, what obtains in the country today is “a plutocracy masquerading as a democracy; a situation where the fat cats bat no eye-lid in subscribing humongous sums to the kitty of their surrogates in the political arena while efforts by the opposing parties to garner lowly contributions from the poor and lowly are frustrated by the state apparatus.” 

  Oyebode said in the face of grinding poverty and unspeakable beggar-thy-neighbour policies, the unconscionable and scandalous display of affluence by the highly-heeled at the fundraising events in the recent past would have been laughable if it was not so tragic. 

  “It is so contemptuous of the niggardly circumstances of our long-suffering but resilient people who now seem to have been pushed to the edge of the cliff,” he said. 

  “This is why the legal framework for financing electioneering campaigns and related matters appears so ineffectual, hollow and ritualistic and smacks merely of going through the motion.”

  But in his remarks, Aribisala sharply disagreed, saying it was unfortunate that scholars, in their bid to discredit the present government, try to force their opinions on others, adding such trait was not ideal in an intellectual community like the University of Lagos.

  He said it was wrong for anybody to have claimed that nothing was working under this government, adding that, if political godfathers did not support the campaign of Jonathan’s re-election bid, there would be corruption in the country.

  The public commentator, who agreed that that some things were yet to be fixed in the nation, however, said international bodies had rated the present economy as the fastest growing economy in the world.

  While putting some questions to discredit Oyebode’s view and submissions, most of the participants loudly rebuffed him, and the situation nearly resulted in a break down of the programme.  

  But the situation was averted by the quick intervention of Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye and others, who wittingly prevailed on Aribisala to leave the podium.