2019: Old foes, new friends!

I don’t have enough vocabulary to describe how I’m really enjoying the ongoing intra-elites squabbles in the Nigeria’s political space. I also lacked adequate diction to correctly pin-point or predict what might be the outcome of the current political re-structuring by politicians across all the divides! I’m sure however that, political forces are aligning and […]

I don’t have enough vocabulary to describe how I’m really enjoying the ongoing intra-elites squabbles in the Nigeria’s political space. I also lacked adequate diction to correctly pin-point or predict what might be the outcome of the current political re-structuring by politicians across all the divides!

I’m sure however that, political forces are aligning and realigning ahead of 2019 elections in what is definitely going to be the mother of all battles to protect political turf and interests. The subterfuge and tricks being deployed in what was previously thought to be unworkable or unthinkable among politicians had made it all the more interesting. 

These unholy Marriages of convenience by hitherto strange bedfellows, and mortal political foes, in their avowed struggles to dislodge yet a formidable foe may prove to be the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning, and/or the beginning of the beginning of an era for most Nigerian politicians!! Who knows?

Come to think of it; prior to this period of political hullabaloo, I have never given a thought to the possibility of former president Obasanjo and Atiku Abukakar coming together under the same roof knowing how the relationship between the two political juggernauts since the infamous ‘Sad Term’ imbroglio had degenerated beyond repair? Indeed, my wildest imagination have never contemplated seeing a cat and a mouse in the same roof, sharing the same food and even exchanging pleasant banters? How wrongly was i?

Also, I was so naïve not to have remembered the adage that in politics, there were no permanent enemy or friend, only permanent interest; and the end justifies the means. This is true when we observed what is unfolding today in the Nigeria political space. 

For example, many observers could not tell what initially caused the rift between Obasanjo and IBB. But for sure, having read in some national dailies, the two leaders were not in good term at some point IN TIME PAST. In fact, some newspapers reported how each referred to each-other as ‘IRREDEEMABLE FOOLs’ among other unprintable appellations.  Lately however, we have seen and observed some overtures in the effort to confront a formidable common enemy in 2019!

The same Scenario is playing out in Kano too. Kwankwaso who demoted Mallam Shekarau to a mere class room teacher from a lofty height of permanent secretary in the Kano state civil service for no  reason other than political vendetta is today hobnobbing with his former political foe. How that forced union will play out remain in the realm of conjecture because with shekarau as the leader of Kano-PDP and kwankwaso’s over-bearing influence and desire to dominate things, nobody will tell with exact certitude what will play out in the end?

However, one good thing remained that the electorates who will ultimately determine who get what in the forth-coming elections are watching with keen interest all the current political developments, intra-elites squabbles, shenanigans, subterfuge and trickery in the Nigeria political space. And they know those who are genuinely fighting for the people’s interest, and those who are GOLD DIGGERS, looking for opportunity to loot the country dry and go!

Kabir Tsakuwa, Kano.