Jonathan and politics of revenge
Revenge is motivated by a desire for sustenance of power that leads to vengeful behaviour so as not be seen to lose face in a relationship. The vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by authority, power and the desire to manage impressions. The resort to revenge is common in human societies but that […]
Revenge is motivated by a desire for sustenance of power that leads to vengeful behaviour so as not be seen to lose face in a relationship. The vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by authority, power and the desire to manage impressions.
The resort to revenge is common in human societies but that does not make it right. The manifestation of revenge has led to needless wars, broken homes, destroyed economies and created tragic human suffering. Indeed, carrying out revenge is at the root of many problems in much of the human race today. It is responsible for political killings, assassinations and betrayals. On the economic front, it has led to failed businesses and more.
During the second coming of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as President of Nigeria, it seemed that revenge and vengeance on any one who crossed him was state policy. Fellow party men on his own party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were not left out. Once any one crossed Obasanjo’s path and as little as hurt is ego, all forces of the state were deployed on revenge mission not minding the overall consequences on the state or even Obasanjo’s future.
One thought that such a season was over for Nigeria; however, it seems that with recent goings on in the PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan may well be taking Obasanjo’s line. When the story that Jonathan was bent on frustrating the ambition of Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva during the then forthcoming PDP gubernatorial primaries, as retaliation for what the Bayelsa governor was alleged to have done against Jonathan and his interests in times past, it first looked like beer parlour gossip. But when the PDP gubernatorial primaries for Bayelsa State played out and all weapons and strategies, including an ambush on internal democracy in the party, were deployed to achieve what looked more like a revenge mission as against democratic and civilized party primaries, it became clear.
It is my firm conviction that the politics of bitterness and revenge is wrong in politics. It was Confucius who said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves”. I do not agree less. The implication is that acts of revenge ultimately hurt the seeker as much as the victim. Besides the momentary and fleeting feeling of getting “even” that may accompany revenge, on the long term, it is a wrong strategy be it in the home, politics or anywhere at that.
As a strategy in handling the issues, all modern religions condemn revenge. Christianity warns against it. “Do not seek revenge”…Leviticus 19:18 says .Rather man is advised to leave vengeance to God. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay”, Deuteronomy 3:25 admonishes. All other religions condemn revenge except a rather strange religion called Laveyan Satanism which actually promotes revenge as its core tenet.
Beside, religious positions, one observes that the tragedy of the person seeking revenge is compounded when the person realizes that he becomes what he wishes to destroy. A man who takes the law into his hands for instance and kills another because such a one has killed someone he knows becomes a killer himself. Civilization and societal development is made impossible where a culture of revenge pre-dominates. In fact civilization is not possible until fury is replaced with kindness and forgiveness. Revenge engenders endless cycles of revenge, inflicting a trauma-wrought callousness on the individual, group or society.
Any group where revenge reigns, culture – always an organic, collaborative effort between individuals and the collective mind of the group or people withers into an economic, as well as psychic wasteland because social engagement, becomes denuded to the full-spectrum domination of both the cultural real estate and individual mindscape by what one may term a revenge fixation.
As President Jonathan makes his political moves in the political chessboard of the PDP, he must ponder if pursuing a strategy that is perceived as revenge inclined will ultimately do him good. Certainly, for now he will be surrounded by yes men, professional sycophants and “Shoe” lickers – especially now that Jonathan has shoes. Such characters will certainly prod him on the path of the politics of revenge. In their ignorance, staggering naivety and addiction to playing to the gallery, they will only point to revenge as a strategy for the president. Their naïve and banal counsel would be to propagate the tired canard of the vacuous realist mindset that: ”That is just the way it is…..that is how things work… that is the way it is, always and always will be”! But it’s a dead wrong position and a loser’s political strategy. The politics of revenge and vengeance though seductive, remains the great, great, grandson of a lost cause.
What played out in the Bayelsa PDP gubernatorial primaries was not good for Jonathan, PDP and Nigeria especially as reports showed that it was all motivated by revenge. It is not about Timipre Sylva. It is clearly beyond him and his ambition. What is obvious is that under Jonathan’s watch PDP may yet again slip into a ghoulish and hellish miasma where common decency will become annoyance to the politico-universe that may consequently evolve in the PDP and eventually wither decency into extinction whereas grand delusions enervated by the Politics of revenge will bloom and flourish like the mangrove of the delta.
Against the recent talk in town of Jonathan giving what is now termed the Timipre Treatment to incumbent Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Magatakarda Wamakko as some ‘revenge’ for alleged bad turn he had done to Jonathan’s cause in time past, it is my belief it’s time right counsel prevailed
Reports in the media indicate that Abubakar Umar Gada, a former Senator, who one can clearly see is Jonathan’s candidate for Sokoto PDP Gubernatorial primaries. The motivation, according to stories making the rounds, is that it is time for Jonathan to pay back at Wamakko for some ills Wamakko had done to him. What are Wamakko’s offence(s) that are being peddled? One, he denied ticket to Gada, despite ‘directives’ from Jonathan that he should endorse Gada. He is also alleged to have associated with those who opposed Jonathan’s interests in times past in PDP and even in Zamfara State! It is my candid view that playing politics of revenge is not good for the polity. If it is true that the President is motivated by revenge to use all necessary means, no matter how crude as we saw in the case of Sylva to remove Wamakko from PDP gubernatorial cards then it is sad. Yes, the politics of revenge has been going on in Nigerian politics before Jonathan came to be president. But although long habits of thinking a wrong thing right gives it a superficial appearance of being right, it remains wrong.
What would prove helpful for Jonathan, the PDP and Nigeria is to cease forthwith from engaging in the tedious dance to the sweet sounding but destructive melodies of the drums of revenge, starting with the Sokoto PDP gubernatorial primaries. There should be no replay of what happened in Bayelsa State in Sokoto State. The PDP and especially Jonathan should ensure that internal democracy not only works but is seen to have worked in the Sokoto PDP gubernatorial primaries.
Ogah contributed this piece from Abuja