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MDD: In Defence Of What? By Babayola Toungo
The Nigerian media, pseudo democrats and pseudo human rights activists have made tremendous capital out of bashing Abacha, a man who died nearly eight years ago for his despotic rule between 1993 – 1998. It is a fact that Abacha was a tough man and therefore suffered no fool. The man was never known for his sophistication in dealing with the opposition; he was as raw as they come and as tough as nails. He brooks no nonsense and was ready to deal ruthlessly with anyone no matter who he may be, no matter the consequences. When Ken Saro Wiwa and his brigands killed four Ogoni Chiefs in 1994, Abacha hanged nine of them in 1995 on the day the Commonwealth Heads of Governments opened its meeting in Auckland. He felt dared by the hue and cry that attended Saro Wiwa’s trial. His reason then was – the four Chiefs earlier killed were entitled to justice, though he has the power to temper justice with mercy. In Abacha’s five years tenure, the “Ogoni Nine” were the only judicially sanctioned killings. Abacha faced all manner of opposition when he was alive; and now the rage is to demonise him, eight years after he left this world. Every socirtal or systemic failure is still attributed to him six years after this government came on board and eight years after Abacha’s death.
General Olusegun Obasanjo bestrode Nigeria in the past six and half years with reckless brutality. No military government in the past, including his own between 1976 – 1979, has ridden Nigerians this roughshod. The number of people killed extra-judicially under Obasanjo’s watch cannot be quantified. When seven military personnel and policemen were killed by militants in Odi, Obsanjo annihilated the whole community. The Tivs of Zaki Biam also incurred the wrath of Obasanjo when some nineteen military men on patrol got missing in the area. The community still carried the scars of the devastation wrought on them. The amazing side of these episodes was that non of our pseudo-human rights activists is holding Obasanjo responsible even with the precedent he set with the Oputa Panel. The General malus are left holding the can. Obasanjo also declared a state of emergency in Plateau State and got retroactive approval from the national Assembly, our pseudo-democrats were mute.
The latent dictatorial tendencies of General Olusegun Obasanjo has now manifested itself in its full brutal outlook, therefore those that believe they are now getting a raw deal from him are now up in arms. The PDP, now fully militarised, therefore out of the grips of the so-called politicians. I don’t pity them one bit. Where were they when Obasanjo began ‘militarising’ the polity from May 1999? Why do they believe the interest of Nigeria must be subsumed into theirs? Must they be sidelined before they realised that the country is in trouble? The systematic destruction of the country has been going on for the past six years and none of those crying about democracy now uttered a word then, so why now?
For people living outside Adamawa State, it will be difficult to understand why pragmatic and suave gentlemen like Professor Jibril Aminu and Mohammed Buba Marwa will choose to pitch their political tents with that of Obasanjo. But the reality on the ground is that Obasanjo is a better alternative to Atiku for us in Adamawa State. Atiku as a Vice President has proved more of a liability to the people of the area than an asset. His ascension to the office was more of a curse on the people than a blessing. So to those who support Obasanjo against Atiku from the North East in their war of attrition, Obasanjo couldn’t be worse than Atiku. It is not as if they are not democrats – far from it. But Atiku is a worse dictator than Obasanjo. Ask Professor Aminu. For daring to attend the Sokoto Northern Senators Forum, a gathering thought to be an assemblage of Babangida supporters, the Atiku camp in Adamawa sought to humiliate Professor Aminu by starting a recall process that they knew they don’t have a chance in hell of winning. The ANPP members in Professor Aminu’s Senatorial Zone proved to be his saving grace.
So Atiku Abubakar is no more “invincible” in Adamawa State politics as some people may like the world to believe. I can safely bet you the shirt on my back that any inane journalist from any part of this country could conveniently floor Atiku or Boni in any freely and fairly organised elections in Adamawa State. He lost the elections in 2003 despite the intimidating presence of armoured tanks in Yola metropolis. The ANPP won all the elections in both Yola South and North local governments simply because their rigging machine was not allowed to operate by a vigilante and committed voter population. They had an easy ride in the villages because they were able to terrorise the villagers with policemen and other security agents. For those who may be living in delusion as to Atiku’s “invincibility”, they should by now know that ‘the dog has killed the leopard’ a long time ago. The mystique has been unravelled. What remains is just braggadocio coupled with an over sized ego.
I may not agree with Tony Anenih that PDP members and other politicians who formed the Movement for the Defence of Democracy (MDD) cannot win elections on their own, but I am of the strong view that non of them is in it for you and I. They have never cared about democracy so long as they are on the “dining table”. The moment they were asked to leave when “dessert” is to be served, they found their democratic togas. The street brawl unfolding in the PDP has nothing to do with the “defence” of democracy but everything to do with power and relevance. The systematic destruction and its democratic structures by Obasanjo did not start yesterday and members of the MDD have been with Obasanjo from the beginning of his destructive trip. Now that most of them have been shoved off the destructive train, they remembered they were supposed to be representatives of their people.
The whole thing has to do with the politics of 2007. The whole question of loyalty or lack of it between Obasanjo and Atiku never arose in the past. But now the inordinate ambitions of the duo have pitched them against one another, so they want to drag all of us into it. No way! Nigerians are now wiser. In their hour of need, they couldn’t turn to anyone. When Atiku was supervising the auctioning of our common patrimony for pittance in the name of privatisation, “democracy” was not at risk; when he was supervising the worst ever rigged elections in 2003, democracy was not at risk; when he and his acolyte, the uncouth Boni Haruna were trampling on the people of Adamawa like conquerors and the conquered, democracy was “safe”. But now that his effusive ambition is becoming a mirage, democracy is under threat.
The roll call of attendees at the inaugural meeting of the MDD was impressive if you are the easily impressionable type. But just look beneath the surface and you will agree with me that these are politicians who are more interested in their personal welfare than in what is good for the country. Lawal Kaita was the Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority before he lost out; Solomon Lar’s wife is an Ambassador and his daughter until recently was a Senior Special Assistant to Obasanjo; Shu’aibu Oyedokun is the immediate past Vice Chairman, South of the PDP and therefore well positioned for patronage; Audu Ogbeh was the party Chairman during the 2003 elections; Jim Nwobodo was a Senator between 1999 – 2003; name them.
I shouldn’t be misunderstood to be anti-democracy – but we have suffered so much in the hands of these people that we don’t know whom to trust anymore. They have been part of the destruction of Nigeria since the Shagari era whether in a military or civilian government. Most of them are no different from Ibrahim Mantu or Jerry Gana – the difference being Mantu and Gana punch you bare knuckled while those in the MDD uses gloved hands.
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