The Politics Of Conviction And That Of Convenience

By

Babandi Gumel

bagumel@btinternet.com

Listening to the Late Malam Aminu Kano in our interview more than 25 years back to be broadcast in the fiftieth Anniversary of the BBC Hausa Service this week reminds me of the type of clean politics they used to play during the first and Second Republics. It was inconceivable or unimaginable to imagine that time a prominent PRP follower cross carpeting and going to the NPN or vice versa as we hear and see today. The kind of politics Malam Aminu Kano and his likes played during the first and second Republics was the politics of conviction not the sort of convenient foul politics played by our current politicians who jump from one party to another without iota of shame or any political consideration. It is rather strange or amusing sometimes traumatic to find many of the followers of the Late Malam Aminu Kano left his legacy and joined the parties which are in variance with their principles that no one could even imagine. Joining such parties in the first or second Republics would be unthinkable in those days. Just imagine Malam Aminu Kano cross carpeting to the NPN or President Shagari to the PRP vice versa.  Similarly followers of Late Awolowo of the UPN leader or Dr Azikiwe of the NPP would never ran away from their natural party to other alien political party seen as unnatural in those days due to sincere political conviction. Any one who dared do so would be accused of sheer hypocrisy turning the legacy of their political parties upside down cross carpeting and jumping to other parties whose manifesto and policies were contrary to Malam Awo’s or Zik’s legacies.

Today’s politics unlike yesterday’s politics is characterised with selfishness of getting rich quicker or getting a position that would help the politician achieve his or her desired goals and objectives something that could not be dreamed in those good old days. It is not surprising to see members of the former PRP or any other previous political party now joining different parties which are in conflict with their manifestoes and true conviction. Examples you find former members of the PRP who by nature should be in the Opposition ANPP have naturalised and metamorphosed in the nest of PDP Ruling Party some jumping to AC and some to other Political Parties contrary to their natural principles.

The very way politicians of our time now play politics is entirely different from the past politicians. Even though you find some of the politicians lived with Late Malam Aminu Kano and Awolowo and knew their legacies who by nature should follow their own legacies yet they prefer to join the other band wagon new breed of politicians either for name and fame or for convenience to achieve their selfish objectives. May be they follow the adage if you cant beat them join them but a lot of people are of the opinion that no amount of inducement material gain or trial may dissuade a person of true conviction to leave his own natural legacy to a different one as we see today. Unfortunately as the politicians are so shrewd sometimes convincing but cunning they would give you excuses and reasons for not staying in their natural party of affiliation as we can see from the continued crisscrossing and cross carpeting to different parties of their choices.

So this is why as I said today’s politics is not true real politics of conviction like that of yesterday but is rather that of contradiction, convenience and unfortunate selfishness of getting rich quick or be in the corridor of power that could not easily be forgotten. I remember a friend of mine once was praising the Presidential Candidate of the ANPP Muhammadu  Buhari for his honesty conviction and sincerity of purpose as he was trying to get the ANPP House of Representative Ticket. Unfortunately he was unsuccessful in his tough bid therefore he decided to jump to another party clinching the same ticket from that party forgetting the legacy of the former General. When he intimated me with the news I asked him “Where is your conviction” and he retorted “Well since I cannot get what I wanted I should quickly go to the other party that can help me achieve my desired objective”. This has strengthened my assertion that definitely today’s politics is completely opposite from the previous politics we witnessed in the Second Republic which was almost similar to the one of the first Republic. It was politics of conviction    not the same kind of unfortunate convenience characterised with contradictions anomalies and other evil traits displayed by our politicians of this present time. Nonetheless there are still some politicians who have remained firm and committed to their principles maintaining the legacy of their former political parties thus showing that there are still some politicians who are fully convinced with whatever they believed and not the kind of trend we are seeing today of cross carpeting from one to another party without serious consideration or conviction. What can we say “It is not a do or die policy” rather is a trend of getting rich quicker or else you will be left wandering aimlessly without achieving one’s necessary aims and objectives. So therefore every one has the right to change from one party to another so long it does not affect ones religious conviction. It is only politics therefore should not be taken seriously as they infer or trying to demonstrate from what we see or hear. But the only question remains; How can the electorates trust such people to deliver the goods if they have no conviction in whatever they do?

Well don’t ask me the answer is hard to find nonetheless the only thing a person can say men of conviction and principle like Late Malam Aminu Kano are more steadfast than unprincipled persons who could easily change or manipulated thus disregarding and compromising their principles and slogans at their desired convenient time which is so worrying and unfortunate.

Wa Akhiri Daawana Anil Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen.