The Politics Of Conviction And That Of Convenience By Babandi Gumel
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
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
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.
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