Rimi

Rimi: A Political Merchant Or A Jungle Politician?

Barrister Rafindadi Mohammed

Former civilian Governor of old Kano State, minister of Communications, Chairman of Nigeria Agricultural and Cooperative Bank, and Nigeria Security, Printing and Minting Company at various times, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Rimi’s recent return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP early in the week did not come to many politicians and political watchers in Nigeria and beyond as a surprise.

Speculative media reports have been in the Nigerian political airwaves for sometime now until last Tuesday when the matter was laid to rest by formally confirming Rimi’s return to the PDP during an elaborate ceremony in Kano. Rimi’s men in Action Congress, AC led by the state Chairman, Sulaiman Mohammed and State PDP Chairman, Masud el Jibrin jointly signed the communiqué of the return of Rimi and his people to PDP with the resolve to re unite and work concertedly to salvage the state from the misrule of the ANPP government led by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau.

For the avoidance of doubt, Rimi was one of the founding fathers of the PDP in 1998 as a frontline member of the G14 that later metamorphosed to G34. Before then, Rimi was a shrewd, calculating, unassuming and charming politician before and after his election as Peoples Redemption Party, PRP Governor of old Kano state in 1979. As a disciple of the late Mallam Aminu Kano, Rimi’s political profile began to rise as Governor among his peers. Because of his desperation to take over the leadership of PRP from the late Aminu Kano, Rimi began moves to align with Azikiwe’s Nigeria Peoples Party, NPP Governors to form an association with a view to having a firm grip of the North in the hope of using it as a bargain point for his Presidential ambition.

This clandestine approach did not however work out for. Older politicians like the late Governor of Kano state, Sabo Bakin Zuwo read his motive and began to counter them. Rimi was quickly suspended from the PRP. Since then Rimi had settled his ambition on the Presidency of the country.

During the PDP Presidential primary in Jos in 1999, Rimi was one of the major contenders. Regrettably however, information went round the various delegates at the convention that Rimi had stepped down for Olusegun Obasanjo after a good bargain. Since then Rimi’s integrity, conscience and morals have been questioned by his supporters. The view of most people about Rimi since then has been that he is no longer a politician worth his name.

He has thrown all the virtues of a good, transparent and morally upright practice of politick to the dogs. He has greatly compromised his position as a fire brand, conscientious politician. Some people are of the opinion that Rimi has now degenerated into being a political merchant. Others still call him a jungle politician.

It has certainly now being established beyond reasonable doubt that Rimi’s integrity has sharply fallen below average. His return to PDP is nothing but a show of greediness, political prostitution, moral and political bankruptcy and to some extent insanity. Or what else will you call it? Rimi was in the forefront of top most party members in the ruling PDP who were frustrated out of the party by Obasanjo.

As a member of the party’s board of trustees, Rimi did and said everything bad about the party because of the humiliation he had gone through in the hands of Obasanjo. He took the party to the cleaners for becoming undemocratic, tyrannical and vindictive. Rimi used every available venom and insult on the PDP and vowed never to have anything to do with it.

Late in 2005 when Rimi’s wife was killed in his house in Kano, Rimi alleged that the act was planned and executed by PDP and its agents with a view to silencing him. Today, Rimi has gone back to the party he had abused left, right and centre. I wonder if Rimi can in heaven look straight into the eyes of his late wife, Sa’adatu and tell that he returned to the fold of his party men who he swore with all his blood that they killed her.

Many questions will come to Rimi’s ears looking for answers as the days come to pass. Is that not a shame to Rimi? Hasn’t he compromised his stand as a fiery and progressive politician? Do we now assume that Rimi is now of the members of the nest of killers, tyrants, arsonists, terrors, dictators, pen robbers, fraudsters, manipulators, agents of vendetta and thieves among others as he once claimed PDP members are shortly after he left the party for AC? Like the national publicity secretary of AC, Lai Mohammed said in a statement, AC will not in any way miss Rimi. In other words Rimi was more of a liability to the party than an asset. All this while, Rimi has been more of an extortionist to the party than a contributor to its growth and development. He has become a cash and carry politician who never give to the party but collects from it and its major financier.

There is no doubt that Rimi is behaving like a confused politician who has lost follower ship, focus and relevance in Nigeria’s politicks today because he is now all out for money politicks. Even the Kano sate chapter of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP took Rimi to the cleaners for his un holy return to the PDP and accused him of gross ineptitude. In a statement signed by its secretary, Alhaji Bako, ANPP described Rimi as one politician lacking conscience.

To all intents and purposes, the conclusion is that Rimi is a greedy politician who has now moved back to PDP so that he can continue to ‘eat’ the forbidden fruits from the public purse. One only hopes that President Yar’adua fully understands the game plan.

It is most unfortunate that Rimi as a progressive has gradually moved to the other side in style. He has not been bold enough to own up to his love for money at all times. Pretence will not take him any where.