The Tell Magazine edition for October 8th, 2014 was captioned “2015 The Odds Against Sambo”. Said edition of Tell Magazine focused on the recurring argument of why the same politicians who vowed that they will make Nigeria ungovernable for President Johnathan are against the nomination of Vice President Namadi Sambo as running mate with President Goodluck Johnathan for the 2015 Nigerian Presidential elections. The anti-Vice President Sambo politicians appear to prefer a more confrontational, shit-faced, abrasive, polarizing figure that will overwhelm President Johnathan with conflict, confrontation, and obstruction of any nation building effort in the event of a second tenure in office.
The arguments against Vice President Sambo indicate that he is a political liability to President Johnathan with no electoral value with the northern electorate, particularly in his home state of Kaduna; there is the argument that Vice President Sambo has no leverage to deal with or enter into peace negotiations with Boko Haram and other violent sects in the north; that Vice President Sambo is not forceful enough to represent and protect the interest of northern Nigeria in the Present Johnathan administration; that Vice president Sambo is a businessman who has limited or no political skill to appreciate and navigate the perilous terrain of Nigeria’s ethnic, religious and tribal political sphere.
The 1999 constitution of Nigeria clearly articulates the limited duties and functions of the vice president of Nigeria. The vice president is to assist the president at the dictate or specific designation of the president. The vice president has no independent authority to engage in policy making or nation building without the express permission and designation by the president. In return for honouring his oath of office and appreciating his constitutional role as vice president, Alhaji Sambo is labelled a political liability not worthy of remaining on the presidential ticket for 2015. Only in Nigeria is honouring the rule of law and the constitution morally purnishable.
This is one of the very limited instances in Nigeria where the case against dropping a candidate from the presidential ticket is not based on corruption charges, abuse of office, incompetence, arrogance, gross negligence, theft of public funds and other vices against Nigeria and /or Nigerians. The Peter Odili candidacy for vice president comes to mind as he was dropped from consideration from the Umaru Yar Adua ticket due to corruption issues with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Vice President Sambo was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the privatization efforts of the power industry in Nigeria, particularly through the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) and the ministry of power. Not only has Vice President Sambo led this effort to the point of handing over significant sections of the industry to competent private investors, he did not hesitate to advocate the firing of the minister of power and the director general of the bureau of public enterprise when they were complicit in conflict of interest and self-dealing allegations. At no point has Vice President Sambo ever being accused or proven to be compromised in the privatization process.
In 2007, Vice President Sambo was duly elected as governor of Kaduna state. Kaduna state politic is a high wire act, with the complicated angles of religion, ethnicity, tribal inclination and mutual distrust among the varying groups that make up the Kaduna state electorate. The history of political violence, murder, arson and mayhem makes it impossible for anyone but an astute politician with adroit political value to emerge as the victor in a democratic election like Vice President Sambo did in the year 2007. Therefore the argument against his political acumen is questionable, lame and parochially motivated.
The case against Vice President Sambo for not leveraging his official power to negotiate with Boko Haram and end the bloody siege in parts of northern Nigeria also indicates desperation to strip Vice President Sambo of his office with whatever trick sticks. Vice President Sambo has publicly and privately made all effort to bring peace and end the suffering of innocent Nigerians sandwiched between the Boko Haram criminals and the Nigerian military, recently described by the United States ambassador to Nigeria as serial human rights violators. The fact is that the Boko Haram claims to be a religious movement against western civilization, but continue to murder fellow Muslims, emirs, Islamic religious leaders, women and children. If Boko Haram will attempt to murder the Late Emir Ado Bayero of Kano, refuse to heed the peace initiatives of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Mohammed and attempt to kill Gen. Buhari, why on earth will they listen to a western educated architect and government official in Vice President Sambo? The only language boko haram understands is violence. Let the critics of Vice President Sambo please prove otherwise as we all eagerly anticipate the immediate end to the long suffering and senseless carnage that is the daily reality of millions of Nigerians in parts of the northern part of our country.
The first government in Nigeria to decisively address the almajiri issue in Nigeria is that of President Johnathan. For anyone to insinuate that Vice President Sambo is not at the nucleus of this initiative as Vice President Johnathan was for the Niger Delta Militant’s amnesty program must be in wilful and mischievous denial. There is no way that a Vice President who does not care about the North will be in office and major resuscitation effort for agriculture, roads, the power sector, re-equipment of the military in the north, dam revitalization and multiple airport renovation, among other development initiatives will occur. Vice President Sambo, though a Northerner with a unique personal understanding of the Northern situation, he is still the vice president of all Nigeria and must be so guided.
Vice President Sambo journeyed across Nigeria in different capacities of private and public life before he was elected to office as Kaduna state governor in 2007. He lived in Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, married from Kano and travelled the world, gaining a unique appreciation for different, cultures, religions, and the general struggles of the human experience. To insinuate that Vice President Sambo is not politically astute and he ended up as the vice president of Nigeria in 2010, contrary to all indications at the time of his selection is one discussion better left for historic future debate and judgment. Vice President Sambo is no President George Bush who never left America or his comfort zone to learn about others before he was handed the United States Presidency by the U.S. Supreme Court. The ignorance and confrontational attitude of President George Bush led to the second Iraq war which has in turn resulted in avoidable widespread religious violence in the middle east, Nigeria and worldwide. A confrontational and ignorant vice president advocated by the anti Sambo / anti Nigeria politicians can only result in the disruption of the transformation agenda and deprive the country of a focused executive.
I do not know Vice President Sambo any more or less than millions of Nigerians the world over. Therefore, I cannot and do not speak for him. But I know from history that when competent people are forced out of office by mischief makers, there is a hidden destination which will never serve the country or its citizens positively. The only visible outcome that can be reasonably anticipated from this expedition is further chaos in the country and further hateful divide between the regions and religions of Nigeria. The choice of the vice presidential candidate is strictly the prerogative of the president and no one else. I hope that the president will exercise this prerogative with prudence and caution as the same individuals and groups making a case against Vice President Sambo are the same folks who swore that that President Johnathan will never govern Nigeria in peace.
Most disturbing and glaringly disappointing is that, rather than propose realistic and achievable, measurable solutions like President Johnathan and Vice President Sambo are doing with the transformation agenda, for unemployment, hunger, absent health care infrastructure, poor quality of life, decaying academic institutions and our culture of disregard for humanity, lack of proper security for life and property of Nigerians, the politicians and their supporters are stuck on divisive, ethnic and destructive politics which only places the development and improvement of Nigeria in a catastrophic reversal.
Christopher Esomo
Abuja, Nigeria