June 25, 2015<\/p>\n
The events since the inauguration of Nigeria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 8th National Assembly are
\nnot trending exactly like the making of the change the world had hoped for
\nwhen Muhammadu Buhari was elected president. The opposition is already
\nweakened and compromised. Party indiscipline, which had been a cancer of
\npast regimes, is now full grown. The discredited corrupt oligarchy of
\nNigeria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Legislature once more appears primed to dictate the content
\nand character of the much anticipated change. And the very enemies of the
\nchange are having a blast.<\/p>\n
It is a common knowledge that any democracy with a weak opposition
\nactivity is prone to dictatorship. It is no wonder then that most
\npolitical insiders in Nigeria\u00e2\u20ac\u201dincluding two reliable barometers of
\nmilitary opinion in the persons of Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim
\nBabangida\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhave agreed that the country\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s history with weak opposition
\nfundamentally led to past leadership crises\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom electoral
\nirregularities, lack of checks and balances, mismanagement of resources,
\ncorruption, dictatorship, impunity, ineffective leaders to chances of
\nmilitary takeover of government.<\/p>\n
These true statements explain why well-meaning Nigerians as well as the
\ninternational community roared in jubilation when a strong opposition
\nparty, the All Progressive Congress (APC), was born. The euphoria brimmed
\nas the country witnessed in the 2015 election campaign the closest
\nsemblance of a true democratic culture. For the first time in our
\nnational life, instead of mass revolt or the military alternative, the
\nopposition was finally able to replace an inept party in power. This
\nhistoric victory saw us bubbling with renewed hope like never before. We
\nhad hoped to witness true change in the business of governance. We had
\nhoped for a return of discipline in the society as well as consequences
\nfor bad behavior. Until June 9th!<\/p>\n
Like June 12th, 1993 before it, June 9th, 2015 was another fateful day in
\nwhich fears eclipsed hope. It was the day that treacherous disease that
\nhas been tormenting Nigeria since 1999 reared back its ugly head. I mean
\nthe day the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in
\nan embarrassing dexterity, and to the chagrin of a deserving society,
\nsuddenly abandoned its new role and wangled to become a part of the
\nruling party by default. The implication is that the very hope of
\ninstilling essential components of democracy in the new administration,
\nsuch as party discipline, dynamic competition, choice politics, and
\nchecks and balances has taken a dramatic nose dive.<\/p>\n
To add salt to the injury, the PDP has been indiscreetly obtuse with
\nceaseless media campaign to whip up public support. Their army of cohorts
\ntriggered the debate by comparing the events of June 9th to the First and
\nSecond Republics where leadership positions in the legislature were
\nshared with opposition parties. But it is clear they are viewing the
\nhistory from a rear view mirror. Unlike the chicanery of the 8th Senate,
\nthe past examples were products of mutual party agreements. The PDP has
\nalso been peddling the manner the Hon. Aminu Tambuwal became Speaker of
\nthe House of Representatives in 2011 as an ancient similarity to the June
\n9th. But what has consistently escaped their memory is that, not only did
\nTambuwal emerge in the full view of the entire body, the legislator was a
\nbonafide member of the ruling party as at the time. Sum it this way:
\nUnless in cases of coups, the world wide history is yet to prompt any
\ndemocratic nation where a losing party fudged itself into the leadership
\nof a new government without the consent of the ruling party.<\/p>\n
The most disingenuous yet is the archaic attempt by opposition elements
\nto overheat the polity by injecting tribal sentiments into the debate,
\ntossing the Igbo nation as an unfortunate bet. But the Igbos should not
\nfall for the show of shame this time. It is an old movie.<\/p>\n
Even worse, the leadership of the Legislature under the new government is
\nalso a product of gross party indiscipline, leading to untold level of
\npolitical treachery and unholy alliances. The challenges of party
\nindiscipline are well chronicled in democratic history. For example,
\nSenator Jibril Aminu, after analyzing the crises facing the country,
\nlamented in 2011 that lack of party disciple within his political party,
\nPDP, was the main problem with Nigeria. Not long after, April 27th, 2012
\nto be exact, a serving National Security Adviser, General Andrew Owoye
\nAzazi, shocked the world by revealing that the Boko Haram menace is
\nindeed as a result of lack of internal democracy within PDP\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe then
\nruling party. This type of relationship is what the famous Italian
\npolitical scientist, Giovanni Sartori, probably had in mind when he wrote
\nin 1976 that that any value system that is exhibited by the political
\nparties, particularly the ruling party, has direct consequences on the
\nentire society.<\/p>\n
The salutary lesson here is that the political party is a picture-perfect
\ngenre of our everyday life. It also goes to say that the nature of
\ndiscipline or even of democracy within the political parties is organic
\nand usually permeates both the public and private sectors. It is not
\nsurprising then that the current leadership of the Legislature has
\nalready become a hybrid of the very corrupt cabal that Nigerian masses
\nswept out on March 29th, 2015. The ruling party APC must therefore
\nrecognize that any hope of delivering the desired change without
\nrestoring discipline within the party ranks is only a pipe dream.<\/p>\n
The tragedies of the leadership of the Legislature are a dizzying tale.
\nAnd to continue to enumerate them here does nothing but further ridicule
\nthe notion of common sense. The simplest takeaway is that the act of
\nindiscipline must be confronted head on. Any nation where anything goes,
\ngoes no where.<\/p>\n
To conclude this piece without admonishing President Muhammadu Buhari is
\nakin to performing a sanguine Igbo ritual without the presence of a
\nvulture. Yes, it is gladdening to learn that the president has tacitly
\naccepted responsibility for his perceived indifference to the leadership
\nof the National Assembly, which some impostors had exploited in attempt
\nto betray our change. But that is not enough. Moving forward, Buhari has
\nto realize that the era of passing the buck ended on May 29th, 2015.
\nRegardless of the location of the crisis, whether in the executive,
\nlegislative, judicial branch or any part of the country, for that
\nmatter\u00e2\u20ac\u201dbe it a APC, APGA or PDP state\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthe President and
\nCommander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces is expected to own the
\ncrisis and influence the desired change. The Executive branch in
\nsuccessful democracies, including that of the United States of America,
\nalso influences the leadership of the Legislature as well as that of the
\nJudiciary.<\/p>\n
Yet, Buhari deserves some sympathy on two grounds. First, having said
\nthat he would not meddle with the affairs of the Legislature, he does not
\nwant to appear to be vacillating back and forth. At the same time, the
\npresident has to remember that not only is leadership a dynamic process,
\nit is also contingent upon the prevailing environment. Effective leaders
\nare pragmatic and, where and when necessary, can be influenced by what
\nare objectively desirable in the particular environment and, in course,
\nfind ways to shift from their individual core beliefs. Even as it is
\nvitally important for leaders to be unwavering in their convictions, any
\nconviction should be able to advance the greater good, if it is to
\ntranslate to effective leadership. Blind following of ideology is another
\nname for dogmatism and can easily lead to destructive leadership.<\/p>\n
Second, the president is trying to walk a fine line between the nuances
\nof control and the perceived freedoms of democracy, including separation
\nof power among the three arms of government. The thinking is to avoid
\nevoking a choking nostalgia of his military regime, unfairly defamed by
\nthe opposition during the presidential campaign. Yet, it is interesting
\nto note that the same opposition has emerged as the loudest cheerleader
\nof the president for removing himself from the leadership crisis rocking
\nthe Legislature. But the general from Daura is an old soldier. He does
\nnot need to be told that relying on enemy command is a recipe for
\ndisaster. a<\/p>\n
The fact of the matter is that, contrary to what the opposition wants us
\nto believe, Nigerians are under Buhari\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s government and the president
\nhas to be fully involved. Effective leadership is the ability to
\nsuccessfully integrate and maximize available resources within the
\ninternal and external environment in line with organizational or societal
\nvalues, standards, and goals and objectives. The process in this case
\nentails being able to influence all segments of the polity towards
\ngreater good. Passing the buck has the tendency to stoke a series of
\nexcuses. A habit of excuses, as my father would say, is an existential
\ncatalyst for failure.<\/p>\n
Finally, President Buhari has to be very careful not to squander his
\noverflowing goodwill. He must not undercut the core attributes that
\nendeared him back to the masses. The history beckons on him to lead by
\nreinforcing the original credo of our change. The most compelling way
\nforward is to confront the gross indiscipline that is not only tearing
\nthe ruling party apart but also undermining his agenda proper.<\/p>\n
*Ogbonnia, a leadership scholar, writes from Houston, Texas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
June 25, 2015 The events since the inauguration of Nigeria\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 8th National Assembly are not trending exactly like the making of the change the world had hoped for when Muhammadu…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n