Indivisibility of Nigeria is politically tenable

In the beginning, Nigerians bargained for one Nigeria, but it seems an up-hill task to reach at the bargaining table. There are mountains of opinions on this tasking issue. We often say, “United we stand but divided we fall.” So, where are we today?

America predicted that Nigeria will split in 2015, but many Nigerians received it with skeptical smiles. Many became very emotional about it.

Some say Nigeria is indivisible but they do not know that the toxic statements they make can affect Nigeria’s indivisibility. Many people are leaping with different opinions.

This can affect Nigeria also. Nigeria at this time is fragile and needs to be guided and handled with care.

The indivisibility of Nigeria depends on all of us. It is politically tenable because politics is an art of the possible. It does not exist in a vacuum. Nigeria has been basking in colonial euphoria.

This has not left her and she has been eulogizing the sovereignty and indivisibility of Nigeria but deep down they do not do anything to reinforce the togetherness of Nigeria and make people feel proud of being Nigerians.

The glaring problems are there. The problem requires collective will to solve them but the National Assembly threw it under the carpet. The will of the people is restructuring the country but the National Assembly deviated and failed to listen to the common people who know what their problem is.

When the existing leaders are not working and are not ready to give up their romances with corruption and ethnicity, how can they protect our sovereignty?

If the government does not sit up with new ideas and welcome whatever will bring oneness in Nigeria, people wounded will refocus their lenses when they see that hope is imminent. Making noise over the indivisibility of Nigeria does not really mean that one who is saying it is more patriotic than others.

We must understand the frustrations of many Nigerians. One part of Nigeria can’t be enjoying, while others are living in limbo of uncertainty.

Political cartoons and graffitis have been there to show politicians how fragile Nigeria’s condition has been. So these cartoons and graffitis mimic Nigeria’s situation but we don’t reflect on them.

Nigerian newspapers have been giving us a sense of what have been happening in Nigerian dailies. Whether Nigeria can hold itself or break away is food for thought. Those who have been benefiting a lot in Nigeria do not want Nigeria to break away. They are afraid that breaking away means that their largess will seize.

Many ethnic heroes fan the flame of divisiveness to let Nigeria break. They have what it takes to fan the flame of separation. Some do not want Nigeria to break away but all they are asking is fairness and justice to enable them to hold together.

Politics in Nigeria is nepotism personified and polarized, it is politics of exclusivism and politics of big guys.

The Veteran politicians are still clinging to politics of the centre thereby infesting the political elite with their out-model ideas that did not work when they were in office placing their fathers and politics of god fatherism.

In Nigerian politics, no one is ready to back down, everybody is a demi god because he has physical cash. When one speaks, his money speaks too. Everything is a matter of cash.

Nigeria needs leadership reform to get the ship going. Nigeria needs leaders who are realistic, not leaders of conflict of interests. Look at what the National Assembly has done to Nigeria.

For Nigeria to be listened to by its subjects, Nigeria has to restructure its way of thinking, the sharing formulas and sharing of national cake and balance of power. These have become a sleeping issue in Nigerian politics.

Power should be shared. The monopoly of power by some part of Nigeria is not only uneconomic but politically dangerous and lacks justice and concerns. It does not connote democracy. An imbalance in power creates political nuances and divides. And these are the sleeping conflicts that need to be recognized.

People cannot live with a threat of eviction if there is sense of belongingness. Then, indivisibility makes a noise of the whole bargaining. In politics, political bargaining is important.

It involves serious talks together, demolition of rhetorics that create divide, unguided words that dish out hate and push back are not healthy ways of bargaining in politics that brings peace.

Diplomacy is important in bargaining and clarity of thoughts and understanding and not creating a threat of war but a level ground field. It is absurd to tell your fellow citizen to leave your region.

What a contradiction of being one Nigeria? Are you working to create a crake in our Nigeria, the country that we say is indivisible?

In any threatening issues, there must be negotiation. Negotiation is a modern way of trashing issues unheeded in dirty politics. You “Talk and I talk.” But we talk realistically, talks that lead to critical analysis of the problem.

In Nigerian politics, only one man talks, everybody listen.

The electorates are nobody but they are somebody at the election time. It is unimaginable that Arewa Consultative forum is now a substitute for Northern governors in matters affecting Nigeria because Buhari did not get the vote of the South-east, should they be denied of what is their due? Is that the way to protect the indivisibility of Nigeria? It creates a divide.

Democracy is freedom to vote for someone you like. It is not right to intimidate people with power. Power should not dislocate people.

Aisha, the First lady said, she does not like what is happening in the absence of her husband Buhari, that hyenas and jackals will be flushed away when her husband comes back.

There will be war for those who discredit her husband. It can be a way of igniting political tension too for a man recuperating from illness or sickness.

In Nigeria there are quacks politicians, praise singers and whistle blowers. All these compound Nigerian problems. People benefit by what they feel that sustains them. That is why there are many loyalists in politics.

Politics in Nigeria resembles Donald Trump’s politics where if you are not loyal to him, you will not last in the white house. What type of politics is that? Is that the way to defend democracy?

Politics is getting rotten and full of conflicts of interest. How can all these be happening and you still defend the indivisibility of Nigeria?

When there is injustice, people will question the indivisibility of Nigeria. One would ask: also what is the anthropology behind the killings in Kadunna? Can the governor not tell the Federal government what is happening?

Anything that can lead to progress in Nigeria, some sections of Nigeria will shut it down. The constitutional review is a threat to some part of Nigeria.

Federalism, the government of the centre is dismissed with a wave of hand by the National Assembly. These are the people we voted in to help bring peace and lessen the tensions Nigerian people are experiencing. Conflict of interest has emanated in choosing what is good for Nigeria.

The result of the constitutional review showed the robbotness of our government’s thinking cap. Why agitators? The injustice meted on them formed their decision. But they can listen to them to maintain the indivisibility. The Niger Delta cry of justice should be heard because they know where it pains them.

Bad governance has divided Nigeria. According to Sun News paper of Wednesday 26th July, 2017, “Great nations are built by great people with great minds; great nations are owned by great people.”

Nigeria has all it takes to build a great Nigeria. Politicians should be servants of the great nation. Africa sees Nigeria as a great nation.

Let us rely on our humanity and forge ahead and stop basking on unhealthy euphoria. If Nigeria does not believe in itself and each other, we will not achieve anything.

Trust is an essential ingredient that lubricates any final decision. Nigeria has an image to maintain in Africa and in the world but if politics of where we come from and politics of rotational presidency dominates Nigerian political system, it may lead us to choose mediocre in governance.

Merits must be the guiding principle of electing a Nigerian leader. Political bargaining is necessary to flush out those who come into politics with covering notes from their political godfathers.