By Ernest Osogbue
Many years ago, when I was still a music presenter on the radio, a friend of mine, by name Sadiq, produced a song titled “Naija na comedy.” In the song, he narrated some incidents, which led him to that conclusion. In recent months, I have watched happenings in our country and have come to agree with Sadiq that Nigeria is indeed a comedy.
There is a current back and forth ongoing between the Tinubu administration and opposition politicians. I have stood aloof watching. The question I have, though, is, what does the opposition want? Do they want a better Nigeria, or do they simply want to remove Tinubu and continue in the same manner of leadership?
It is obvious that the current economic challenges have held almost every Nigerian to ransom. As a result, any criticism against the Tinubu administration is well deserved. Having said that, it equally behooves the opposition to design a better, more amenable economic template for Nigeria. Nigerians want to live better than they are currently living under Tinubu, and the only ones in position to give them hope are opposition politicians. A careful look at the way and manner the opposition has gone about this task leaves one hopeless, and wondering whether the Nigerian Messiah will ever come.
It was the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, of blessed memory, who said that applying the same negative tactics as your opponent means that you’re no better than him. Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India, maintained certain principles in his opposition against British colonial rule. Among them are; non violence, simplicity, and truthfulness. For Martin Luther King Jr., opposing evil, not individuals, suffering without retaliation, and seeking reconciliation with your opponent, were some of his core principles in his fight for civil liberty. A careful look at the approach of the Nigerian opposition, shows that there are no clear principles guiding the quest for power.
In recent days, it’s as if the opposition wishes to unduly heat up the polity by shouting at every action of government. By one of Ghandhi’s principles, you must be truthful while in opposition. This means that you must acknowledge when your opponent does well. It means that you must commend when there is reason to, before you condemn. You do not simply condemn for the sake of condemnation. This will ultimately make you lose credibility. I have seen bold headlines crying “Atiku condemns,” “Obi criticises,” “Amechi complains,” and “El Rufai attacks Tinubu,” etc., on so many occasions that one is tempted to believe that no single good has been achieved by the Tinubu administration.
While opposition is appreciated around the world, and especially in Nigeria, the opposition must realize that what citizens want are people who are better than those currently in power. The people wish for leaders who will do things in a better way by following the proper procedures. Applying the same tactics being applied by those in power simply proves that the opposition is no better and has nothing to offer.
Gani Fawehinmi stood defiant and remained resolute in his principle of using the instrument of the law to oppose military governments. When reminded that he would never get justice because the judges were appointed by the military, and could easily be coerced, he maintained his resolve. Believing that one day he would come across a judge who believed in the truth like he did. He knew that change was slow and was not desperate for overnight changes. He never resorted to using underhand tactics, preferring to stand on a higher moral ground than those he opposed.
The Nigerian opposition gives one the impression that they’re desperate, and are out to match those in power force with force, lie for lie, and underhand tactics for underhand tactics. They shout when they do not need to, they accuse the government of every crime and raise undue alarms. While these tactics could work in favor of their quest for power, it ultimately creates a negative impression of them in the minds of well meaning citizens, and exposes them as not being sincere or better than those they seek to remove.
There are several issues in this regard, that one wonders why the opposition is making much ado about nothing. Issues like the subsidy removal, the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, the acquisition of a new presidential jet, the tax reform act, rewards for the women national football and basketball teams, and many others. These are actions which the opposition would have taken had they been in power. So, why do they condemn the government for doing the needful?
The recent airport incidents involving KWAM1 and Valuejet Airlines and a similar incident involving Comfort Emmanson and Ibom Air, readily come to mind. In the two related incidents, the opposition correctly argued that there could not be different approaches to the same offense, when KWAM1 was set free while Emmanson was being prosecuted. But rather than insist on the prosecution of KWAM1, the opposition was more interested in the freedom of Ms Emmanson.
From all indications, KWAM1 committed a grievous offense, and so did Comfort Emmanson. The officials who stripped Emmanson naked are also culpable, and should have been punished. What was expected of the opposition was to have insisted on punishment for all those who breached Nigerian laws. What we got, however, is a political solution to criminal offenses. It follows, therefore, that if and when the opposition comes to power, they will still not obey Nigerian laws, but would seek political solutions to infringements on our regulations.
As it stands, KWAM1, Ms. Emmanson and the officials who unlawfully stripped her naked, now feel above the law. It follows the long trajectory of impunity inherent in our country and gives an indication that the opposition is not ready to bring about a law-abiding society that holds citizens accountable for misdeeds if they come to power. This is very disappointing. It falls in line with many other misdeeds being applauded by the opposition because it favors them for now.
The wrong behavior of Youth Corp member Rita Uguamaye, aka Raye, who abused the president and insulted Lagos State, has been wrongly applauded by the opposition. This should not be. A Youth Corp member should not be encouraged to abuse or criticise this president or any president for that matter, while wearing the service uniform. The behavior should be condemned by all for the sake of posterity. Rufai Oseni, of Arise News is another hero of the opposition because he goes against the ethics of journalism to shout at, abuse, insult, and randomly accuse supporters of the ruling party of corruption on his shows. They forget that this is a wrong approach to journalism. Charles Aniagolu, also of the Arise News Channel, is a great example of how a journalist should conduct an interview. Seun Okinbaloye, of Channels Television is also doing well. I do not wish to be accused of using foreign examples by mentioning the late Larry King, David Frost, or Jim Lehrer, as examples of how a journalist should earn the respect of both the government and the opposition, by treating everyone with decorum.
From every indication, the opposition does not care for the future of Nigeria as long as it grabs power. If the opposition is really interested in the future of our country, it will first do things correctly by following proper procedures, and then insist that the government must do the same. Trying to remove a government by using the same pattern of bad behavior and underhand tactics for which the citizens are complaining, only proves that the opposition is no better than those it opposes, and that it is only using opposition as a ruse.
