Of Wike, National Interest And Foreign Concerns, By Tunde Abatan
Ordinarily, the essence of participating in politics or any other interest or pressure groups is for specific goals.
So by inference, personal or group goals and objectives always assume national dimension when such goals clashes with the national interest of any country, pressure group or associations.
Hence, it is very hard to separate personal interests/ goals from national or group interests for it is the personal interest that props up leaders who with the passage of time and unfolding events, position or see themselves as messiah’s of peoples goals and aspirations.
Since the climax of political exploits of the vociferous governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, especially his face- off with his party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and Atiku Abubakar, it’s presidential candidate, Wike has deliberated cultivated for himself a larger than life crusading image of champion of equity between North and South.
Though, the immediate cause of his vitriolic attack of Atiku and PDP derives from his loss at the PDP presidential primary, yet his later day posturing’s is hinged on crusading for Southern Presidency.
But then, critics also forget ,quickly too, that the turning point of Tinubu’s getting the All Progressives Congress, APC ticket also derives from his Emilokan-it is my turn chorus in Abeokuta ,Ogun state where he had gone to challenge his erstwhile protege, Governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun for abandoning him like a motherless child at the zenith of his campaign to get APC presidential ticket.
With ‘Emilokan’ emotional cry and deep bucks; political grandstanding and schisims within the APC national caucus backed with pliant governors, Tinubu got what he wanted.
Ironically, the reverse is the case with Wike who got a bloody nose from his South South and South East governors who abandon him to Atiku who also succeeded in getting Northern sympathy to defeat Wike.
But perhaps where Wike’s cry became more pronounced was his failed bid to get compensated for being chosen as Atiku’s running mate.
Hence, it is true that had Wike got Atiku’s sympathy ,perhaps Wike would’ve swallowed his now trenchant cry for Southern Presidency.
Thus, from the scenario above, Wike’s clamour for Southern Presidency by hob-nobbing with Tinubu along with his three other ‘rebel’ PDP governors including Seyi Makinde of Oyo and Samuel Ortom of Benue, who already got his state under Fulani herdsmen trap is evident.
It is a case of if the chicken spill my charm, I’ll break her eggs. Wike since then has been struggling and battling to get three other PDP governors to pay back PDP in her coin and ensure it lost the Presidency.
Thus, from the foregoing, there is a strong connection between Wike’s ambition and open support for Tinubu from APC while in the case of Ortom ,he had to battle to have his state in safe hands after the presidential election and retaining his relevance by getting Senate slot.
For Seyi Makinde, the perceived dominance and tendency for Tinubu to sweep South West votes in the Presidential election is the motive for not wanting to be a political orphan if he manages to get reelected for a second term.
All politics is personal and local.
While personal motives serves as immediate reasons for politicians to want power, clamour for national interest merely serves as tool for helping to achieve personal ambition.
As Leader of Yoruba self determination group, Professor Banjo Akintoye has asserted, Tinubu’s personal interest remains immediate goal while serving the people especially his Yoruba kinsmen remain secondary.
How this allegation resonate with the hundreds and thousands of Tinubu’s disciples and followers will be determined by their strength during February 2023 Presidential elections.
If he could also deliver chunk of Rivers states votes to tilt support for Tinubu, Wike too would have reaffirmed his clamour for fighting for His people.
The US, France, Canada and UK Terror Fears:
Yes, it is not uncommon for most Western countries to send warning and restrictions to their citizens in foreign lands during period of strives, yet the quick succession United States, France, Britain and Canada has issued alert on security at Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal capital is strange and curious.
Curious because such is coming few weeks after the unravelling of years old theft of Nigeria’s crude oil by private concerns.
That the likely major international culprits are Oil companies of this foreign countries speaks volume of the stridency of terror alerts and restriction leading to evacuation of their citizens.
Yes, protection of its citizens anywhere in the world is foreign missions primary responsibility, but the convergence of actions by Western countries at a time like this makes one smell a rat about probable complicity.
Coming at a time when military operations against banditry, terrorism is achieving reasonable success, throws suspicion of international conspiracy with the various terror groups like ISIS,ISWAP and other deadly gangs which had received bloody nose from especially the United States.
Should Nigeria fold it’s hands and allow foreign interests determine how to fight terrorism and economic survival which their activities has caused or allow foreign collaborators to continue to deny it of economic benefits of it’s natural resources thereby prolonging it’s indebtedness to the Western powers ?
But then, federal governments denial of threats and Police Inspector Generals Alkali Babas supply of emergency telephone lines exposes governments initial pretenses and the reality of threats to it’s sovereignty by terrorists.
Does it mean that the foreign countries are aware more than the federal government of the capacity of the terrorists to wreck havoc on Abuja.
If it is true, does it mean the federal government lacks the capacity to admit or resist?
Have the terrorists got enough weapons and capacity to outrun Nigeria and possibly ensure regime change?
Questions begging for answers from both the federal government and foreign interests.
We are indeed in interesting times.
