They dominated and populated the crowd at the lying-in-state and burial of Stella. Do not be deceived by their presence. Yes, they shed tears—but for different reasons.
For all I care, all governors and legislators in the so-called “opposition” parties can defect to the ruling party. Let’s just make it official and declare a one-party state. After all, didn’t all five parties during Abacha’s “transition” era adopt him as their sole candidate? And didn’t that entire charade end in disgrace?
The five parties—rightly dubbed by the late Bola Ige as “five leprous fingers of a hand”—were the United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), Congress for National Consensus (CNC), Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), and National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN).
Today’s political opportunism is not lost on some of us. In the near future, we’ll also document this era of political charlatanism, steeped in mercantilist motives. Many so-called political heavyweights defect to the ruling party for personal gain—nothing more. As Adams Oshiomhole once infamously said during his tenure as APC Chairman: “Once you join the APC, your sins are forgiven.” Translation: many jump ship to the ruling party simply to escape the clutches of the EFCC. A convenient route to “forgiveness.”
Gani Fawehinmi captured this sort of opportunism perfectly in his open letter to President Olusegun Obasanjo on November 21, 2005, following the death of his wife, Stella. He wrote: “You should not be deceived by the presence of men and women of Nigeria’s ‘timber and calibre’ (apologies to Late K.O. Mbadiwe). They dominated and populated the crowd at the lying-in-state and burial of Stella. Do not be deceived by their presence. Yes, they shed tears—but for different reasons. There were genuine tears. There were also Ministerial tears, Contract tears, Rotten-head tears, 2007 tears, Teasing tears, Oil block tears, GMG tears (Ghana Must Go Bag tears), Immunity tears, Pardon me tears, Face-showing tears, Business tears, Brixton Prison tears, among others.”
In the same vein, most political defectors to the ruling party—whichever party that may be—do so not out of ideological alignment, but to escape prosecution or secure a soft landing if already facing legal trouble. Members of the ruling party cheer them on, convinced that the APC is the best thing to happen to Nigeria since the 1914 amalgamation.
The silver lining? At the right time, there will be those who chronicle this era for what it truly is. We’re watching. We’re not going anywhere. No leave, no transfer.
Welcome, one-party state.
