Amaechi, the Turban and the Presidency

Eddy Odivwri

It is a turban like none other. Some non-northerners had been turbaned in the past. Yet this one for the Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi sparks differently.

It is not for nothing. Not only is it not an everyday ceremony, it is even more spectacular that a far deep Southerner is being considered for a prized cultural honour with the faint flakes of Islam around it. Too often, it is a cultural title given to essentially noble Hausa/Fulani elite, many of whom are Muslims, yet it has nothing to do with Islam as a religion. So, the choice of Amaechi for this far-from-home honour will surely provoke some curiousity, not only because Amaechi is a devout Catholic, but also because of the location and timing of the ceremony which holds tomorrow in Daura, Katsina State.

Many people have interpreted political reasons into the ceremony. They can’t be blamed. Perhaps even more curious is the title itself: Dan Amanah Daura, which loosely translates to mean the ‘Trusted son of Daura’, or the confidant of Daura. That itself is loaded with meaning. Why is it that the entire Daura Emirate picked on Amaechi and declared him the trusted son of Daura? In a way, it sounds like that voice from heaven (in the Bible)— that proclaims: “this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased”.

Coming from the homestead of a taciturn President Muhammadu Buhari makes it even more curious. Did the Emir of Daura, Dr Umar Farouk Umar, get a word from Mr President to honour his minister with this title? Is this title meant to send some coded messages to the polity?

Here is a minister who has largely faced his business of revamping the Transport ministry with scores of iconic achievements on various aspects of the ministry, ranging from the revolution in the Rail transport across the country, the development of the marine sector, including the soon-to-come breakthrough in the Deep Blue Sea project, etc.; who has markedly stayed away from the ruckus noise of the 2023 presidential race, being invited to be honoured by the kinsmen of Mr President in a ceremony that promises to be as loud and colourful like a Christmas orchestra.

It is remarkable that all these are coming at a time that politics is literally flaking in the air. Not long ago, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a frontline chieftain of the APC, had expressed his interest in the presidential race. After him, almost half a dozen others have done so. In less than a dozen days, the much-awaited National convention of the APC will hold. It is quite telling that the echoes of this turbanning will literally usher in that major political event in the party.

Expectedly, there has been no yes-or-no response from Mr President on those who came to inform him of their ambition. But with this turbaning, comes a loud but undefined ululation of embrace and acceptation from the kinsmen and allies of Mr President on the personage of Mr Amaechi.

But a number of persons like Dr Jonathan Silas Zwingina, a former senator and former co-ordinator of the MKO Abiola Campaign Organisation (Hope 93) have argued that politics aside, Amaechi is most deserving of the honour from the Daura emirate.

By ensuring that the Kano-Maradi train line passes through Daura to the Nigerien commercial centre, means that the daily economy of Daura will experience a transformation, by way of business opportunities as well as employment opportunities. The Daura emirate is not only proud of this, they are appreciative.

The other remarkable feat is the citing of the University of Transportation in Daura, by Amaechi as Minister of Transportation. It is noteworthy that this initiative comes like a CSR from the CCEC, the Chinese company building the rail line. It will not be paid for by the federal government. But Minister Amaechi had insisted that they build a university as their contribution to the development of the Nigerian state. He could have as well negotiated something else that will be beneficial to just himself alone. What is more, there will be another such University of Transportation in Amaechi’s hometown, Ubima, Rivers State. It is also instructive that while work has started in the Daura University, even the drawings for the Ubima University are yet to be done. Loyalty! Again, the import of this is not lost on the people of Daura, who seem to be saying the coming of Amaechi is like the coming of light which has not only illuminated the dark alleys of Daura, it has raised the notches of importance for the entire emirate.

Perhaps one other consideration that favoured Amaechi is what the Daura emirate considers as the “great support” their son—Mr President, got from Amaechi before and after the presidential race in 2015. Not only was Amaechi the Director General of the Buhari campaign organisation in 2015 and 2019, Amaechi indeed had thrown in his all, in support of the candidature of Buhari for president. No doubt, Amaechi had played very pivotal role in the emergence of Buhari as the APC candidate and even much more role in ensuring that the hotly contested 2015 general election that saw the ouster of an incumbent president, culminated in Buhari’s victory. Some had argued that until Amaechi got involved in Buhari’s political odyssey, the latter never smelt victory.

In all, Amaechi who has arranged for a crew of his Catholic clergy to witness the ceremony tomorrow “to assure them I am still a Catholic”, has accepted the honour from the Daura emirate not only to respect the person of Mr President, but also to appreciate the acknowledgement extended him from the ancient emirate. All things considered, Amaechi must ride in his wind of favour and savour the moment of his honour and glory, as he gets the turban of honour as Dan Amanah Daura. Congratulations!

The North and the Entitlement Syndrome

Eddy Odivwri

Many years ago, a friend, Robert Opara had arranged an interview session with the then governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa. A couple of other journalists were on the trip. By the time we settled for the interview in Sokoto, we were somewhat shocked at the possessive grip northern politicians had (and still have) on the concept of power in Nigeria.

At the time, former President Olusegun Obasanjo was in power. He had done a few things that seemingly unsettled the status quo. He had re-organized the army for instance and displaced some power barons who thought or behaved as if Nigeria was an extension of their private estate.

So, during the interview, then Governor Bafarawa kept implying that the north conceded power to the south just to give them (southerners) a sense of belonging, but given the way it has been “misused”, “now we want OUR power back”. He repeated the last phrase several times in a way that suggests the north owns the political power in Nigeria and gives it out to whomever it wants.

Not unexpectedly, Bafarawa attempted to run for the presidency at the end of his tenure in 2007, but he soon found out that Nigeria is actually not a property of any region, as his presidential dream remained in the pipe, even till today.

Perhaps, the attention of Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State should be drawn to this fact, as he bays for the presidential seat.

There is no debate about his having the right to contest for any office in the land. Every eligible Nigerian actually does. But given the plurality of the Nigerian state, its founding fathers had always tried to factor our divergency into the operations of our political life. More recently, this has been denominated in the north-south equation. Power orbit is thus expected to rotate between the north and the south.

And so, with the expected expiration of the Buhari-led administration in May 2023, a Southerner is expected to mount the saddle of leadership in the country, since Buhari is a northerner, from Katsina State.

But Gov Mohammed does not think so. In pushing his quasi-logic, he argues that the north-south rotation applies only to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and not his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). According to him, of the 16 years the PDOP was in power at the centre, the south was there for 14 years, adding further that it is thus not fair to say the north has over-stretched its hold on power.

Gov Bala should be reminded that Nigeria did not begin with the PDP. Both in the military and in the short-lived years of democratic rule in the first and second republic, the north had held the longer end of the knife in the political arena. It is rather preposterous to assume that after the eight years of Buhari’s administration, that power should remain in the northern bloc of the country.

Yes, any party can zone its presidential ticket to any part of the country, but the two dominant political parties must be guided by the need to be equitable and fair to all parts of the country.

The PDP appears to be tilting towards the north with the likes of Bala Mohammed, Aminu Tambuwal and Atiku Abubakar strutting in the political space already.

Like Bafarawa, these northern politicians and governors speak with an air of entitlement.

Why do they think that it is either them or no one else in Nigeria? Why do they think or assume that the Nigerians from the south east region, for instance, do not deserve to produce Nigeria’s President?

Why is there hardly a thought spared for the Igbos? Needless to argue that there are a crowd of bright brains and people of immense capacity among the Igbos. But turn after turn, the Igbos are treated and regarded as under dogs: never fit for exhibition. Were it not so, since the dawn of this democracy in 1999, no Igbo man has either been considered for a President or even Vice President. Surely, it is not for the lack of credible men with capacity and character. In 2003, late Dr Alex Ekwueme, second republic Vice President, had vied for the presidency but his governor kinsmen from the South East states, preferred to support then President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Thus far, it appears that the Igbo man is considered good only for number three in the country (the Senate Presidency). That should not be. Every Nigerian has an equal stake in the Nigerian state.

It is instructive that right now there are another set of prominent Igbo men like Peter Obi, Dave Umahi , Orji Uzor Kalu, Kingsley Moghalu, Sam Ohabunwa, Anyim Pius Anyim, Rochas Okorocha etc., all eyeing the presidency. They are members of both the PDP and the APC. Some good thought should be spared the Igbos. They are Nigerians. To keep keeping them aside on presidential matters is to imply that the Nigerian civil war has ended but some political demagogues are still in the trenches.

Some have blamed the “inappropriateness” of an Igbo man presidency on the wild agitation for the republic of Biafra as being championed by the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu. That is certainly narrow and parochial. Not only have many Igbo leaders disowned the agitation for a sovereign country, the question would be asked whether or not the agitation of Sunday Igboho for Oduduwa republic also makes a Yoruba man “inappropriate” for the presidency of this country? We must always be guided by the aphorism that what is good for the goose is also good for the ganders.

The issue of zoning is surely a sensitive matter in the political parties. Almost every region is interested in producing the number one citizen. It is left for the political parties to show enough respect for the fibres of decency and justice to do the right thing. The PDP is already getting torn apart on this issue. While many sitting governors think the presidential ticket must be zoned to the north, others argue that the South south has not completed the unfinished slot vacated by former President Goodluck Jonathan. It could be an explosive concern.

The APC on the other hand is settled about the presidency being zoned to the South. But where in the South? Would it be to the South West which had produced Olusegun Obasanjo-(as President for eight years) and Yemi Osinbajo—as Vice President for another eight years (by 2023); or would it be zoned to the South South to make up for the one term of the Jonathan administration? Or would the South East, for once, come into reckoning? The die is cast.