OPINION: Bukola Saraki and the 'Politics' of Politics. By Titi Dami

Date: 2015-11-29

However removed anyone chooses to be from the eccentricity of Nigeria's political system, we eventually all get involved at the end of the day. From the cab man who drives around the city narrating his ordeal about how he managed to fuel his car, to the blacksmith who has to send money to his son in the North, we all eventually find ourselves discussing politics and governance –all within the horizon and privy of the information we can gather and digest.

So far, with what I have been able to digest regarding the case of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, I believe that all Nigerians need to put some deep thought into it. At this time when everyone sees what the papers are reporting at face value, I feel the need to comment on this because looking beyond what the ordinary, and leaving all issues of bitterness and slandering and jargon about past acts, there is a certain disturbing undertone to the Senate President's case.

The public opinion court, which draws its judges and jury from social and traditional media, has tried to analyze and over-analyze the ongoing trial of Saraki based on news and stories we read day in day out. Some have said that Saraki has questions to answer before the court, and as such, he should clear his name. However, every Nigerian out there who has attained puberty would agree with me that there is something called 'the politics of politics' and Saraki, as a politician, is currently caught in the middle of a high-stakes game of this politics of politics.

Politics of politicking is usually beyond what the eyes can neither meet, nor words can explain. Therefore it is usually an art of the mind only understood by those who can discern beyond the common, and grasp at the hidden insinuations that lie hidden between the lines. Among the questions begging to be unraveled are: why would the Senators and House of Representative members who are the rightful representatives of the Nigerian masses keep standing firm in support for the Senate President?

These representatives are in no doubt the ambassadors of all the men and women across Nigeria, and as seemingly indicting as the CCT case against Saraki is, they have all maintained one solid ground that the CCT is persecuting the Senate President rather than prosecuting him.

A handful of Senators have even gone as far as issuing statements stating clearly that they believe that the case against Saraki is nothing but a political witchunt. If those closer to the corridors of power are saying this based on 'in-house' information, what should this signify to the rest of us who think that the 'face-value representation' of Saraki's case at the CCT is as straightforward as it seem?

Another question to ask is: who stands to benefit from Saraki's downfall, and who stands to lose? Is this not another clear case of the masses being used by a powerful cabal that is hell-bent on using the media to tilt national issues in their favour?

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that some guy called Martin Luther King once said that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." In this regard, no matter how good the intentions of our President might be, we need to remind him that two wrongs can never make a right. Most importantly he is not a god to use the machineries of the state to decide who is tried and who is left alone. Or who deserves to preside over the legislature, and who should not. This is a democracy.

Some say that the President's body language does not support corruption. I cry folly. Weren't members of the President's own cabinet like Fashola, Amaechi, and Fayemi accused of wrong doings? Why is the President shielding some people from being investigation and being selective in his role as the Chief Security Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

We all understand that politics is a game for the lionhearted, however, this game should not be played at the detriment to Nigeria's democratic principles. The law should not be used to favour some and shield others. The law should also not be used as a weapon against those one considers enemies, and a safeguard for those one holds close as friends. The law must be equal, all the time. Regardless of who is being tried, no matter what his alleged sins are.

For this reason, I say: the case against Saraki is politically motivated.

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Ojuekun     Apado     Arinola Lawal     Trader Moni     PAACO-PCL Consortium     Haliru Dantoro     Offa Poly     Aminu Adisa Logun     UNILORIN Alumni Association     David Oyedepo     Coalition Of Kwara North Groups     Sobi Specialist Hospital     Diagnostic Centre     Centre For Peace And Strategic Studies     John Olajide Adedipe     Prince Bola Ajibola     Gbenga Olawepo     Egbewole     Onilu     Okiki     Bola Olukoju     Yahaya Seriki Gambari     Olayinka Are     Kazeem Gbolagade     Suleiman Rotimi Iliasu     Aremu Odolaye     Nupe     Ahmad Belgore     Afonja     Abubakar Olusola Saraki     Wakilin Mata Lafiagi     Fawenu     Babajide Ajayi     Yeketi     Tope Daramola     Al-Ilory     Yusuf Amuda Gobir     Deji Ajani     Grillo     FOMWAN     Yusuf Lanre Badmas     Hydro-electric Power Producing Areas Development Commission     Moji Makanjuola     Maja     James Ayeni     CLAY POT     Monkey Pox     Ahman Patigi     Sherif Shagaya     Joana Nnazua Kolo     Joseph Offorjama     Abubakar Baba Sulaiman     Ajibike Katibi     Offa     IFK     Sidikat Akaje     Harrison Osauwagboe     Suleiman Yahya Alapansapa     Ibrahim Akaje     Oluwatoyin Lukman     Folajimi Aleshinloye     Pilgrims Board     Federal Road Maintenance Agency     University Road     Abdulquowiyu Olododo     George Innih     Adedeji Onimago     Medview Airlines     Hamidat Sulyman-Yusuf     Guber Aspirant     Yashikira     Rabiu Kwankwaso     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Makama     Razaq Atunwa     Sulu Babaita Isiaka     Islamiya Abdulraheem    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kayode Laro     Shehu Jimoh     Ubandawaki     Abdulkareem Alabi     Adebayo Salami     Otunba Taiwo Joseph     Olushola Saraki     Alanamu     March 28     Kola Olota     Gbenga Adebayo     Bola Sagaya     Alao Ayotunde     Aminu Adisa Logun     Kamaldeen Kehinde     Olupako Of Share     Students Union Government     CKNG     Olubukola Kifayat Adedeji     Ramadan     Roheemat Hammed     Alabi Olayemi Abdulrazak     James Kolo     Kwara State Sports Commission     Abdulwahab Ololele     New Nigeria People’s Party     AbdulGafar Tosho     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Kale Belgore     Abdulazeez Uthman     Bolaji Abdullahi     Mohammed Ghali Alaaya     Salman Suleiman     Olabode George Towoju     Dauda Adeniran Adeshola     Folashade Omoniyi     Rafiu Olasile     Markaz Arabic And Islamic Training Institute, Agege     Sheriff Shagaya     Ibrahim Labaika     Azeez Bello     Abiodun Oyedepo     Yetunde Balogun     Oke-Ogun     Suleiman Idris     Abdulrasheed Lafia     Wahab Kunle Shittu     AbdulHamid Adi     KwaraLearn     Imodoye Writer’s Enclave     Wahab Isa     EndSARS     Just Event Online     Waheed Ibrahim     Opaleke Bukola Iyabo     Segun Ogunsola     Habeeb Abdullahi Al-Ilory     Diagnostic Centre     Gurei     Kwara-SAPZ Project     Bashir Adigun     Razak Atunwa     Mohammed Jimoh Faworaja     Moses Afolayan     Jimoh Olusola Imam     Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen     Alapansapa     Segun Adeniyi     Dasuki Belgore     Allocation     Bond     Shaykh Luqman Jimoh     Saidu Yaro Musa     2023 Elections     Emmanuel Olatunji Adesoye     Abdullahi Atanda     Jide Oyinloye