By Lawan A. Kazaure.
My heart bled when last week I came across a video viral going round in both conventional and social media across Nigeria, showing the Governor of Jigawa State, Malam Umar Namadi Danmodi tearing into pieces the Membership Card of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a very rambunctious emotional setting full of aggressiveness, while receiving decampees from the PDP to the All Progressive Congress (APC) the Party which under its platform, he was elected Governor of the State in 2023.
While, it is becoming a norm and conviction in Nigeria for, politicians to cross carpet as they so wish without relinquishing their elected offices, it is however, under no reason shall, any party stalwart from the opposition party moreover, at public function have the moral sense and decency to step further in ridiculing sister political organisation to the extent of openly mutilating into pieces its membership card- a symbol the Party so much cherished as an important pillar or institution of our democratic process!
This action is very much unbecoming of the Chief Executive of a State to descend so low in an act that borders on hooliganism! It is natural under a comman reasoning for one to assume that, such a behaviour of this nature is least expected to have surfaced from a very responsible personality, whose political maturity is expected to have surpassed this unwarranted action by ridiculing his image in the name of adding value to his political party.
Governor Namadi’s aggressive action into PDP’s membership card by tiring it, into pieces along with its logo is a rambunctious by character. Membership Card of any political party is a symbol of pride which individual parties should honour, cherish and protect just as we accord the same honour and protection to our National Currency “The Naira.” His Excellency’s moved though, unhealthy by onlookers, but to him is an overwhelming event of joy and happiness!
It is ridiculing for a personality occupying the most exalted position of executive authority in the State to have exhibited an illusionary conduct capable of driving his emotion in the act of uncontrollable manner by exposing his antics behaviour. In fact it is funny to laugh and further observe, that the awkward tendency the Governor exhibited might have portrayed him as a neophyte politician who could not use strategy at his advantage for persuasion.
Going down to his political trajectory, it is on record that, before his political appointment as Commissioner of Finance in Jigawa State in 2015, he was somewhere in Lagos working under Private Organisation and has no history of being a Card Carrying Member of any political party in Jigawa State, but as destiny dictates, he was nominated in 2019 to become the Deputy Governor and consequently culminating into been elected as the Governor of the State by 2023!
The dangerous circumstances surrounding political class nowadays is their jealousy and greediness most particularly in Jigawa State. Political Leaders are enemies to themselves! Rather than building a strategic succession rallying around politicians of their own, they prefer to support an outsider whom they can manipulate or allow an intruder into the system who comes with a war chest ( bag of money inconsiderate of its purity) and wins their sympathy.
The display of membership card of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at a table and, at a public function and tearing them into pieces is to say the least of an infantile action from an unconcerned politician. His action ought to be seen as unhealthy as it amounts to deregistration of that affected political party hence very unethical as Nigeria is a democracy powered by a Multi Party System. Furthermore this public display of ridiculing a political party, is therefore a negation of the collective labour put together by our Political Elders who, stood against the past Military Dictatorship and similarly, fight for the return of democracy. This struggle is a historical fact too enormous to forget and too past to remember particularly, for people like Danmodi who are reaping the benefit of what they did contribute to its emancipation.
The formation of a political party is the most important pillar of a democratic rule such a painstaking and memorable experience amongst those who partake in it. The unveiling of the Transition Program by the Military in 1995 offered long awaited activities for Politicians to have a license to start a politicking and networking hence, Political Associations were timeously formed. Going from one polling unit to the other, making persuasion to individuals for membership registration with a view to meeting the requirements for a political party registration with INEC. Tell me, how someone who engaged in this tedious compilation processes and procedures, could not honor and value the Symbols of other Parties no matter the political ideological differences.
It is absurdity that, since the occurrence of such unfortunate accident, no official statement is coming from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressing their objections to the barbaric act harming them. Their choice to keep mute and become silent to this embarrassment is a serious cause of concern to every politician irrespective of party affiliations. In addition to this, it is pertinent for all politicians to stand by raising in condemnation of this unwarranted circumstances in its entirety. This perpetual abomination done to the party is not only offensive to its members in Jigawa State but to all politicians of conscience across the nation.
The historical antecedent attached to tearing membership card of a political party could be traced to one done by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo sometimes around 2014 as a demonstration of his hatred to the move by his elsewhile, Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to contest for the PDP Presidential ticket in 2019. In spite of Obasanjo’s objection in that regard, Atiku Abubakar came out with all determination and secured the nomination leaving the former President in frustration which his irrationality has caused him.
In contrast, Obasanjo’s action is confined within the party he has an inclining ideology. In fact, he was the President of Nigeria so elected for 8 years under the PDP platform. While on the other hand, the Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi is of the opposition Political Party ( All Progressive Congress – APC) and as such, is an inter party matter! His zeal is to intimidate and injure the opposition party (PDP) so low to the under estimation of the general public, hoping that could entice and persuade members of the opposition to lose faith of their Parties and pushing them into fold of the Ruling APC. The overwhelming enthusiasm of the event is what push His Excellency into intruding the opposition party institutional image.
In an ideal clime, it is the constitutional responsibilities of the Regulatory Body of Political Parties- like the INEC in Nigeria to ensure the sanctity of all the duly registered political parties in Country, such that any individual or group that ridicules a symbol of an opposition political party is sanctioned with an appropriate punishment from a Court of Law.
Finally, that Danmodi’s action does not only stop at ridiculing Opposition Party (PDP) but goes down to ravishing our hard earned democratic rule, thus by trying to partake into pushing the Country by hook or crook ways into, an unconstitutional One Party Rule in Nigeria! Therefore the onus is on Nigerians to resist and kill with all the might of their Votes the emergence of One Party Rule cum dictatorship in the Country.
LAWAN A. KAZAURE
NEW NIGERIAN PEOPLE’S PARTY (NNPP)
MEMBER, STATE WORKING COMMITTEE,
JIGAWA STATE.THE DANMODI’S RUMBUS.
BY: LAWAN A. KAZAURE.
My heart bled when last week I came across a video viral going round in both conventional and social media across Nigeria, showing the Governor of Jigawa State, Malam Umar Namadi Danmodi tearing into pieces the Membership Card of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a very rambunctious emotional setting full of aggressiveness, while receiving decampees from the PDP to the All Progressive Congress (APC) the Party which under its platform, he was elected Governor of the State in 2023.
While, it is becoming a norm and conviction in Nigeria for, politicians to cross carpet as they so wish without relinquishing their elected offices, it is however, under no reason shall, any party stalwart from the opposition party moreover, at public function have the moral sense and decency to step further in ridiculing sister political organisation to the extent of openly mutilating into pieces its membership card- a symbol the Party so much cherished as an important pillar or institution of our democratic process!
This action is very much unbecoming of the Chief Executive of a State to descend so low in an act that borders on hooliganism! It is natural under a comman reasoning for one to assume that, such a behaviour of this nature is least expected to have surfaced from a very responsible personality, whose political maturity is expected to have surpassed this unwarranted action by ridiculing his image in the name of adding value to his political party.
Governor Namadi’s aggressive action into PDP’s membership card by tiring it, into pieces along with its logo is a rambunctious by character. Membership Card of any political party is a symbol of pride which individual parties should honour, cherish and protect just as we accord the same honour and protection to our National Currency “The Naira.” His Excellency’s moved though, unhealthy by onlookers, but to him is an overwhelming event of joy and happiness!
It is ridiculing for a personality occupying the most exalted position of executive authority in the State to have exhibited an illusionary conduct capable of driving his emotion in the act of uncontrollable manner by exposing his antics behaviour. In fact it is funny to laugh and further observe, that the awkward tendency the Governor exhibited might have portrayed him as a neophyte politician who could not use strategy at his advantage for persuasion.
Going down to his political trajectory, it is on record that, before his political appointment as Commissioner of Finance in Jigawa State in 2015, he was somewhere in Lagos working under Private Organisation and has no history of being a Card Carrying Member of any political party in Jigawa State, but as destiny dictates, he was nominated in 2019 to become the Deputy Governor and consequently culminating into been elected as the Governor of the State by 2023!
The dangerous circumstances surrounding political class nowadays is their jealousy and greediness most particularly in Jigawa State. Political Leaders are enemies to themselves! Rather than building a strategic succession rallying around politicians of their own, they prefer to support an outsider whom they can manipulate or allow an intruder into the system who comes with a war chest ( bag of money inconsiderate of its purity) and wins their sympathy.
The display of membership card of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at a table and, at a public function and tearing them into pieces is to say the least of an infantile action from an unconcerned politician. His action ought to be seen as unhealthy as it amounts to deregistration of that affected political party hence very unethical as Nigeria is a democracy powered by a Multi Party System. Furthermore this public display of ridiculing a political party, is therefore a negation of the collective labour put together by our Political Elders who, stood against the past Military Dictatorship and similarly, fight for the return of democracy. This struggle is a historical fact too enormous to forget and too past to remember particularly, for people like Danmodi who are reaping the benefit of what they did contribute to its emancipation.
The formation of a political party is the most important pillar of a democratic rule such a painstaking and memorable experience amongst those who partake in it. The unveiling of the Transition Program by the Military in 1995 offered long awaited activities for Politicians to have a license to start a politicking and networking hence, Political Associations were timeously formed. Going from one polling unit to the other, making persuasion to individuals for membership registration with a view to meeting the requirements for a political party registration with INEC. Tell me, how someone who engaged in this tedious compilation processes and procedures, could not honor and value the Symbols of other Parties no matter the political ideological differences.
It is absurdity that, since the occurrence of such unfortunate accident, no official statement is coming from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) expressing their objections to the barbaric act harming them. Their choice to keep mute and become silent to this embarrassment is a serious cause of concern to every politician irrespective of party affiliations. In addition to this, it is pertinent for all politicians to stand by raising in condemnation of this unwarranted circumstances in its entirety. This perpetual abomination done to the party is not only offensive to its members in Jigawa State but to all politicians of conscience across the nation.
The historical antecedent attached to tearing membership card of a political party could be traced to one done by the former President Olusegun Obasanjo sometimes around 2014 as a demonstration of his hatred to the move by his elsewhile, Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to contest for the PDP Presidential ticket in 2019. In spite of Obasanjo’s objection in that regard, Atiku Abubakar came out with all determination and secured the nomination leaving the former President in frustration which his irrationality has caused him.
In contrast, Obasanjo’s action is confined within the party he has an inclining ideology. In fact, he was the President of Nigeria so elected for 8 years under the PDP platform. While on the other hand, the Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi is of the opposition Political Party ( All Progressive Congress – APC) and as such, is an inter party matter! His zeal is to intimidate and injure the opposition party (PDP) so low to the under estimation of the general public, hoping that could entice and persuade members of the opposition to lose faith of their Parties and pushing them into fold of the Ruling APC. The overwhelming enthusiasm of the event is what push His Excellency into intruding the opposition party institutional image.
In an ideal clime, it is the constitutional responsibilities of the Regulatory Body of Political Parties- like the INEC in Nigeria to ensure the sanctity of all the duly registered political parties in Country, such that any individual or group that ridicules a symbol of an opposition political party is sanctioned with an appropriate punishment from a Court of Law.
Finally, that Danmodi’s action does not only stop at ridiculing Opposition Party (PDP) but goes down to ravishing our hard earned democratic rule, thus by trying to partake into pushing the Country by hook or crook ways into, an unconstitutional One Party Rule in Nigeria! Therefore the onus is on Nigerians to resist and kill with all the might of their Votes the emergence of One Party Rule cum dictatorship in the Country.
LAWAN A. KAZAURE
NEW NIGERIAN PEOPLE’S PARTY (NNPP)
MEMBER, STATE WORKING COMMITTEE,
JIGAWA STATE.