Blazing the Trail: The Vision Behind a Progressive Coalition and the Formation of APC

January/March 2011

Culled from "Nigeria: A Progressive Option and Other Challenges."

A Progressive Approach to Sovereign National Conference and Leadership Change!

As things stand now, it is time for both divide (progressives and northern mavericks) to reach out across the Niger and the Benue for that elusive handshake and develop a new narrative for a nationwide progressive movement. Not just an alliance, to win the next Presidential election, but a coherent and virile political conscious movement, a grassroots-based political party for the purpose of wresting power from the past generations represented by PDP. 

The Progressives and the intellectual class, especially those living overseas, can no longer stand by and watch as the political situation at home deteriorates and step up later to blame the collapse on the usual suspect: greedy politicians, oligarchic feudal lords, and greedy administrators and bankers and all the Halliburton in our midst. No, it is time we step into any perceived void and fight for a new start.

Simply put, at this juncture, the issue is no longer about what Lord Lugard did or did not do, or whether amalgamation was a curse or a blessing, but on how to make the 'Geographical Expression' (apology to Papa Awo) live up to its promise. If there is no promise, create one. If there is no dream, create one from that which we fantasize about and blog about daily.

Progressives and Nigerians, in general, should rest assured that Nigeria is not going anywhere and it is not for sale. And it will not go extinct in 2015. We cannot and we must not fail again.

CHALLENGES BEFORE NORTHERN INTELLECTUALS

Surprisingly, and of course more disappointingly, a substantial majority of contemporary northern intellectual class and the political elite groups who, no doubt, are the direct beneficiaries of feudal educational largess (full scholarship, lucrative and strategic job placement opportunities in government and in public sectors upon graduation), are now blaming the pervasive bombing campaign by the Boko Haram sect on poverty, marginalization, and revenue allocation disparity. Most disappointing is the fact that some of these privileged, educated elite groups do not suffer any equivocation when justifying Boko Haram's barbarism on every available social media regularly.

Problematic as that affinity (love fest between the sect and the intellectuals) seemingly is, it doesn't foreclose the need to negotiate to unite by and between the authentic southern progressives and the present generation of northern intellectuals because of overriding national interests.

But first, there must be a meeting of the minds on one fundamental issue - defeating the status quo. And that brings us to the thesis of this essay.

Thesis:

How do you make a change in a given society, when those who ought to be at the forefront of change [northern academics, mavericks, and intellectuals] are the direct beneficiaries of the policies [feudalism and class system] that made the call for change inevitable?

This is not an isolated or abstract academic puzzle - it is the real deal at the core of our political impasse as a nation-state. And it is the first hurdle that those of us (non-partisan real progressives from the South) who think one great Nigeria is not an illusion (a reality) must first overcome to develop a formidable framework for a genuinely progressive movement nationwide.

Here is my approach to the thesis.

In light of the current development in Nigeria, it is incumbent on the part of the vocal northern intellectuals to rebel in principle against the age-old oligarchy system of government prevalent in the northern region to collaborate with the progressives nationwide, to create a political culture that will stand the test of time and benefit everyone equally. 

Given the scale of unrest in the north, rebelling against the feudal philosophy that perpetuates the class system, becomes a moral obligation, because (1), it is the right thing to do given the level of discontent as well as the total disconnect between the nouveau riche and the talakawa. (2), the obscene wealth flowing to some individual families in the north from lucrative oil blocs appropriated during the past military regimes is more than necessary to develop the region, and (3), the unpredictable nature of the class warfare that will engulf the area and the spillover effect to the other parts of the country, should status quo remains unchanged, is more potent than imagined. 

Therefore, it is imperative on your part (Mavericks and militant intellectuals of the North) to either step out of your protective closets and align with progressives southerners in order to build a sustainable human and economic development throughout the northern region and Nigeria at large, or you remain ensconced in your El Dorado and suffer the Muammar Qaddafi's foolhardiness in the long run. The time is of the essence. 

CHALLENGES BEFORE NIGERIAN PROGRESSIVES

I have no doubt in my mind that a progressive administration - precisely at the national level, devoid of ethnic or religious coloration - is our best hope given the level of discontent on campuses and the apparent disconnect between the governed and successive governments since independence. Until we have a genuine leader who espouses financial discipline, transparency, and accountability in the management of our wealth, we cannot make tomorrow better than today.

Given the fact that the present [Jonathan] administration has not exhibited any modicum of rebellion against status quo in terms of ideas and war against corruption, the earlier progressives of all shapes and stripes unite around a bold agenda and unseat the power clique the better for the nation at large. And that, my friends, is the surest route to emancipating and reinventing the Nigerian man inside of every one of us.

Therefore, this paper is more of a progressive pitch, making a case for (1), the need for southern progressives and northern mavericks and intellectuals to unite and rebel against greed and feudal principles in order to avert imminent class warfare. (2), that given the seemingly fragile state of our sovereignty, the idea of Sovereign National Conference, though well-intended, should not be a 'take it or leave it' option, because there is too much uncertainties surrounding its successful evolution within a definite time period. (3), that progressives and mavericks - with a uniform political and socio-economic agenda nationwide - stand a better chance at uniting this country and arresting the ills that facilitate religious intolerance, greed, corruption, and  political assassinations, and (4), that the ruling class - from north to south and east to west - often times capitalizes on existing ethnic mistrust to perpetuate their dominance of the political forces at the perils of the greater majority. Therefore, defeating them in a democratic setting is morally imperative.

MOVING FORWARD

The political elite knows too well that Nigerians are a bunch of gullible, docile, and ethnic chauvinists; afflicted with a chronic short-term memory disorder. We celebrate big names in and out of government, disregarding their abysmal performance while in office, especially if such big names are members of our own tribe or community. It is symptomatic of hapless minds, of a beat-up people searching for heroes and handouts from the wrong places.

What we perceived as the policy of the north, what we are worrying about as northern dominance, are not exactly so. They are the handiwork of a negligible few, intent on monopolizing wealth and power, with the active support of gullible, predominantly uneducated followers who are psychologically and mentally enslaved by misinformation tactics perfected by daily handouts that are made possible by stolen wealth. The pains and sufferings of the Talakawa and their counterparts in the south do overlap and bear similar patterns. Corruptions and squandering of riches are as rampant in the south as they are in the north.

Granted no society can completely eradicate corruption from its system, but quality leadership will go a long way in defining how its citizenry and the community at large react to graft, bribery, and corruption. Therefore, more emphasis should be on quality leadership, from top to bottom and from north to south.

That being said, any extorted [forceful] religious indoctrination of the unaffiliated should be treated the way it is - an act of war against the Sovereign [the Nigerian nation-state]. For Nigeria to live up to its promise of one nation one destiny, it must be willing to mobilize every resource at its disposal to defend threatened rights. 

Our desire and our love for the good life, intellectual and educational pursuit, freedom of worship, and the pursuit of happiness shall not be compromised. Never, never; we will never compromise on those things that we hold dear to our hearts. We will never bargain away our fundamental rights to associate and worship the way we want or negotiate away our inherent rights to educate our kids in any part of Nigeria that we chose, and the way we want. Not now, not at any time. Nigeria is not for sale, and the culture of entitlements must be discredited and abandoned. We will never surrender in our search for that egalitarian society and a real federal system of government that benefits every individual, tribe, and region equally.