Nigeria’s political firmament is once again tuned back to the era of political endorsements, the comedy that danced naked thirty years ago during the time of late Gen Sani Abacha in his efforts to transform to a civilian president.
Interestingly however, while Abacha was revelling in his endorsements, incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in the trenches, fighting vehemently against such malady under the banner of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) – a fight that earned him the moniker as a democrat. No reminders that it was at the peak of such dressed endorsements that Tinubu escaped into exile for security reasons.
But the current plethora of endorsements pouring in for President Tinubu’s second tenure in 2027 have exposed late Abacha’s Avatars in Tinubu. That means, while Tinubu, 30 years ago was fighting against Abacha’s endorsements, he was secretly admiring his political strategies.
That also means that, apart from avarice, both Tinubu and late Sani Abacha may have a lot of things in common – two of a kind. A quick mental test would reveal that as Abacha was one of the richest militrician of his time, whose stolen money is still being tracked and recovered around the world, so also is Tinubu. President Tinubu, no doubt is one of the richest Nigerian today.
Like a two sided coin, another similarity is the modus operandi of their endorsements. Like Abacha, whose endorsements commenced in 1996, two years to the end of his infamous political transition programme in 1998, that would have led to his transformation as a civilian President, Tinubu’s own are also coming exactly two years to the end of his first tenure in 2027.
As Abacha’s five political parties of United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP), Congress for National Consensus (CNC), Grassroot Democracy Movement (GDM), Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN) and National Center Party of Nigeria (NCPN) first adopted Abacha as a consensus candidate in April 1996, so also most of the political parties in the current dispensation are rooting for President Tinubu in 2025 as the sole candidate for 2027.
Only two politicians then from the Congress for National Consensus (CNC), Alhaji MD Yusuf and Tunji Braithwaite were able to muster courage to challenge Abacha by going to court. But the Appeal Court rejected the suit on jurisdiction grounds. In this case, no one has so far challenged the illegality or otherwise of these endorsements.
As at the last check, more governors from the three major opposition political parties of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have concluded plans and even on the verge of endorsing Tinubu as the sole candidate in 2027.
That’s why the ruling APC has been accused of planning to enthrone a one party system in our nascent democracy. An accusation the ruling APC is finding it difficult to defend because the democrat who fought against it years back has swallowed it hook, line and sinker. He even described it as a welcome development.
Interestingly again, like a bait, as Nigerians were busy debating and dissecting Abacha’s political strategy, he moved on to the next phase of coercing prominent politicians and individuals to support these endorsements via courtesy visits to Aso Rock Villa. Perceived anti endorsements were gaoled and hunted. And for that reason, Nigerians went in droves, endorsing and supporting Abacha as the sole and only presidential candidate for the presidential election he scheduled for August 1, 1998.
Unfortunately, that was not to be as God intervened. Abacha joined his ancestors on June 8, 1998 and Nigeria and Nigerians were saved from tyranny. Democracy was also saved. But at a huge cost.
In this analogy therefore, it’s expected that President Tinubu would, like late Abacha move on to the next phase of his endorsement saga, albeit coercively. Whether we like it or not. Very soon, or by next year 2026, we’ll start witnessing endorsement visits to Aso Rock, to ensure that President Tinubu is the sole candidate of all the 18 political parties in 2027.
If the brutal and autocratic nature of Abacha in Tinubu isn’t exhibited before 2027, it would definitely appear enroute 2031, in the search for his successor. Indeed, the illegal emergency rule in Rivers state, many analysts say is a pointer in this direction – the anti democratic tendencies.
With the current oxygenated defections to APC from across the opposition political parties in the country, making the political waters towards 2027 even more murkier, political observers see an asphyxiated APC or more of Abacha’s avatars in Tinubu.
One netizen observed on social media, “Like Abacha, like the current disaster on seat. The man is using all manners of subtle means to ensure he stays in office for a second time. First is LGA autonomy. Then next is the legislation to force only INEC to conduct LGA elections. All good developments but trust, they are all laced with hidden motives . . .”
We’d all recall that in a bid to return Nigeria to democracy, the Abacha military junta allowed the formation of five political parties in 1996 to replace the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC) that participated in the June 12, 1993 presidential election that produced M. K. O. Abiola, which the Abacha junta disbanded after taking over power from the interim national government of Ernest Shonekan in 1993.
(Memoye Ikiti Oghu is the Editor – In – Chief of Thescale.com.ng and can be reached on 07052371385 or thescale24@gmail.com)
