SOME years ago, Friday May 14, 1999 , I wrote an article along this line and it was published in Vanguard newspaper. As a result of the present political situation, it is necessary to reflect extensively on the content and spirit thereof, vis avis the current political situation. After much deliberation, one has come to conclusion that our politicians have not changed really in character and actions. However, what is apparent is that in politics change is inevitable and to capture power, any political party or group must remain focused, resilient, consistent and continually strategising in charting its political pathway with vision and ideas.

Secondly, there is nothing wrong in been in opposition. The responsibility to the governed is as much as those in the centre of power. It can be said without equivocation that defection particularly at the eleventh hour of the game in order to avoid being in opposition is unnecessary and disservice to the people. It is just being clever by half and carries no honour, integrity, credibility in the scheme of things.

Politics is a game of numbers and being a contest, there must be a winner and a loser. It is a game to capture power, derived from the will of the people. It entails the people of like minds aggregating together to wrestle this power. In a broader sense, politics is “the maneuvering for power or advantage within a group or state”. In the process of pursuing this power, any politician or party will certainly find himself or itself on one side of the political divide. However, whatever side of the delineation, it entails enormous responsibility in a true political practice especially in democratic governance.

How alive are Nigerian politicians to this responsibility? It is a fact of political experience that Nigerian politicians are seriously averse to be in opposition. This is self-evident in the way and manner they jostle for power at all costs. They are so obsessed with the fear of being in the opposition, that they could easily resort to Machiavellian approach to capturing power.

From the view point of history of elections in this country, rigging remains a fundamental issue. It is predicated on the fear of losing power. It has been the bane of the electoral process fromtime past. International observers who were on duty during the recent elections testified to the ugly incidence of electoral malpractices. It is indeed very unfortunate that we have not still learnt any lesson after so many years of conducting elections. It is quite intriguing and ironical to know that it is not only the winner who rig. It involves both the loser and the winner but the loser cries most because he has been outsmarted by the winner.

However, why are our politicians so afraid of been on the opposition bench? The reasons for such fear are not far fetched. Every politician has the ambition to achieve political set goal and in this wise to grab power and use it to advance his political beliefs and ideals for the good of the people. This remains the fundamental baseline in the political game plan, however, what is in practice in Nigeria may be different.

It is a fact of history that politicians have used power dangerously and callously in denying their opponents all the good things of the life including fundamental human rights. There have been evidence of the use of state apparatus for oppression, utter discrimination and skewed distribution of amenities and infrastructural developments. The ruling party at the local or regional and federal level had in the past pursued heartlessly, the policy of exclusion or alienation thereby making the opponent irrelevant in the scheme of things. Many tend to scramble more for the spoils of office and self-aggrandisement than renderservices to the electorate. The rise to political power has become the easy way to amass wealth illegally. Consequently, many politicians are propelled to want to be at the centre at all times and by any means. They want to belong and be relevant. They feel seriously threatened at the sideline of political power.

But what is wrong in opposition if a politician is true to his political beliefs and ideology?   The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, late Mallam Aminu Kano and few others were notable politicians who were not dreaded being in opposition and stuck firmly to their political ideology irrespective of the swing in the political pendulum. There is no gainsaying in the fact that late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Mallam Aminu Kano are today even larger in death than when they were alive because of their political and ideological dispositions.

It is, however, an inescapable reality of the time that in the emerging political dispensation, the country needs strong and qualitative opposition to serve variety of ends.

Mr. Ben Abhulimen, a  commentator on national issues, wrote  from Lagos.