There is a feud currently going on in the US between its President and the Governor of California. It largely has to do with jurisdiction, or the limits of power if you like. The week has witnessed some protests against the forceful immigration policy of President Trump in parts of California, especially Los Angeles, America’s second largest city.  Although it has been largely peaceful in most of the City, there were reports of looting and burning of cars in some areas which led to confrontations with the State’s law enforcement agencies.

The fear of escalating violence probably prompted the President to send for the National Guard to quell the protests. His action, ostensibly done in pursuit of public good, was feared as having the tendency to increase tension and possibly worsen the situation. It was also seen as federalizing a State prerogative. The State Governor ‘protested’ that he was not consulted and that it was not even the President’s call to make in any case. He threatened a lawsuit – which he has since carried out – while the President also threatened to arrest him.

Each side is using the constitution as defense in this fight for turf. Although moves are being made to make sure a constitutional breach is not exposed despite the grandstanding of the two gladiators, neither of them would describe their feud as a Father and Son one. This is in spite of the fact that one is old enough to be the father of the other. Nigeria copied the Executive Presidency system in spirit, if not in letter, from the US. Yet, it is unimaginable that there would be a raised eyebrow, let alone an uproar, should the Nigerian President decide to send troops to quell a protest in any State.

In any case, Nigerian Governors as Chief Security Officers are like Generals without troops; dogs without teeth. Can you also imagine a US President suspending a State Governor for six months under any guise? The fall-out might probably lead to his own impeachment. Sometimes I wonder from whom we copied our Presidential system and our federalism. Sometimes I wonder which democracy gives its President such enormous and unfettered powers as we seem to have given ours. These are things to deliberate on as we ponder on the import of the recently celebrated Democracy Day.

California is America’s largest economy. It is also the 5th or 6th largest economy in the world. Lagos is Nigeria’s largest economy. It is also the 5th or 6th largest economy in Africa. Both understandably play significant roles in their geo/political zones. There should therefore be mutual respects between the CEO of both the Center and the State, irrespective of political differences or personal animosities – one can see how the Governor of the State of California is protecting his rights and demanding appropriate respect from his President. It is expected that any American President would acknowledge the presence of the State Governor should he pay an official visit to California or any State for that matter.

This was not the case when President Bola Tinubu paid a working visit to Lagos early in the month. The President publicly snubbed the Governor. There is no window dressing it – I have watched it from different clips. If the intention was to make the Governor look small and irrelevant, he succeeded. The Governor cut a pitiable figure as he tried to cover up the embarrassment. But the action also took something away from the President as well. I don’t know what his Governor did – Tinubu claims Lagos where he is also a two-term Governor – to have drawn his ire, but I think he should have risen above it, at least for the camera. After all, he was on a working visit and he was met in his official capacity. Besides, a Lagos that works economically and politically is far more important to the presidency than a Lagos that is perceived to be unstable and divided. Lagos still remains the barometer of the entity called Nigeria.

The Governor said the other day that it was an issue between father and son. It should then have been handled within the confines of their political home and spare the rest of us the spectacle. Loving families don’t bring their family feuds out in the public and a good father scolds his son in the bedroom. He said people were becoming more Catholic than the Pope. It is alright for him to say now, but I am not sure I would demean my son so publicly if he offended me. Especially while on an official duty. You cannot expect the people to treat a son with respect after his father has publicly mistreated him because ‘this son is also my Governor’. I may be wrong, but the action is indicative of a mindset that I find worrisome. A mindset that made candidate Tinubu call a sitting Governor ‘Eleyi’ to his face and in his domain. ‘Eleyi’ is a derogatory word that is used to describe a nondescript person and a word any decent person should take an exception to.

 It is a mindset that draws from a lack of consciousness in the fact that people ‘grow up’; a child becomes a man with his own mind and preferences. It is a mindset that believes the political actors in the South-west at least, owe him. It may be true that some owe their office and political life to him, but that can be true of many people in different works of life. We all owe people for one elevation or the other in life. President Tinubu himself could not have attained this office without ‘owing’ some people. Loyalty is good and it would be unfortunate if these people were accused of disloyalty; of biting the fingers that fed them. But blind and obsequious loyalty can also be harmful, even to the godfather himself. Otherwise, he will not know when he begins to dance naked. As another protégée and former Lagos State Governor famously said ‘may your loyalty never be tested’. 

Another way of looking at it though, is that it is good to have a boss or an elder, who lets you know when he is angry with you. Then you can apologise and cause other elders to wade in as our Governor seems to have done. There are leaders – we had one not too long ago – who will smile at you while planning to destroy you. Those who will come to your house for pounded yam with egunsi soup only to demand your head on a platter a few hours later. That is the type of ‘unkind cuts’ inflicted by people with a mean, dubious spirit. Yoruba describe them as people who keep black blood in their stomach but throw out white spittle. Sly people who hide their true emotions but never forgive and never forget. Those are dangerous bosses.