Debo Adejugbe: The trials of Nuhu Ribadu (Y! Politico)

by Debo Adejugbe

The major drawback of a bi-monthly column is that so many events you intend on trashing out would have passed by while you write, rewrite – when others have expressed your thoughts – or shelve the whole point of the subject totally if it has lost its juicy value to a column. It is important to note that the defection of Nuhu Ribadu to PDP does not fit into that bracket. There are opinions; an abundance of them actually and the unique value the opposition placed on Ribadu while he was with them makes this defection all the more column-worthy.

To many, mainly the majority of anti-PDP philosophers out there, Ribadu has sold out by this defection. In the same vein, a tiny group of people acting on some of the rumours we have been served since he was roundly trounced in the 2011 Presidential polls felt the time was right to ditch the non-supportive APC who had relegated him to the ‘reserve bench’ while still milking his image as an anti-corruption figure. Then, we have a chunk of PDP supporters who are not really excited about the defection; seeing it as just another defection for political gains.

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When it comes to Nuhu Ribadu, everyone is probably right!

I am one of those who cautiously appreciated the work he did at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because of his zeal – and the expectation that if Obasanjo’s enemies were his targets, it meant they had something to hide – believing someone else would go after OBJ’s friends. It was on this myth that the hysteria called Ribaduism manifested in the political class. He became their nemesis and he was going after people who ordinarily were untouchables and Nigerians began carving out a pedestal for him. It was the stuff of legend in its entirety. We never really examined if those promotions were deserved, fair and constitutional when the ‘persecution’ came. That was Nuhu Ribadu, the EFCC chairman who we loved.

I know it sounded as if I am not a fan of his. You are completely right but it doesn’t colour my judgements on his defection to the PDP though. People have a right to excoriate him on the strength of his former pronouncements about the PDP, just like it is his right to stand as a candidate under any political platform of his choice irrespective of whose Ox is gored. It takes me to the several points that people have raised about his personality as a result of this ‘one action’.

From the revered pedestal of being a former anti-corruption czar and the noble face of the ACN in the last presidential election whose candidacy inspired hope in the youths, he has fallen to that opportunistic, greedy, selfish and overambitious defector to the PDP on the promise of a mere ‘governorship ticket’. Sadly, the analysis from outsiders will never do justice to the facts of Nuhu Ribadu’s defection and the circumstances leading to such decisions. While we can’t argue too much about his intentions to defect at this time, we can hover with our microscope on his time at the ACN/APC to understand if these attacks are deserved or just frustrated cries from former worshippers.

Tom Ikimi’s vent and frustrated exposé on the reason why he left the APC could be used as a tactical point of discussion but it would be unfair as these claims are not substantiated yet. So, I will dwell on the reaction to his declaration for the ACN at a time when he returned from his self-imposed exile. People were livid that he could pitch his tent with a Tinubu, a man he consistently spoke about in not-so-glowing terms at the height of his invincibility at the EFCC. He denied (or tactically reworded) the verdicts he passed then and proclaimed Asiwaju as someone who, in the midst of the pillaging by politicians, has the interest of Nigeria at heart.

Conclusively, people should let Ribadu be. If Mallam Nasir Elrufai is allowed to change his views on General Muhammad Buhari (and Atiku to an extent) based on “new facts, information or emerging circumstances” as he alluded to in his book, The Accidental Public Servant; Ribadu should be given the benefit of doubt on the same premise

He eventually became the flag bearer of that party and some of those who roundly criticized and pilloried his decision to join a party with a Tinubu in it softened their stance eventually on the premise that he needed a base to ascend to office before implementing the plan of freeing Nigeria from the shackles of selfish and vision-less politicians. It was all sweet until the elections came and it was clear things wouldn’t work out as expected. He kept fate and continued as a rallying point against a GEJ presidency he described as sinking Nigeria. That was a pragmatic Nuhu Ribadu whose metamorphosis into a politician was still a long way off.

By and large, Ribadu has taken the pragmatism that made him pitch his tent with the ACN a step further. He has gradually matured into a politician who understands that the Nigerian political terrain requires a lot more than a good name for you to be elected to office. This point is particularly resounding when you realize that a Gani Fawehinmi (universally praised for standing with the masses) failed to even make a mark on the Presidential elections when he contested; was he bad, unelectable, naïve, untrustworthy or are we perpetually synced with our tormentors? Ribadu has now graduated to a more realistic politician. The impeachment of Nyako was a turning point in his metamorphosis as he felt he was the only person from his former party invested in saving the impeached governor. Those were echoes of the 2011 presidential elections.

I have seen people dangle the ideological carrot but this is an uncharted territory as far as politics in this dispensation is concerned. The lines are so blurry that it becomes very hard to distinguish between PDP and APC. The spate of defection from one to the other seamlessly tells the story vividly. While Kwankwanso, Amaechi, Saraki and Nyako all became saints when they switched parties with programmes executed under their former parties now heralded; Shekarau, Ribadu and Mimiko became opportunists whose words can no longer be trusted. This is the terrain where they all swim and for a man like Ribadu, he should understand that the end justifies the means in Nigeria politics until the populace is ready to stand up.

He has conducted himself impeccably by resisting throwing barbs the APC way despite the name-calling. There is a lesson for everyone in this episode: The PDP is trying to attract brilliant characters to make them more attractive which is a point I believe the APC hasn’t missed in all of this (internal democracy is key) while the huge emotional capital the APC enjoyed at inception is fast eroding. 2015 is fast becoming a mirage for the opposition despite all the positives that could have been scored.

Conclusively, people should let Ribadu be. If Mallam Nasir Elrufai is allowed to change his views on General Muhammad Buhari (and Atiku to an extent) based on “new facts, information or emerging circumstances” as he alluded to in his book, The Accidental Public Servant; Ribadu should be given the benefit of doubt on the same premise that his views about Jonathan and PDP could have changed owing to new facts and information that were not previously available. Remember a certain Reuben Abati? The question should have been: will Ribadu be an upgrade on Nyako as Adamawa governor if given the ticket? Sure!

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Debo Adejugbe is a trained Telecommunications/Electronics Engineer, certified IT professional and FHI PEER educator living in Lagos. Tophi’s husband, Dad to Hailey and Ryan; he is an advocate against sexual and domestic abuses. Debo has political sympathy for the Labour Party.

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

Comments (2)

  1. Adejugbe Debo got this right. He really hit the nail on the head. Thumbs up bro. 9ice piece

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