The consequences of politics  of betrayal

Nigeria’s political landscape has been marred by a recurring theme of betrayal. The act of betrayal, often perpetrated by those who have ascended to the position of power through loyalty, trust, and sacrifice, has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the realm of politics. It damages personal relationships, erodes public trust, and undermines good governance, ultimately threatening the very fabric of the nation’s democracy.

The history of political betrayal in Nigeria dates back to the early years of the Second Republic, with the rift between Late Aminu Kano and Abubakar Rimi serving as a stark reminder of the destructive nature of this phenomenon. Their once-powerful alliance, forged in shared ideology, crumbled due to ideological disagreements, political strategies, and generational differences. Rimi’s defection to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) and subsequent resignation as Kano State Governor  obviously constituted a betrayal of the movement he helped build.

In 1982, the late Abubakar Rimi, factionalised the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) under which he became Governor in 1979. Prepatory to 1983 general elections, Malam Aminu Kano fielded Alhaji Sabo Bakinzuwo as the PRP governorship candidate in Kano State against Abubakar Rimi in the then NPP. He lost to Sabo Bakinzuwo.

In 2002, preparatory to 2003 general election, President Olusegun Obasanjo sought ethnic solidarity from the Alliance for Democracy (AD) governors of the South West. He convened a meeting with them, expressing concern that northerners were mocking him by claiming he did not even win his ward in the 1999 Presidential election. He sought their assistance to demonstrate political strength in his home region.

He promised that if they supported him, he would, in return, support them in their governorship elections. He said his primary objective was to secure massive votes from the region so that other parts of the country would recognise him as politically grounded.

All the AD governors agreed, except Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then Governor of Lagos State. After the meeting, Tinubu advised that they can assist President Obasanjo modestly as their brother and leader. He suggested allowing him to win Ogun State, his home state, marginally, and to increase his votes in the region significantly, so as to silence critics without sacrificing their own political base.

The five governors rejected Tinubu’s advice. Tinubu made it categorically clear that he should be counted out of the arrangement.

The governors who supported Obasanjo ensured a landslide victory for him in their states. However, they lost their second governorship elections. That was their consequence for anti-party.

In the 2011 general election, the former Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi, who was elected under the ANPP, was pressured by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to defect to the PDP. He sought the counsel of his elder brother, Alh. Umaru Ali Shinkafi, Marafan Sokoto. Though his brother hesitated the idea he reluctantly endosed due to pressure. After joining the PDP, Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi lost the 2011 gubernatorial election to AbdulAziz Yari of the then ANPP.

In the 2019 general election, the former Governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello, Matawallen Maradun, who was elected under the PDP, defected to the APC and subsequently lost to the PDP the party he abandoned.

This historical antecedent explains the consequences of political betrayal in twofold – political defeat and punishment of God in the hereafter. Both Islamic and Christian teachings warn that betrayal attracts punishment in this world and in the hereafter. The Holy Bible says:

1             Betrayal shatters the foundation of trust, leading to isolation and fractured bonds, as illustrated by David and Absalom, and the deep pain. Psalm 41:9.

The Holy Qur’an and Islamic theology align with the Holy Bible:

“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to their rightful owners, and when you judge between people, to judge with justice and fairness. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.’’ [4: 58] One of the early generation of Islamic scholars, Al-Mawardi said: “He who betrays will be humiliated and will be disowned. Another one said: “If the one who betrays a trust knew the consequences of breaking a covenant and being treacherous, he would restrain himself from them.”

It is for this reason that I offer fatherly counselling to governors, particularly serving and potential ones against political betrayal. They must desist from this practice. Betrayal, is one of the sins that God does not spare until the Day of Judgment. The Holy Qur’an: “Fid dunya khizyun wa fil akhirati azabun azeem”, “disgrace in this world and severe punishment in the hereafter”.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, I urge you to reflect deeply on this message. If God had destined you will not be subjected to punishment in hereafter, you may lose the 2027 governorship election. If He has not you may win and face the consequences.  This is not a curse but a reminder of divine justice, as promised by God.

I am not asking you to rescind your decision to join the APC. Rather, I urge you, as a Muslim, to rely solely on God. From the moment of your creation, God destined that you would become governor of Kano, and He has also destined whether or not you will have a second tenure.

If God has destined a second tenure for you, no one can take it away, even if you remain in NNPP. Defection cannot override Divine destiny. Courts can only decide eligibility under a specific party; they cannot prevent someone from contesting under another platform.

Senator Dansadau lives in Abuja

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