Nyako And The Verdict Of History
The admonition to make new friends and keep the old as one is silver and the other is gold may be lost on many who don’t ponder issues deeply.In truth however, the adage has long stood the test of time and landslide victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the presidential polls following former president Goodluck Jonathan’s dismal outing strongly attests to that.
This is because his dramatic failure at the polls can be traceable largely to his very unfair and unfriendly treatment of his hitherto very good old friend Admiral Murtala Nyako, then governor of Adamawa State.
This treatment followed Goodluck’s new political friendship with Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, a man who despite being a kinsman was known by all to be rabidly anti Nyako.
This treatment followed Goodluck’s new political friendship with Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, a man who despite being a kinsman was known by all to be rabidly anti Nyako.
This trait increased dramatically following Tukur’s enthronement by Jonathan as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2015 presidential election in defiance of an express agreement brokered by no other than Murtala Nyako and his G7 group of governors.
Sadly, Tukur could not appreciate the French principle “Les Amis des Mes Amis Son Mes Amis” translated as “the friends of my friends are my friends”.
Thus rather than using this platform of party chairman to align with Murtala Nyako to consolidate the president’s position, he turned it into a fortified position to continuously attack Nyako in what several people had seen as a plot to pave way for the emergence of his son Awwal
Tukur as PDP governorship candidate for Adamawa State.Sadly, Tukur could not appreciate the French principle “Les Amis des Mes Amis Son Mes Amis” translated as “the friends of my friends are my friends”.
Thus rather than using this platform of party chairman to align with Murtala Nyako to consolidate the president’s position, he turned it into a fortified position to continuously attack Nyako in what several people had seen as a plot to pave way for the emergence of his son Awwal
This was probably because there are strong indications that Tukur strongly believed that Nyako’s son, Abdul’Aziz Nyako might contest for and clinch the post unless Bamanga’s son, Awwal, was given such extraneous support albeit at the expense of President Jonathan’s credibility and his own self perpetuation scheme which Bamanga was fronting to promote his son’s ambition.
It is perhaps a sad testimony to Jonathan’s desperation to remain in power then that he simply forgot his antecedents. It all began when midway into his tenure, his principal late president Yar’Adua had fallen critically ill and had been hurriedly flown abroad for treatment without transmitting to the National Assembly the constitutionally required letter authorising Jonathan to act as president thus leaving the country in a lurch which nearly precipitated constitutional crisis.
This ugly situation was saved by the National Assembly which stepped in with its ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ appointing Jonathan acting president.
As it would turn out, his principal never recovered and Jonathan was transformed overnight from what used to be a meek vice president into an all powerful executive president of Nigeria.
As it would turn out, his principal never recovered and Jonathan was transformed overnight from what used to be a meek vice president into an all powerful executive president of Nigeria.
Trouble however started brewing when Jonathan who had hitherto not contemplated staying beyond completing his late principal’s first tenure, was prevailed upon to seek nomination and contest again.
Naturally, this drew the ire of most politicians of northern extraction in the ruling party who felt that the party’s principle of rotation or zoning was being breached, since the south had just concluded two tenures at the presidency.
This was however resolved eventually in Jonathan’s favour following several dexterous moves by Murtala Nyako and his G7 group of governors who prevailed upon all to allow the president run for a new term in office since the south south and the north had been longtime allies all the time in the political history of Nigeria.
Naturally, this drew the ire of most politicians of northern extraction in the ruling party who felt that the party’s principle of rotation or zoning was being breached, since the south had just concluded two tenures at the presidency.
This was however resolved eventually in Jonathan’s favour following several dexterous moves by Murtala Nyako and his G7 group of governors who prevailed upon all to allow the president run for a new term in office since the south south and the north had been longtime allies all the time in the political history of Nigeria.
Thus, with the ascension of Tukur to the PDP national chair and his commencement of the unjustified harassment of Governor Murtala Nyako, there arose a situation where former president should have stepped in and stopped the uncalled for “Nyako bashing” by his new ally, Bamanga Tukuf failed to do, choosing instead to create other queer alliances by variously pardoning and consolidating the positions of some convicted felons and aligning with others who were facing trial and have just been released to fight his course.
This along with so many other unpleasant actions by the PDP national chairman against the person of Murtala Nyako ultimately proved unacceptable for the naval gentleman who pulled out of the PDP along with four other members of the G7 into the eagerly waiting arms of the merging APC.
This along with so many other unpleasant actions by the PDP national chairman against the person of Murtala Nyako ultimately proved unacceptable for the naval gentleman who pulled out of the PDP along with four other members of the G7 into the eagerly waiting arms of the merging APC.
This singular act also proved to be the greatest undoing for the PDP in its entire history, opening unprecedented vistas of opportunities for the APC to unseat it. Infact, there are strong indications that the mass defection of these governors in precipitating the APC victory was rivaled only by its selection of a very popular candidate with impeccable credentials in the person of now incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Naturally, Goodluck and his PDP responded like wounded lions to this mass defection, thus, initiating a cashed-backed impeachment conspiracy against Nyako. This conspiracy was eventually actualised in a glaringly defective process which has since been declared as wrongful by a federal judge in the state but who fell short of setting it aside, citing the multiplicity of similar suits filed on the same case as her reasons.
–Friday wrote in from Yola
–Friday wrote in from Yola
Ref: http://www.leadership.ng/opinions/460954/nyako-and-the-verdict-of-history
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