The third term saga in Nigeria became notorious in the twilight days of Obasanjo’s presidency in 2007. His method was very ingenious. Its problem – third term as a concept was not constitutional. So Nigerians resisted it; fought it and killed it.

However, Baba Jang has devised an ingenious solution to the third term debacle. Learning from Obasanjo’s failure, Baba has devised a constitutional means to effect his ambition. He would have his third term as governor of Plateau State, but by proxy. And he intends to test its efficacy on 11th April 2015.

The third term saga in Nigeria became notorious in the twilight days of Obasanjo’s presidency in 2007. His method was very ingenious. Its problem – third term as a concept was not constitutional. So Nigerians resisted it; fought it and killed it.

However, Baba Jang has devised an ingenious solution to the third term debacle. Learning from Obasanjo’s failure, Baba has devised a constitutional means to effect his ambition. He would have his third term as governor of Plateau State, but by proxy. And he intends to test its efficacy on 11th April 2015.

Installing a successor is a common practice in the art of governance – be it monarchy, democracy or even religious. This is because carrying on the vision of leadership is important and necessary. In Nigeria, this practice is even more rampant, especially when a governor has ended his second term.

But certainly not the type we are about to experience on the Plateau. The Saraki domination in Kwara is the closest example of what is detestable. In their case, while one sibling takes charge of the state as governor, another is sent to the federal level as a legislator. And then, when their terms expired, the family concluded the siblings would simply switch places. It failed. But even that does not compare to Baba’s ingenious method.
What is dangerous about Baba’s method is the precedence it would set across the country’s political landscape. I have always argued that we should not sacrifice competence on the altar of fair play – meaning, if someone is competent, give the person the chance. But not in the way Baba Jang intends.

In Baba’s case, their relationship is not only political, (both are in the PDP); it is not only ethnic (both are beroms); it is not only communal (both are from Du); their relationship, more than anything, is also by blood (one is an uncle, the other a nephew). So the uncle installing a nephew as governor is not only sour and distasteful, it is simply establishing a feudal rulership.

This is distasteful.

For two reasons.

The first is that in a multicultural State like ours, one family should not rule for 16 years in this modern democracy. Even traditional rulership is rotated.

The second reason is that Baba’s intension reinforces the perception of the sit-tight-mentality about African leaders. A few African leaders have been known for this. Robert Mugabe is one. He has been the President of Zimbabwe since 1980. Paul Biya of Cameroun is another – he has been president since 1984. Mobutu Sese Seko was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) from 1965 to 1997. Moummar Gaddafi governed Libya from 1969 to 2011. All these inglorious examples contributed to building a bad image about African leaders.
However, President Goodluck Jonathan has just demonstrated a new possibility. No African leader has ever conceded defeat before the expiration of his two terms in office. The closest statesmanlike example is Mandela’s. In his case, he spent one term in office and never contested for a second term. But Jonathan contested for a second term and lost. Not only did he concede defeat, he congratulated the winner even before the results was officially declared. This singular action has earned him a respectable place among the world’s heroes of democracy.

I believe Baba Jang should have towed this line and not contested for anything at all. He should not also have brought in his nephew to succeed him. That way, he would have been the hero of democracy on the Plateau. Not with the amount of work he did. Now he has just squandered all that chance and even jeopardised the political future of GNS with his ‘third term by proxy’ bid.

Whether Plateau people will allow him the pleasure to rule them for a third time through his nephew will be decided on 11th April 2015.

By Despan Kwardem

Despan Kwardem is a civil Servant who lives in Abuja

[email protected]
www.despankwardem.com

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Will this be a “third term by proxy”? by Despan Kwardem