Politics: Why godfathers, disciples ended-up in political hostility?

By Adamu Aminu.

What could have thought of a fish who has a permanent tenancy in water, but ended-up boiled by his long-life occupant?

Proverbially, as the adage goes saying closeness of the body, not necessary intimacy of the heart and soul.

Politics, this is what entails in the Nigerian context, it is known and has become politically tradition, that mouth usually bites the hand which feed it.

Only a handful of such instances could be counted out among generality of politicians belongs to the aforementioned saying.

I mean there are some fingers-counted of them with undivided loyalty who prefer to remain with their god-fathers and vowed never to go astray, no matter the thick and thin of the journey.

While some minds concealed with pre-existing tendencies of parting away from godfathers as soon as power-rein is tightly-gripped under their complete leverage takes the largest proportion.

On the other flip-side, some political mentors were said to be truly godfathers who stand by the convictions of paving the way for the upcoming loyalists to lead, irrespective of reciprocation for material gain or for dominant influences.

While in some instances, the mentors were largely responsible for promoting the acrimony, with their disciples, based on flimsy excuses which are often embroiled with sentimentality.

Historically, and the most intriguing part of the Nigerian political voyage, there is nothing peculiar to bewilder the psyche of the teeming populace, with regards to what’s daily unfolding within the national polity – which means, the past political-historical events are always repetitive.

If I may recall, since from the second republic, the wayward fate started taking a toll in-between the emeritus of politics, Mal. Aminu Kano and his front-bench discipline late Gov. Muhd Abubakar Rimi parted ways in politics.

The reasons for the rift, only known to the supporters of both sides, where each side at that time, gave his own account best-suited to favour his own political hero.

Unarguably, this trend is what seems to be politically spiralling down from that moment till now, where the godfathers and political disciples are fond of trading, strong-worded of attacking each other.

Whereby, the mentors were being accused of high handedness, post-power domination, craving for overwhelming influences, and discipline’s tele-guiding inclinations on successor on power.

While the successor is being pointed with fingers of accusations of false-earnest, insubordination, and power-pomposity to political godfathers.

In spite of this, it is clearly known that in every generality there must be an exception.

Truly, in so many instances some political mentors and their successors have set a record of amicable trends worthy of emulation by the upcoming politicians.

The typical examples are; Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff- Kashim Shettima and Babagana Zulum, Sen. Bukola Saraki and his successor, Abdulfatah Ahmad, Ibrahim Geidam and Gov. Mai Mala-Buni, and likewise ex-Adamawa Gov. Boni Haruna and his mentor, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and many more.

In fact, those aforementioned politicians truly indicate that politics is not only a game of numbers and permanent interest, but is a game of keeping brother’s secrets.

But to some politics is not only a game of permanent interest, they clearly show that it is a venture of mudslinging and unearthing secret of once former civilised, friends and allies.