Though the
North is made up of several tribes and cultures, political power in Nigeria has
always been in the hands of the Hausa/Fulani elites. The Sokoto ‘Caliphate‘ was established in the
early 19th century as a result of cultural and religious jihad. It covered a large portion of the old
Northern part of Nigeria and Ilorin, except Bornu, Borgu, Igalla, Idoma, Tiv,
Jukum and most of Plateau area. The
illustrious founder, Shehu Usman Dan Fodio (1754-1814) was a religious crusader
without any dynastic orientation. The
military wing of the Religious and Cultural Revolution was led by his brother
Abdullah (1756-1828).
The Sokoto
‘Caliphate‘ which later became a powerful religious, political and dynastic
power spreading its tentacles to many parts of the country throughout the 19th
century was conquered in 1903 by the British.
Though it had lost its political hegemony in the Northern region, it had
been able to retain and keep its administration intact, especially in the
former Sokoto Province through the Emirates headed by Sokoto Princes. Thus, as I have noted in this column, in the
political history of modern Nigeria, the ‘Caliphate‘ (represented by
Hausa/Fulani political leaders) have exercised great political power since 1960
and up to the present time.
Many
analysts, in the past, have tended to attribute the supremacy of the Northern
political leaders to many reasons, some of which were based on myth of
administrative capability. Mallam
Maitama Sule was once reported to have said that, “Northerners are endowed by
God with leadership quality” That statement, though offensive to others, has
some semblance of truth. The question is
how could the political dominance by a section of the country for more than
four decades could be explained or rationalized?
Some examples
of political ingenuity of the Hausa/Fulani leaders could be inferred from the
past political settings. In the 1959
elections, the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) won 134 seats in the House of
Representatives – all won in the North (scoring 43% of the total votes) while
the NCNC, the Action Group (AG) and all others combined won 176 seats all over
the country.
The story was
that the NPC with 134 seats (all in the North) had no over-all majority, and it
could have been possible for the Action Group (AG) and NCNC to form the Federal
Government. But for some selfish
reasons, the NCNC leader, (late Dr Azikiwe) became a strange “beautiful bride”
to be courted by both the North and the West.
The roving eyes of the `beautiful bride` caught the fancy of the North
and the post independence government was formed by the NPC and NCNC, with the
AG of the West pushed into opposition.
It was no
surprise also that the Federal Government of 1979 was formed between Shagari`s
NPN and Dr Azikiwe`s party (NPP), with Shehu Shagari as the President. The UPN under late Chief Awolowo was thrown
into political wilderness. In that
election, Shagari of the North scored 163,164 votes against Awolowo`s score of
9,063 votes in Anambra State. Viewed
from any angle, the political machine of the time oiled by Hausa/Fulani elite
showed ingenuity.
Some have
attributed the earlier rise in the fortunes of the Hausa/Fulani leaders on the
Nigeria‘s political horizon to the formidable personality, political sagacity
and strong character of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, a
great grandson of that religious legend, Uthman Dan Fodio, the founder of
Sokoto Caliphate. As an astute politician and devout Muslim, Sir Ahmadu Bello
was associated with an open door policy which embraced and recognized Christian
talents in his administration and in his party, the Northern Peoples‘ Congress
(NPC).
If the
foundation of political hegemony of the North was laid by Sir Ahmadu Bello with
his northernisation policy based on the common concept of ‘One North, One
Destiny‘, his lieutenants in the Federal Government complemented that concept
with an agenda of ‘facilitating a national balance‘ within the Federal
Ministries, thus allowing northerners to be appointed into top positions in
various Ministries, irrespective of year of service or qualifications.
The hegemony
of Hausa/Fulani political leaders had been based on solid ground supported by
disunity and acrimony among Southern leaders.
Having tasted power and enjoyed the sweetness of it, perhaps it might be
too late to deny the North that aroma which is not only pleasing but also
refreshing. That is the essence of the 1999 Constitution.
If the often
quoted statement of Mallam Maitama Sule is correct that, “The Northerners are
endowed by God with leadership qualities; the Yoruba man knows how to earn a
living and has diplomatic qualities; the Igbo man is gifted in Commerce, Trade
and Technological innovations”. Where
then lies the position of Igbo President of Nigeria?
THE MILITARY
AND THE POLITICIANS
At times, I
am amused by the comments of the supporters of the former Vice President, Atiku
Abubakar on his former friend and boss, former President of Nigeria, Olusegun
Obasanjo. The pertinent question is,
will our politicians ever learn? It was
the view of former Vice President Atiku‘s supporters that former President
Obasanjo stood between their hero and the prime position of PRESIDENT. Many political comments have been made
against the former President several times without a reply by the retired
General.
It was Sir
Winston Churchill, a soldier and statesman, who was a former British Prime
Minister who noted that, “But in craft, in slow intrigue, in strength of
personality, in doubtful dangerous manoeuvres the soldiers beat the politician
every time.” One can conveniently
conclude, Anytime. However, former
President Obasanjo will be remembered for not allowing Military adventurer to
pollute the nascent political waters.
Written By
Adisa Adeleye
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