Nigerian New Governors: Opposition and Act of Playing To Gallery By Oyewale Oyelola

I usually discuss trending national issues subtly with touch of entertainment and comic relief on Saturday Xtra. This week I monitored activities of some of the newly inaugurated governors in 29 of the 36 States in Nigeria. It’s a norm in this country for new governors to devote their energy, time and resources to less productive activities such as hosting support groups/well wishers, organizing celebration parties, calling ‘unnecessary’ stakeholders meetings, playing to the gallery by blaming the previous administration. You also see them embarking on a tour of media houses and other petty things just to show off their new status of His Excellency.

However, the issue of governance is supposed to be top priority for the governors as they’ve already spent a lot of time engaging in political jamboree during electioneering process. The clock of the four-year tenure has already starts ticking after their elaborate swearing-in ceremony where millions of naira will be squandered. Hence, swift actions should be taken to deliver campaign promises as well as dividends of democracy to the citizenry.

Both the party in government and opposition parties are fun of playing to the gallery to score cheap political points. For our academia who like laying solid backgrounds for the presentation, I will also attempt vivid definition of terms.

To start with, playing to gallery according to an anonymous source, means to behave in a way intended to make people admire or support you: Politicians these days are more interested in playing to the gallery than exercising real influence on world events. My simple explanation for it is a way of wasting time on less important things when the important ones receives little or no attention’.

While Mahzar Abbas, Pakistani Political Scientist says the role of the opposition in any democracy is to look for government weakness, put their input in legislation and give tough time to the ruling party and the government. The present opposition is both big as well as comprises some very good parliamentarians, who know the art of opposition.

”Opposition parties are inseparable components of parliaments and they also function according to the rules of the game, reassuring the application of those checks and balances with their contribution to government policies and constructive criticism. Democracies become complete with opposition.” This is the submission of Editor, Daily News operating in Turkey and United Kingdom, ÜNAL ÇEV?KÖZ.

Similarly, one Public Affairs Analyst in Nigeria, Bolu’ Michael Biyi urged

Governments to pay respect to the presence of opposition by internalizing and digesting the fundamental principle of democracy that dictates “winners do not and should not take all.”

”The result of the ballot box is only the indication that the election has turned out in favor of a certain political view and the policies that entail it are all embodied in the program of a political party.

‘The role of the opposition is not to oppose every position but to make propositions. Opposition parties must criticise constructively and if they don’t, they do so mala fide they will destroy the democracy they are meant to protect. They must remember that a failed democracy will put them out of job and that an opposition today is a potential incumbent tomorrow.” Michael Biyi added.

To frank, there is no globally outlined roles for opposition parties by three experts contribution have done justice to the concept.

Having said that, the question we should ask ourselves is whether the government (party in power) and opposition parties are playing roles effectively, The answer is NO! They have both mastered the act of playing to gallery.

I find it laughable for a party that left office May 29 to be blaming the new administration for falling to pay salary two days into their government. This was the hit new Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq faced in first week of his administration. Like I said earlier, the two sides do engage in the act. The APC members praised Abdulrazaq for driving his family to Government House on inauguration day and early arrival to Eid (Moslem Praying Ground) on Sallah. If may ask, what value would that add to governance related issues?

In Zamfara state, APC sympathizers almost ‘crashed’ the internet with picture of Governor Bello Matawalle (PDP) inspection tour to Gusau Airport site. They described it as misplaced priority and the set of people applauded former governor, Abdulazeez Yari (APC) when he flagged off the project. But APC supporters could not afford data subscription to share pictures of Governor Matawalle during his visit to bandits dominated area as well as latest appearance in State House to brief President Buhari on insecurity situation. I won’t blame; they are yet to recover from the Supreme Court nullification of APC primary elections in Zamfara state that gave PDP unmerited electoral victory.

Likewise, Oyo state governor, Engr Seyi Makinde received knocks from different angles for explaining why the state cannot pay N30,000 minimum wage NOW. It will interest you to note that many governors dodged the new minimum wage in their inauguration speech because majority of the state do not have resources to implement it. So why crucify Seyi Makinde for saying the truth?

Another movie location is Imo State where Governor Emeka Ihedioha has spent 11 days to blame Rochas Okorocha for everything. Ihedioha even said he has not been able to work because previous tenant destabilised Office of the Governor. Mr Governor, we are sorry for the inconveniences please use Imo state money to fix it. But you can work from your house, private office or one of the boardrooms. Imolites are counting down already.

Looking at all the engagements of the ruling party and opposition parties across the country, it’s driven by moves to satisfy personal ego and not a way to deepen democratic rule in the country or promote good governance. Nigeria might not achieve its full potentials and the masses will continue to suffer for actions and inactions of the two political camps.

Therefore, politicians should devote their engagement to critical issues that will promote good governance, accountability and transparency in government activities. Opposition parties should emulate take good lessons from United States, United Kingdom and other western countries where both political camps use constructive criticism to fast track development.

Oyewale is the Political Editor of FactualTimes Online/Magazine.

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