Twinkle-Twankle! A Ribadu-Like Tale!
by ahjotnaija
A leopard cannot change its skin. This age-long African proverb is not-out-place when one talks about Nuhu Ribadu. Fact is, since he was discovered as a ready-tool by Former President, Ribadu has never been unfaithful to himself. Any astute politician would know people like Ribadu are never out-of-use. He is yet to become a political jobber, but it would certainly not be totally out-of-place to describe him as such. He is on the verge of becoming a political nuisance. He is so far faithfully serving his paymasters accordingly. Only that the speed with which his most-recent metamorphosis was completed, surprised even the best-knower of chameleon-tricks.
Anybody would not be less taken aback with the most-recent decampment of the former police officer to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The shock must have been caused by Ribadu’s deeply strong identification with the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Ribadu wined and dined with big animals in APC; he spoke their language; he decried the PDP and be-wept the country’s woes like; Ribadu wore and slept in their clothes! It needs no reminding that Ribadu was the flag-bearer of the defunct mother-party of the APC in the last presidential election! Really, with this latest joke, Ribadu made himself incredibly impossible!
A Facebook post summed-up Ribadu:
*…HopelessPoliThiefcian. Make no mistake there are so many of them and they will continue to be relevant if we give them the room. As for Ribadu, I certainly know he will run out of himself soon, very soon in fact.*
From the same Facebooker comes this:
*…I never liked his character. Opportunist. Chameleon. Serial truth bender…*
Matter-of-factly speaking, I could not agree more. Allow me add to it. Ribadu is a distorted crafty man of no-character, a bastard and speaker from both sides of the mouth. He is an alien to dignity.
Like this Facebooker, Nigerians are highly disappointed. I am not sure if this can be some comfort for the highly disapointed: Nuhu Ribadu was never the man the people took him for. He sells to the highest bidder. A background check would confirm this.
Prior to Ribadu’s emergence into Nigeria’s political/power space, he was unknown. Anyone with a discerning mind would know that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo would never have appointed Ribadu his Chief Witch(Corruption)-Hunter if he did not understand how this young Ribadu is wired. The character of a man is like shadow. It follows everywhere. It cannot be hidden.
Ribadu was feted and hailed as Chairman of the Economic and Other Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) because he indeed brought behind bars some real crook-criminals and looters of treasury. But come to think of it, we must not forget that these were mostly corrupt people who fell out of favour with Ribadu’s paymaster and employer. Think of Former Inspector General (IG) of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, then the picture will fall in place of Ribadu’s antecedents and true personality.
Ribadu never did appeal to me as a politician. I am sure he never would have ventured into politics in his lifetime, if not for the streak of bad-luck that struck him on Nigeria. This is a pointer to the fact that he actually would have done anything that would bring him public attention/fetch him some real good money. He has since been trading himself as a tool of distortion in the politics of the land upon his disgraceful departure from the Police Force; I bet he enjoys the fame and fortune.
Actually, Ribadu is not worth crying over. This is a man who undoubtedly would willingly expose his mother’s shame and set his father’s house on fire in exchange for money. Really, why even talk about him as if this shameless man has ever stopped dancing naked in full public glare?!
Lets talk about Governor Mimiko of Ondo State for a purpose. Please read along.
News of his return to the PDP is everywhere in the news. Lets face it, his former party, the Labor Party (LP) was only a camouflage. The PDP wanted him away for a while. The truth is, Governor Mimiko was never away from the PDP. The workings of the PDP technically permits a temporary leave especially for indispensable children like Governor Mimiko.
He is back home. Let us make no fuse over what would eventually come to be anyway. Had anyone expected Governor Mimiko would forever remain in LP? Such pundits hopefully know better now. Come to think of it: How would he be relevant in politics at national level after his second term as Governor? How would he become Federal Minister again after 2015? His defection to the PDP is a confirmation of his true self. I wonder how he had been able to stay away from the PDP for so long!. I pity him even! Poor son! He must have missed home real-bad!
Comparing the defection of Ribadu and that of the latter decampee, there is a striking difference in the reactions both persons got in the public space. Beyond news of Governor Mimiko’s defection, it came to very few as a surprise/shock. Ribadu’s defection got more than that. At first very few comments and op-eds. When reactions finally peaked, it was like a gathering sea-storm which finally reached haven. Ribadu was practically shit-stormed in the public space/social media; and that rightly so.
This is not sheer coincidence. Leaving aside for once that Ribadu is a double-faced personality, he projects an ideal that is typically young Nigerian; these young minds can, if given the chance, will serve truthfully. The dynamism that is needed to change the country is rested in this section of the country’s population if rightly exploited. No wonder Ribadu has so much following. His career path and choices are of great interest to many.
His self-imposed downfall started this way. Remember when Ribadu openly denied that he ever accused Senator Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (SABAT) of corruption! I dare say that many young Nigerians in that moment became aware of Ribadu’s flipfop-tendencies, but they easily overlooked this. His errors were forgiven on accounts of his youthfulness. They hoped he would eventually navigate himself soon enough to a haven of dignity. Then came his denial that Dame Patience was a thief/treasury looter! It became too much for some to bear. They stopped believing (in) him.
His recent positive oratory qualification of the President on the occasion of Ribadu’s decamping to the PDP is for many followers a bad-slap on the face! How dare this man of the people talk in this disgraceful manner! One can only weep for Ribadu. Ambition is not bad. In fact, I would personally encourage him to be. However, Ribadu is not only desperate, he is at a loss on how clinch Governorship ticket of Adamawa state.
The bottom-line is this, it is absolutely acceptable to change positions/opinions over time, but that which MUST not change are the values which one stands for. Putting it lightly, Ribadu stands, if at all, for very fragile/corruptible values. Personally, I think he stands for nothing.
Talking about people who stand for values ( good or bad). Recently, SABAT wrote an op-ed on his position to Tom Ikimi’s claims on the APC chairmanship tussles. I will come to that very shortly. First, lets talk about SABAT himself. Nobody would say SABAT stands for nothing. Overtime, SABAT has changed positions and opinions. Here is an instance: during the last presidential election he was flown to Aso-Rock/Abuja to meet with the president. Some said Aso-Rock flew to him. Who flew to whom is irrelevant for now. People said he was in Abuja to cut a deal. Whatever he went to do is also of little relevance. Fact is, SABAT’s followers knew at that point he changed position, even if very subtly/implicitly. It was but absolutely clear that SABAT was not a sell-out! The values (good or bad) he represents were not betrayed. He did what was politically needed to salvage the moment. It was a political decision. He took the bull by the horn.
Coming to Tom Ikimi’s return to his vomit, like SABAT put it in his article, the latter positioned that the APC did what was necessary to form a broad-based coalition. A formidable opposition to withstand the monstrous PDP could not have emerged otherwise. Therefore, allowing people to join the party, who are a potential bad-market cannot be ruled out. These people were given yet another chance to atone their evil past. The lighter side is that SABAT and the party leadership knew the badness of these elements.Thus, I presume they are on a watch-list.
Just like a leopard-like Ribadu, people of Ikimi’s character and calibre would eventually shit on the dining-table if kicked out too late. They are only around to grab anything they can lay hands on. If it seemed too hard to achieve this goal, they desert without thinking twice, like Ribadu or go to town crying wolf like Ikimi. Ikimi is an old chip on the block; like an old dog, he would quickly derive new tricks to keep himself longer in the house of his master before being taken to the river to drown.
Ribadu on the other hand is a new chap on the stormy terrain, an absolute inexperienced element in politics. Like the just quoted Facebooker posited, Ribadu would out-trick himself soon enough. Apparently, there is no better way to put the realisation of self out-trickery than the latest declaration by the PDP the dropping of over five candidates for the Governorship slot in Adamawa state; Ribadu’s name was ably represented on the list. The singular reason for decamping to the PDP was thwarted with just a meeting in Abuja! Voila! A hitherto promising young man with a country-wide follower-ship has just run-out of himself!
I would not be surprised if Ribadu came back in the coming weeks to rejoin the APC. This would certainly not be unlike him. A psychological consideration of Ribadu’s character would definitely reveal he is a man of unstable character; a man who hardly think through anything; one that speak/act before thinking; one that is permanently bereaved/sorrowful if denied public attention. One that would eventually shit on the table if bade to dine! People like him cannot/will not survive the test of time in political terms. They are manipulative and dangerous for national stability and health. Nigeria does not need such a terrible piece in her already critical condition.
With today’s forcing out of Ribadu by the PDP from the list of contestants in Adamawa state, the party showed she recognised Ribadu as a mere opportunist. He cannot add anything to the party’s national interest, not even at state level. He was sharply rejected as a choice in Adamawa state where he was born! If the PDP could do this, the APC is morally bound to vehemently reject a possible return of this former miserable police officer.
ajagunna 