IS RIMI NOW AN OBSERVER IN PDP?
Who ever says Nigeria’s politicks is not distinct and not interesting must be a fool or rather must be living in the moon. Between the first, second, third and forth republics, Nigerian politicians- big and small have played their games of thuggery, mayhem, looting, abuses, cross carpeting, merchandising their political value, compromising their conscience for money, food is ready politicks, ballot stuffing and stealing and parochial politicks among others.
It is common knowledge that some prominent politicians in the country have adopted a ‘food is ready approach’ to politicks in order to shamelessly “survive”. Such politicians have thrown their conscience and morals to the dogs. Even the ordinary voters are not left out of this in merchandising their voting rights. Some have sold their voting cards for as low as N20 and in some cases for as low as a tablet of toilet soap. However the prominent politicians have smiled their ways into the banks- local and foreign, with their monies.
Any way, enough of this distraction. What baffles me most of recent is the downsizing of a prominent Northern politician, former Governor of old Kano, former Minister of Communications, Mohammed Abubakar Rimi by out going national Chairman of the ruling PDP at its NEC meeting in Abuja. For the avoidance of doubt Rimi, as he always claim ‘I founded’ the PDP, returned to the fold of the party having left it at the peak of Obasanjo’s manhunt of party members who had disagreed with him on his tight hold on the party in 2005. At the peak of Rimi’s war with Obasanjo, Sa’adatu-Rimi’s wife was murdered in cold blood in his Durbin Katsina residence in Kano. Rimi himself had pointed accusing fingers in the direction of PDP and Obasanjo as being responsible for the murder. Since then Rimi had abused PDP and Obasanjo like hell and vowed never to have anything to do with the party, Obasanjo or any of his stooges. One can vividly recall that Rimi moved to the Action Congress funded by Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. After the April last year’s Presidential elections, Rimi joined other well meaning Nigerians and foreign observers to condemn the elections in all its ramifications. Shamelessly and while still in Action Congress, Rimi paid a solidarity visit to President Umaru Musa Yar’adua at the Villa in Abuja to by implication register his interest to join the ‘food is ready’ team.
A number of Nigerians have written-off Rimi since the PDP convention in 1998 that saw Obasanjo as the candidate of the PDP in Jos. Stories were ripe then that Rimi as one of the most promising candidates for the party’s primary had been paid-off with some millions and so had stepped down for Obasanjo. Even recently, Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau had described Rimi as a ‘Food is ready’ politician. To most people, politicians and non politicians alike, Rimi is no longer the conscientious, upright and vibrant politician he was in the second republic.
Rimi’s larger political interest is now to use his values as manifested in his oratory to get what he wants for himself and not for the larger society. That informed his ‘walkabout’ in and out of PDP in recent times.
Rimi’s unsolicited and shameless return to the PDP earned him what he deserves most as a politician who had since lost his bearing and one who sees politicks as merchandise. Out-going PDP Chairman Ahmadu Ali in his usual militarized approach to dealing with a repentant enemy, cut Rimi to size by recognizing and acknowledging his presence and introduced him as an ‘observer’ at the meeting.
Haba, Ahmadu Ali! A whole Rimi who was part of the G14 that metamorphosed into PDP, is now an observer? Isn’t that demeaning to a man who toiled hard with his money and intellect to make PDP what it is today? I have the feeling that Rimi deserves better treatment than the bashing Ahmadu Ali had given him. No matter what, Rimi must be respected as an elder, in or out of PDP. Or does Ali consider Rimi a spy that he cannot be trusted again going by his antecedents as a ‘flirt’ in politics and be called a member but a mere observer?
If I were Rimi that day would have been my last public appearance in partisan politics. But for the ‘food is ready’ approach to politics of Rimi, he is still out there in the cold being bashed by ‘zombies’ and not serious politicians left, right and centre. Well, I don’t pity him, he asked for it. That is the price of greediness.
It is my and other Nigerians’ feelings that Rimi must call it a day in partisan politicks because he has severally derailed from the acceptable norms. Rimi’s son was defeated hands down at the national assembly elections last April in his village because he has lost his political value and relevance. That is a big shame to him. I am certainly not surprised that Rimi has simply, quietly and tactically surrendered his hitherto political machinery- Santsi, to his number rival in Kano, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who is now the king maker of the party in Kano state.
It is left for Umaru Musa Yar’adua, as the leader of the PDP to keep a close look at Rimi in the party. He is back into the party so that he can take it over and make all the money he can make at this last hour of his life or cause serious disaffection among its members.
Well, the choice to make or mar his final destination in politics rests on Rimi himself. Our prayer is that may he use his conscience to arrive at any future political decision.
BY BARRISTER RAFINDADI MOHAMMED
Mohammed writes from DAURA STREET KATSINA
(rafindadimohd@yahoo.com)