By Bala Ibrahim.
In a Godfather/Godson relationship, as explained by Robert Greene in his book, the 48 laws of power, the Godson must not be overstretched by the Godfather. Doing that can rupture the relationship and push the Godson in the direction of betrayal. This normally starts from the Godfather making some unreasonable demands that can strain the relationship and compel the Godson to commence seeking for power somewhere else, or through another platform. As things stand today in Kano state, all the ingredients for the justification of that scenario are in the pot.
No time is fixed yet, for the announcement of the “food is ready” notice, but the aroma is all over the place. According to the British economist, John Maynard Keynes, when the facts change, I change my mind. This means that, with new facts, and when confronted by undue interference, especially from those who refuse to accept your position as the boss, holding onto outdated beliefs is foolish. Yes, wisdom involves updating one’s views as new information emerges, in navigating complex situations, including political situations. After all, as said by Sir Winston Churchill, “in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests”.
In the last 48hrs, the political atmosphere in Kano is filled up with speculations, to the effect that there is tension between the Governor of the state, His Excellency Abba Kabir Yusuf and Eng. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the political Godfather of the Governor. The atmosphere is charged, highly charged, with stories making the rounds about the planned defection of Governor Abba from the opposition New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, to the ruling APC. The story gained strength with the announcement by Abdullahi Rogo, the Director General Protocol, that he, alongside the NNPP stakeholders from the Rogo Local Government Area, had completed arrangements to join the APC. The announcement was made at the Government House. “We have consulted with NNPP stakeholders in Rogo and agreed that the leadership of the Kwankwasiyya movement—specifically Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Abba Yusuf—should lead us back to the APC-Rogo.
Shortly after, came a counter announcement from the state chairman of the NNPP, Hashim Dungurawa, saying, neither the party’s national leadership nor its leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has approved Governor Abba Yusuf’s rumoured defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Hashim Dungurawa described the planned defection as a betrayal of the people of Kano State, who voted the NNPP into power in the last general elections. And that brings us to the issue of relationship between the Godfather and the Godson, as submitted by Robert Greene, in his book, The 48 Laws of Power. He said the relationship requires delicate management to ensure longevity and stability. Overstretching the Godson risks causing internal collapse, betrayal, or the destruction of the legacy. Without fear of contradiction, I make bold to say that, the relationship between Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and Eng. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is at that juncture now.
According to Law 47 of the 48 Laws of Power, you must not exceed your goal; when you achieve what you want, you must know when to stop. In The Godfather, this means the Godfather should not demand more from the godson than they are ready to handle, as this can lead to mistakes, paranoia, and the loss of the empire. If the Godson is forced beyond their limits, they may suffer from: Paranoia and Isolation: The successor becomes overly fearful of threats, leading to poor decisions, including betrayal. A strained relationship can cause the godson to seek power elsewhere, such as Fredo Corleone’s betrayal.
Long before now, I told a friend and junior colleague about the likelihood of such a thing happening between Eng. Kwankwaso and Governor Abba, unless Eng. Kwankwaso chooses to play the game according to the rules. But from all indications, he has not agreed with the rules, as outlined by Robert Greene, hence the state of affairs today. The popular saying about politics is: “In politics, there is no permanent friend or permanent enemy, only permanent interest. And in the pursuit of this interest, almost always, loyalty has an expiry date.”
Because politics is a game where, like in wrestling, when you are out of the ring, they don’t ask you how you win, but did you win? As a first term Governor, Abba has an agenda to complete and a legitimate right to aspire for a second term in order to leave behind a legacy. So he needs a reliable platform to win. How the win comes does not matter. But with uncertainty hanging in the air about the fate of the NNPP, and the phobia of being overburdened or overstretched by the Godfather, the APC looks like a low hanging fruit to him. And the APC will not object to his arrival in their archive, I think.
