Political Reversal

Robert Greene is the author of various books on Power, among which are The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law, The Art of Seduction and Mastery.

One thread constant in Robert Greene’s books is the fact that he would often examine and highlight particular power strategies/dynamics, and then at the end, would also torchlight the countervailing dynamic in what he often calls, Reversal. 

It is certainly the season of decampment in Nigeria’s political landscape. A few examples would suffice: Chief Jim Nwobodo (from PDP to APC), Victor Ochei (from PDP to APC), Nuhu Ribadu (from PDP to APC), and Chief Orji Uzor Kalu (from PPA/PDP to APC).

There were other high-profile defections before these. For instance, former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar defected from PDP to APC; as did former President Olusegun Obasanjo who “technically” decamped from PDP to APC. 

After publicly dramatizing the tearing ceremony of his PDP membership card, Obasanjo pitched his political tent with then APC’s Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, in the run-up to the 2015 Presidential election. Obasanjo still backs President Buhari till today and has not returned to the PDP.

Before, during and after the last general election, the APC had variously accused the PDP of grounding Nigeria’s politico-economic fortunes in its 16-year (mis)rule.  There is credible evidence, even today, to suggest that that allegation is true.

However, many of the individuals and personalities who played prominent role in grounding Nigeria from 1999 to date have found their way to the APC. They are in fact today playing prominent role in both the APC and the government.

Now, in view of this, is it still valid for APC to continue blaming the PDP of misruling the country? Since APC has accepted, and continues to accept till today, those former PDP chieftains whom it had previously condemned and accused of crippling Nigeria’s economy, I think it should now accept the responsibility since it sees nothing wrong in admitting them into its fold. 

This, for me, would be the classic reversal a’la Robert Greene’s stratagem 

CAVEAT: This post is about APC – not about PMB's government