Politics without bitterness

Politics without bitterness

By Prof Obiaraeri Nnamdi

Can there be anything like “politics without bitterness”?

Yes, although this looks a little bit contradictory given that politics is reputed to be a roguish business.

Politicians are largely unpredictable as tenacious fidelity to agreements and or obedience to consensus are not common currencies for transaction in politics.

Politicians are so deceptive that they promise “to build bridges where there are no rivers”.

Ideally, politics is service delivery. In or out of power, it is not bows, axes and arrows but the players make it so in Naija.

The Nigerian politician, in the guise of keeping political opponents out of the power loop, do many unprintable things including playing bitter politics.

That explains why not a few decent people are afraid to join in swimming the murky waters of politics. The big question is, for how long will these “good men and women” continue to stay away from politics since avoidance is not a solution to an appalling situation?

Plato was apt in his timeless words that *”If you do not participate in politics, your inferior will rule you”* while Charles de Gaulle warned that *”Politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians”.* Enough said!

In the quest to further political interests and push partisan agenda, many politicians not remember that there is tomorrow.

It is true that political parties drive wedges between brothers and friends. Hence, some reprobate minds, extremists and anger marketers latch on this to create gulfs and rifts between people.

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Politics can and should be played with scruples because politics is not a criminal enterprise. Even at that, there is honour amongst thieves.

The imperative for tolerance, accommodation and inclusion in politics led to the theory of *politics without bitterness*.

In Nigeria, it was late Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP who made that cliché to gain full traction- politics without bitterness. This is obeyed more in breach than observance by the political class.

Play politics, don’t fight politics. We insist!

Alas, to be able to play hygienic politics devoid of bitterness, you must have a good heart and balanced spirituality.

Bitterness can come from both the vindictive winners and sore losers in politics.

There are very many cruel and oppressive political office holders out there with bitter kola spirit. They sleep and wake up angry and determined to destroy everything in sight and to crush every form of opposition or dissenting opinions.

Contrary to the avowed understanding that politics is a game, these brood of vexed winners are most unwilling to exchange jerseys, sign autographs or take pictures with their opponents even after winning.

They cling to and practice Law 15 in Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of power that you have to *Crush your enemy totally-Do not sympathise with your enemies.*

This is not an ethical law and can be randomly deconstructed. Who says there is no morality in politics?

Until the 30 March 2018 interview of Senator Mantu, former Deputy Senate President, which he granted Channels Television, anyone in Naija could have believed the decadent theory that there is no morality in Naija politics.

In that must watch “Hard Copy” interview (his best while alive that can pass as his political epitaph) Senator Mantu, now late, spoke truth to power as he was very clear in his open confessions and outright condemnation of politics without morality.

In politics, there should really be no enemies except divergent interests. Differences in political interests should never lead to enemity. It is not compulsory that all political interests must cohere.

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Plurality of interests is the mainstay and beauty of democracy. Political interests can be separated from friendships, conjugal ties or filial bonds if the politics is clean.

There are no permanent friends in politics. There are no permanent enemies in politics either. Interest is the only permanent thing (add selfish interest if you like).

On the flip side, there are also sore losers in politics. These ones refuse to accept that the competition for power is over and they keep “fighting” the winner blindly.

As soon as the elections are over including when decisions on election petitions are handed down on final appeals, it is expected that candidates who did not win, their party members and supporters should embrace the reality that there can only be one winner.

Congratulating the eventual winner or where that is difficult, giving the winner the space to govern, will help to simmer the political tempo and allow good governance and politics without bitterness to take root.

No doubt that continued nibbling at the victory after the emergence of a winner is a recipe for frosty political relationship.

Politics without bitterness connotes that in all that is done or not done in politics, all must remember that tomorrow is pregnant.

Who knows tomorrow?

Never say over your dead body will this or that happen in politics!

Enemies today can be friends tomorrow while friends today can be enemies tomorrow. That is the predictable nature of unpredictable power politics.

Locally and nationally, there abound many current and past examples of fierce critics and morbid haters who turned 360 degrees to become hailers and unofficial vuvuzelas of those they viciously opposed.

FFK is adept at this at the national level.

They are quick to explain that loving what you hate is “helping the winner to manage victory”. Hahaaha.

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At any rate, it is all politics although this chameleonic trait serves to underscore the need to play politics without bitterness.

Moderation is key in life in case circumstances beyond your control force you to go back to your vomit or swallow your hurtful words!

Playing politics without bitterness helps to reduce the vile, intemperate and toxic utterances and hate actions in our polity.

Political support is not a “do or die” affair while opposition is not destructive chants.

Unfortunately, hunger and want in the land will not allow reason to prevail as not a few feed from or seek to become “relevant” by fuelling the crisis and sharp disagreements amongst the political class.

These political scavengers and crumb pickers are called *”ndi ori na crisis”* in Igbo language although the principle of politics without bitterness has proven to be and will continue to remain an invaluable principle for all humanity.

Sadly, according to Harold Evans, “Transmitting information is easier than creating understanding”. A word is usually not enough for the unwise.

For the umpteenth time, the clear message is play politics, don’t fight politics. Call it politics without bitterness.

• Obiaraeri Nnamdi is a Professor of Law, Imo State University, Owerri. A former Honourable Commissioner For Youth and Sports, Imo State; former Honourable Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Imo State; Former Honourable Commissioner for Information, Imo State; Former Political Adviser to Deputy Governor of Imo State and Former Political Adviser to Governor of Imo State.