Forgotten Dairies
Abubakar Malami And His Political Philosophy Of Service To The People -By Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
As a patriotic citizen, Malami loyalty is to the state and established social order. He believes in sincerity and integrity. It was in line with the ethics of loyalty and sincerity that made Malami to convince Buhari against his wish to support the candidacy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. But, regrettably, that has turned out to be a fatal error and misfortune not just to Malami himself but to the entire nation.
Many are in politics for different reasons. Some are there for personal gains and self-aggrandizement. Some go into politics for service. And yet some dabble into politics to fight for what they consider as justice or freedom. The manner of individual’s engagement in political participation and purpose are defined not just by the political terrain but by his own political philosophy.
According to the Britannica dictionary, political philosophy is seen as the study of fundamental questions about government, power, justice, liberty, and the rights and duties of citizens. Political philosophy evaluates the moral legitimacy of political institutions, taking into consideration how the society should be organized or governed. Thus, political philosophy focuses more on the “ought-to question”. That is the set of ethical standards considered necessary for the exercise of political power. It investigates the precise meaning and value of concepts like justice, freedom, authority, and equality and interrogates issues about: why governments exist, what makes a government legitimate, and when citizens have an obligation to obey—or the right to rebel against the government.
Political philosophy is quite different from political ideology which is about a system of ideas and principles that outline how society should work. Political ideology is a practical framework/template; an action-oriented system of beliefs designed to guide political movements and govern society. The difference between the two interrelated concepts is that political philosophy is the foundation upon which political ideology is built. While political philosophy seeks the ideal situation: truth, understanding and critical evaluation of why authority exists, political ideology on the other hand, is interested in practical action, policy creation and the defense of a specific social order. Nigeria as a state seem not to have any defined political ideology but individuals have their unique ideas on how the state, the institutions and the society should be organized for the good of all.
Scholars believe that every person holds unique views on power, fairness, freedom, and the role of government; has his beliefs and values, a personal framework on how the society should run. An individual can hold political philosophy of governance. Individuals have their personal political philosophy which defines ones core values like individual liberty, equality, or community welfare and views about when the government has the right to make laws or levy taxes. These views guide ones decision on how to vote, support causes or react to public rules. It is also a useful guide to political participation, affiliation and association.
How one sees the role of government, distributive justice and human rights are connected to his political philosophy and these are most times shaped by ones belief system and socio-cultural orientation. And looking at political philosophy from this perspectives, it could be seen that most Nigerian politicians have no real political philosophy other self-interest as can be seen in their behaviors and conduct. When in power, they work to serve personal and primordial interests rather than fulfil the mandate of service to the people; they abuse power, abuse human rights and oppress those that criticize them and work to subvert the will of the people.
And those not in power will jump on the band wagon of praise singers, jumping from one party to another looking for appointment and opportunity to be placed in a position to feather their own nest from public funds.
When the former Nigerian president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo declared in 2006 that politics is a do-or-die affair, he revealed his idea that politics is a zero-sum game to him. He show-cased the win-at-all-costs mentality which culminated in the rigging of the 2007 presidential elections. And, Nigeria is in a political mess right now because the man at the helm of affairs in the country does not believe in ethics or rules of engagement. That is why he publicly declares that: “all is fair in politics”. And these the likes of Ababakar Malami, SAN, the erstwhile Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and well-meaning Nigerians do not want.
Abubakar Malami, did not join the Tinubu team even though it would have favored him personally because it is against his political philosophy to associate with oppressors. As a person, Malami is concerned about the rule of law and social justice not just because he is a lawyer but because it is the ideal thing in pluralistic society like Nigeria’s. Malami prefers service to the people over personal aggrandizement while Tinubu prefers primitive accumulation and subjugation of the masses as a tool of holding on to power.
The Kebbi State-born legal icon is a grassroots man who identifies with the masses and works to empower them in order to improve their wellbeing and political participation. But, Tinubu is interested in the oligarchic few around him that chant his praise and want to protect the mandate he fraudulently seized from the people. As a patriotic citizen, Malami loyalty is to the state and established social order. He believes in sincerity and integrity. It was in line with the ethics of loyalty and sincerity that made Malami to convince Buhari against his wish to support the candidacy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election. But, regrettably, that has turned out to be a fatal error and misfortune not just to Malami himself but to the entire nation.
To be continued.
Hajia Hadiza Mohammed
An actress, social activist, politician
London, UK
