MOULDING A MOLEHILL INTO A MOUNTAIN

While it is not inconceivable that the current travails of the erstwhile governor of Lagos State, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, do have the strong undertones of political mischievousness, would it not amount to brazen hypocrisy that one should join in in the shout of foul play?

While I have an immense amount of respect for Tinubu for his political indefatigability and a strong sense of mission, I do not, for one second, subscribe to this display of siege mentality at moments like this. It is actually at times like this that all crusaders of openness, justice and fair play should applaud the evolving judicial process in our country. While the judicial process still, largely, remains a political tool, and thus, insanely pliable to the whims of the powers-that-be as to render it derisorily puerile, it is still our only hope of sanitizing this putrid political ambience.

Tinubu has every opportunity (unlike most Nigerians that suffer from the arbitrariness of the dispensation of justice) in the court of law, and the presumption of ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is still in place last time I checked. He also has the political and financial clout to fight these allegations (because that’s what they are) to its logical conclusion. Furthermore, he has the unique opportunity that this stage offers him to make further political statements of intent.

It is not wrong for the ACN to be up in arms against this perceived vilification, but I reckon things must be put in perspective. They should be careful not to make a mountain out of a molehill, lest they be seen as wolf-criers. They may even end up gaining a much-needed political capital out of this. They should, instead, seek to milk the opportunity for what it’s worth.

All in all, this trial should be seen in the context of a precedent and all other politicians, regardless of their political colour (or lack of it, for that matter!) should be brought before the courts and tried in the manner the Ashiwaju is being treated. The courts ought to be the refuge for all and the last bastion of the accused. Nigerians are waiting with acute interest to see where this saga ends.