The Revenge of the Spare Tires
By Pat Utomi

Be careful what you joke about, it may come to hunt you. A few years ago some Governors made light the role of their deputies by referring to them as spare tires. They were ostensibly of no value unless there was a burst tire. These Governors believed that as the Firestone adverts suggest these days a spare was mainly for decoration and fulfilling all righteousness since tires are so well made now.
To prove their point many appointed not so smart people as deputies. As if that was not enough only one of the hoards of retiring Governors in 2007 backed their deputies. Subsequent developments may now indicate those Governors may not have been so smart. In the politics of opportunism that dominate the behavior of part of the power elite whose conduct are not necessarily dictated by the common good or the big picture those spare tires may turn out to be the only hand to play. Peter Odili’s testimony in his forthcoming memoirs show how that can happen in an arrangement like the PDP.
Those with a good sense of humor see today’s Aso Rock as a spare tires solidarity front. They recall how party loving south-south Governors contemptuously kept out their deputies and when they were in good spirits used them almost as butlers. This resulted in bonding between those who eventually profited from the move to stop Odili. One frustrated fellow in a club described current Nigerian challenges as the conspiracy and revenge of the spare tires.
More seriously though the events of 2012 suggest that the claims on tire indestructibillity are slightly exaggerated. With helicopters and private jets falling from the skies, ill health demobilizing quite a few, we have a real challenge to the claims of tire manufacturers. Some states are now in danger of being governed by people who were just grateful to be escorted around by pilot cars with sirens and never expected to ever make an important decision.
If the truth be told part of the reason for the choice of weak deputies is the insecurity of the gubernatorial aspirants. If they are self assured they would know that very capable deputies were assets, not threats. Fear of deputies is the product of politics of the stomach and pocket rather than of service and advance of the common good. The voters desire, demand and deserve competent, committed, and capable deputies at the centre and in the states. PU
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