Kanu's Reappearance & Kaduna Crisis: A Prelude to 2019!

By ABDULLAHI D. MOHAMMED


Interesting times are ahead as 2019 draws nearer. The atmosphere is quite electric,the fireworks had begun in earnest, the period has been heralded by politicking and permutations by various political actors whose focus is squarely on the 2019 elections.

In the midst of all these, consciously or not, the political actors are setting the tone of things to come, before, during, and after the polls.
Before now, the political atmosphere in the land witnessed some sort of tranquillity, save for some bickering and wrangling among politicians jostling for party tickets to contest in the general polls, the polity, to some extent had been relatively calm.
As days go by, events unfolding is presenting, subtly, the template for things to come in successive order.

Rising from a high-profile meeting with the President last week, Nigeria's security chiefs and other top security officials hinted that, as elections draw closer, Political actors, groups as well as some individuals, by their actions covertly or overtly, consciously or subconsciously, would likely ignite crisis in the country.

There is no gainsaying, most political seasons herald an era of palpable fear and an atmosphere of uncertainty and delusions. Some, premeditated, while others borne out of genuine paranoia for the usual madness that characterized Nigerian electioneering season.

At such moments, the country's demographic setup is altered as massive exodus of people from a particular region to a more safer location is eminent.
To put it more succinctly, Igbos of the southeast, resident in the North often travel down East for fear of the unknown, to return, only after the elections, or a time they feel safe.
Same is also the case with some South Westerners, and Niger-Deltans whose perception of the North as having the propensity for violent confrontation leading up to any elections.

On the other hand, the political actors cannot be absorbed of any complicity in such scenarios. Majority of them benefit one way or the other, because, they simply explore the anxiety and emotions of the public and use it effectively for political gains. Whether it is religious, ethnicity, or regional affinities, the political actors employed such antics at various fora, and at any opportunity to further exploit such diversities for the selfish goals.

Sadly, this is a stark reality of Nigeria's political journey. To further buttress this point, last week, two scenarios akin to such postulations played out.
First, the reappearance of the erstwhile leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and the resurgence of religious and sectarian violence in the once peaceful Kaduna.

The temptation to give the two scenarios a political coloration was so overwhelming strong. Therefore, without mincing words, and aligning with the position of the security experts, I make bold to say, the two events are political.

Take for instance, the timing of the re-emergence of Kanu. Before now, Kanu was a demigod amongst the teeming Igbo youths of the southeast. He was perceived as a liberator, or an emancipator and restorer of the Biafran dreams and ideals. He carried with him an air of affluence, royalty and importance. At some point, the name Nnamdi Kanu send Shivers down the spine of most Southeast Governors who dreaded his rising influence in the region and beyond.
Infact, his activities instigated and threatened the continued existence of Nigeria. It was alleged in some quarters, that he sought and received monetary gratification from both individuals, groups as well as assistance from some foreign interest. His IPOB-led activities was becoming a nuisance not only to the Southeast, but the entire nation as tension continue to mount. The Nigerian government responded with a military exercise known as Operation Py