The whole world watched, entranced and enthralled as Donald Trump, the immediate Past President of the United States of America- the most powerful country on earth to date- was put on trial and eventually convicted. The whole process of investigation, trial and conviction was not without drama as to be expected. But the outcome was swift and decisive. A jury of ordinary Americans deliberated and convicted one of the most visible, one of the most connected and one of the most powerful men in the world. It should also be added that Donald Trump is perhaps, one of the most manipulative people God ever created. It is therefore to the credit of the Judge who was able to steer the judicial ship firmly against racial pressure, political pressure, innuendos and emotional manipulation to arrive at the conviction. The messages sent to America and a captive world could not be clearer. One, that the judiciary is the bastion of the civilized world. Two, that no one should deem himself higher than the laws of the land. Three, that there are consequences to our actions no matter how highly placed we think we are. Four, that politics, as dirty and as free-wheeling as it is, has its boundaries. And so, a man who a couple of years ago, was appointing high profile Judges, now finds himself completely at the mercy and dictates of Judges.

The world was still trying to let its breath out slowly when Hunter Biden, the son of the sitting President was arraigned and convicted. The trial might have been political and vengeful, but a crime is a crime and the law is the law. The President had no choice but to bow to the dictates of the law. And so, come the last quarter of this year, two old gladiators who have now been damaged by convictions – one directly and the other by proxy – among other damages, will probably square against each other for one of the most powerful and coveted jobs in the world. It would easily have been fiction if it wasn’t unfolding before our eyes. Full of suspense and high drama, it is the stuff successful movies are made of. I am sure film producers and script writers will in future make some capital out of all of this.

But drama or not, there is something to applaud in a system which allows the rule of law to hold sway. Nigeria copied the Presidential system from the US. But in today’s Nigeria where a past Governor is playing hide and seek with the law, can anybody seriously imagine the EFCC investigating Buhari or any past President? At the eve of his leaving office, Buhari stated that nobody should bother him about anything because everything was documented and should be in the files. In other words, he is above being questioned or being held accountable for the actions of his government. It was an imperious, high handed statement which should have been challenged. Unfortunately, it was a statement that was entirely in character. Can anybody also imagine Seyi Tinubu who wines and dines with the high and mighty and reportedly acts like an alternate President sometimes, being brought to trial for a past misdemeanor? It won’t happen very soon in the present day Nigeria because the law currently bows to political interests instead of the other way round. That is why the situation in Rivers and Kano States is being allowed to fester much to the embarrassment of the country. What is happening in those two States is simply a power show between two past governors and their successors. The extant laws concerning the role of a past governor and the limits of a current governor are there. It is the role of the judiciary to interpret those laws without fear or favour. The conflicting statements at the Bench, especially in Kano State, are an embarrassment to both the Bench and the Bar. It is not the first time that the judiciary is weighing itself on its own scale and falling short. Unfortunately, it is bringing one of the country’s oldest and most revered traditional institutions into ridicule this time.

In the midst of this unfolding drama, I have often wondered what would have happened if Sanusi had stayed above the fray and refused to be a pawn in the power game between the incumbent and his predecessor – after all there is a precedence to that effect. Or if Bayero had earlier refused to bite the bait of power when Sanusi was deposed. The two of them would have gained a lot in stature while the throne of their forefathers would have been better for it. As it is, two ‘brothers’ are literally fighting in a way that is diminishing them and diminishing the ancestral throne. But it is still not too late. The two of them can step aside and let a fresh Emir sit on the stool of their fathers. An institution as old and as revered as the emirate should never be about the ego of individuals. Kano is also unfortunate to have been successively led by two egoistic leaders who do not mind desecrating everything to score cheap points against each other. The Police is also on trial because its role in Kano and Rivers States is more political than professional. It also brings the question of who the Chief Security Officer of a State is to the fore. Both the proponents and opponents of State Police are watching the unfolding situations in the two States with utmost interest. Are the actions of the two incumbent Governors geared towards maintaining peace and security or towards checkmating the moves of their predecessors? Are they in the best interests of the States or in furtherance of personal interests? Are State Governors too powerful as it is without putting the coercive power of State Police under their armpit? And shouldn’t past Governors who have had their term learn to let go and let their legacy do the rest of the talking? On the other hand, is the Federal Government which holds the purse strings the ultimate puppeteer in the States?

The advantages of State Police in detecting and fighting crime early, are obvious and should be looked into but with adequate checks and balances. A few things have evolved for me in the Rivers/Kano drama. One is that the State Assembly as an institution for checks and balances on the Executive is completely impotent. Something has to be done because it is also rendering democracy impotent. The other is that power, which in this case includes State Police, in the hands of immature men, can be dangerous. And that an assertive, courageous and apolitical judiciary, is needed to check the excesses of the Executive and the Police. The Police also needs to be more professional than political to earn the respect of both the Executive and the Judiciary. The citizenry must also play its role in holding these arms of government accountable.

The controls and institutions needed to make democracy work are currently on trial in Kano and Rivers, and by extension, the country.

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