Ancient Greek imagination gave the world the metaphor of “The Gordian Knot”. The climax of the legend of “The Gordian Knot” tells how Alexander, in the fourth century BC, used his sword to slice an intricate knot used to bind an ox-cart dedicated to the god Sabazios. The ox-cart had been dedicated, centuries earlier, to the god by Midas the son of Gordias who was the first king of Phrygia. Centuries later, an oracle predicted that any man who could unfasten the complex knot would become ruler of Asia. Alexander tried to undo the knot in vain. Then in a moment of rare insight, he drew his sword and slashed the knot with just one stroke to undo it. He went on to rule all of Asia in fulfillment of the oracle’s decree. In contemporary context, the legend of “The Gordian Knot” has become a trope for a difficult problem solved by thinking creatively.
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its primary elections across the country for its governorship aspirants, attention will be riveted on Lagos State in anticipation of how the political drama between a godfather and a godson plays out. The political horse-trader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the godfather, while the baby-faced, but hardworking Akinwumi Ambode is the godson. One is an experienced dealer who has survived many a political intrigue to become a matador of sorts. The other is a neophyte in the cloak and dagger, and banana peels strewn, terrain of Nigerian politics. Tinubu it was who made Ambode the governor of Lagos in 2015. Three years after, the later has flashed a red card at the former that it was time to vacate Alausa, the Lagos seat of government. The story in town is that a neo-Tinubu anointed, Jide Sanwo-Olu, is set to do battle with Ambode in the primary election scheduled for Saturday.
In the wake of Tinubu’s rejection of Ambode’s second term bid, the former did everything possible to regain the godfather’s favour to no avail. He groveled before the godfather. He entreated others to do so. The presidency, APC governors, among other stakeholders intervened to no avail. However, Ambode, despite the godfather’s rejection, did not pull out of the race. Thus he now has the political battle of his life to wage, unlike in 2015 when he had the governorship on a platter of gold. That Ambode, a political rookie, did not run off the ring even in the face of rejection by his godfather is a mark of courage and he should be commended. As things are, the godfather who owns the APC in Lagos State has corralled the entire party apparatus against Ambode. The expected result is that Ambode’s second term dream will collapse a wall made of pounded yam. But this might not necessarily be so.
The question many have asked is, “what is Ambode’s offence?” Ambode’s offence is not about poor performance. Lagosians adjudge him as responsive and superlative in terms of competence and capacity to deliver on good governance. His offence is that he has not distributed patronage, simply put, government money to party chieftains, in fact thieftains. Those thumping the earth of Lagos that Ambode must go are not the people who voted for him and for whom he has toiled these three years. Those bent on sending him away constitute a tiny, but powerful fraction who want to perpetually hold Lagos by the jugular. They also made Ambode in 2015. They made Fashola governor in 2007 and 2011. But, are these people as powerful as they claim or appear to be? The answer is that they are powerful for as long as the people of Lagos allow them to be.
It is for this reason that Ambode must cut the Gordian knot. He should defy the cabal and move on to another party platform in case he fails to get the APC governorship ticket. He should bite the bullet and initiate what will be a revolution that will free Lagos from the stranglehold of a meddlesome godfather. In doing this, Ambode must embark on a critical evaluation of the strength and weakness of his adversary and then build bridges within and outside Lagos to engender a new beginning for that state of great promise. Has it ever crossed the mind of Ambode’s traducers that he could reach out to the power blocks in Ogun, Ekiti and Ondo states for support?
Has the thought crossed their mind that Lagosians, in their multicultural and metropolitan character, will be too happy to jettison Tinubu’s nepotistic millennial over lordship? Has it ever occurred to his antagonists that Ambode might find succor in a rainbow coalition of elements in the presidency, long desirous of retiring Tinubu from politics, and the many political enemies he has made including Senator Bukola Saraki who has offered to teach Lagosians how to defeat APC and by extension Tinubu’s political machine?
The foregoing must sound tough even imponderable for Ambode considering Tinubu’s awe inspiring political machinery. Ambode needs not fear. The fortunes of the APC in the Osun gubernatorial election indicate that Tinubu’s days as political samurai are numbered. Yes, great empires and nations do decline. So do great men who do not tamper power and fame with wisdom. Ambode must brace up and cut his Gordian knot. He should not mind the consequence. As we say in Waffi “all die na die”.
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