Thread by @DrJoeAbah

Good morning, @segalink. I have reflected on the robust exchange that we had yesterday. While I could have reached out to you privately by DM or phone, the exchange was public and it is only fair that any resolution of it should also be public.

You know about some of the causes I support privately through our DM exchanges, just like I know some of yours. I think what happens in the DM should stay in the DM. Yesterday’s exchange started with a tweet by @LNCtoday which could suggest his committee was a sort of reward.

I informed them that every Senator is in one Committee or the other. @KadariaAhmed then opined that he should have been suspended. I informed her that the Senate rules make it impossible because the matter was already in court. To be honest, I didn’t read your response properly.

I was in the middle of a few things. It is never advisable to tweet about sensitive issues without paying full attention. Lesson learnt. My eyes zeroed in on your expectation of a revolution. I do not believe that revolution is a sustainable means of social change. I’ll explain.

Before I do so though, it was wrong of me to use the example of “dragging” on social media when talking about an alleged criminal act for which an accused person has been charged to court. I can understand why you would find it upsetting. I regret it and would like to apologise.

I can assure you that there was no ulterior motive behind it. I should have used myself as the example instead, if at all, to make the point. I hope that we can move past it and get to my real issue: the issue of revolution. It is an issue that I would like us to debate further.

I grew up believing in revolutions. I honestly thought that a Marxist revolution would happen in the 1980s. It didn’t. First, I realised that Marxism was helpful in overthrowing colonialism. However, the freedom fighters that replaced the colonialists were perhaps worse tyrants.

Then following the Soviet revolution, I realised that in the Soviet Union (the ideal Socialist state then), Politburo members drove in Zil limousines while the ordinary Soviet suffered. They drank champagne while others drank cheap vodka. They had chalets in France, not Siberia.

Then there was the Arab Spring. Has that revolution made the Arab a more just place? I am not sure. Then there was Occupy Nigeria. I think most of the leaders of that “revolution” are in government today. We are still paying fuel subsidies, the reason for Occupy Nigeria.

The French Revolution which enthroned Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite, did not translate to the behaviour of the French during colonialism. The French did not extend liberty, equality and fraternity to their colonies. You can start to see why I am no longer seduced by revolution.

The new order simply replaces the old order and status quo continues as normal. In some cases, the new order is worse than what was there before. Many dictators across the African continent were former revolutionaries. Many were worse than what they replaced.

My academic research on the matter suggests that revolutions only happen in homogeneous societies, often with a unifying characteristic. I don’t believe we have that in Nigeria. There are too many dividing factors. That’s why I don’t think revolution is possible or feasible here.

Anyway, these are my own thoughts. I will not denigrate anyone who believes otherwise. Just like a man of faith should not be denigrated by an atheist and vice versa. I would be interested in your thoughts though, in case you are aware of something that I am missing. Thanks. End.