Politics and policy are like siasmese twins, interlocked. But as intertwined asthey are and can be, in theory, just as in practice, they actually differ. While one is a propeller, the other is the engine. They might be Siamese twins, but they are of different parentage. Yet, they differ only to the extent that both sit at opposite ends of the same spectrum, often inching towards an embrace in the hands of an astute political leader.
Politics might be the vehicle through which the leader gets a hold of the steering-wheel of power to be able to formulate and implement policy, but because the ideal is for politics to ride on the back of a clearly laid out agenda, it is policy that will define the leader and what he makes of the office, as policy is the handiwork for building an enduring legacy.
Leadership is about fashioning the strategy - the appropriate formula and tactics for interlocking politics with policy that will not only achieve desired objectives of impacting lives and enable development but one that will resonate with the target publics. There is a tone and energy expected of a disruptive leadership and where that is either not there or perceived not to be there, the battle is half-lost. Where little or no thought is paid to optics and the signification of words, silence, presence, absence, action and body language, foot-soldiers are left in disarray.
So, if politics is about who gets what, when and how, as Harold Lasswell says, then, even in the authoritative allocation of resources, the extent to which the leader is able to marry politics and policy will determine the extent of his success. A marriage of politics and policy in such a way that policy drives politics and policies are strategically-framed, pursued and executed, with not only policy objectives realised, but with the political end in mind, is a key ingredient for success in political leadership.
Where politics is not strategically embraced and managed to help with the realisation of policy objectives, it can come back to bite. To seek to pursue a disruptive policy without taking charge of the politics, ab initio, is to clutch at straw that might lead to loss in both realms of politics and policy.
When politics does not speak to policy and there is a yawning lack of sagacity behind policy formulation and salesmanship, an important intersection that is supposed to paper over cracks is missed. The success of a political leader, especially one with a mind-set and mandate to be disruptive, will be determined largely by his ability to find the balance and right intersection between politics and policy.
While politics is often put out as the bad guy, it is not and does not necessarily have to be so. Often what we find is that the devil is not in the politics, it might not even be in the policy, the devil is in the lack of will, clarity of mind and pursuit to effectively marry politics and policy to be able to deliver value.
The Devil is not in the Politics is a compliation of articles by Simbo Olorunfemi published between 2015 and 2019 in various media platforms dealing with all sorts of policy challenges while intersecting with politics. It is a 324 page excursion through the Nigerian political-policy-governance life.
