When Demons Are Endorsed
By UbongAbasi Ise
“Demons are like obedient dogs;
they come when they are called.”
― Rémy de Gourmont
It is absolutely unbelievable
that in times like this when the body polity is needed to be exorcized from the
evil spirits that are bringing it affliction of corruption, people are still
going about invoking demons by way of endorsements, pleading with them to
continue their devour on the carcasses and remains of our state, Akwa Ibom, and
the country, Nigeria. As 2019 general elections are around the horizon, we see
all these political jobbers desperately forming themselves into groups calling
on the ne’er-do-well incumbents to continue their stay beyond 2019, although such
charades are mostly the machinations of the corrupt, power-drunk incumbents.
I am not totally against the endorsements and calls
for continuity, but I would say that I abhors such when the performances of political
office holders don’t stand out, and beckon re-election. The funny part of the
mangy politicking is that the underperforming politicians, when looking for a
way to express their intention, would clandestinely sponsor socio-political
groups that would be eulogizing them to the world and earnestly be begging them
not to leave office. The hoary old trick is the provenance of Nigerian politics
that may not be dispense with in the donkey years to come.
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In fact, the social cyclical thinkers on the
directionality of history may be very right in the context of Nigerian politics
as they argue that events and stages of society and history are generally
repeating themselves in cycles. In Nigeria, despite the air of unpredictability
around politics, it is also very easy to follow the patterns of political
behaviors as they keep on repeating themselves. As the time towards the main
elections advances, the behavioral patterns vary. Here, we are in the season
whereby hired groups keep on with the lucrative political business of endorsing
politicians, giving them voice for campaign, some material for media publicity.
The funny part is that certain professional endorsers would go about in
different groups endorsing more than one opponent to the same office, and
heaven don’t fall.
Few weeks ago, information circulated in the local
tabloids alleged that the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, paid
N15 billion to the state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and
Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, to hold an uncommon massive rally in
Uyo, the capital city, for the endorsement of the governor for the 2019
gubernatorial race. If this information is anything to go by, that the revered
men of God could stoop so low to compromise with their moral rectitude, then
something is very wrong with the world around me. This shows how the land would
continue to be under the captivity and affliction of corruption. If the
political stakeholders continue to be endorsing based on the amount of money flowing
into their pockets as well as the promise of juicy role in the corridor of
power, then the political demons would continue to possess the system, allowing
the manifestations of unemployment, lack of electricity, poor educational
system, high cost of food, poor health system, and several anomalies to go
unabated. Instead of senseless endorsements, is this not the right time to be
brave enough, and maintain our fidelity to the truth and to tell the
underperforming, corrupt leaders that it is time for them to go?
If the demons in the likes of Adolf Hitler and Idi
Amin were to be contemporary Nigerians, it is likely they would have been asked
to continue in the office as far as they remain generous to their supporters. Even as macabre as Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime
was, some Nigerian people still called on Abacha to transmute himself from
military junta to civilian rule. Concerning Abacha, I would love to
reproduce here, part of my article titled, Echoes
Of July Grand Receptions, published on page 3 of The Sensor edition of Monday 24th July, 2017:
Despite
highhandedness in the late General’s regime, there was a run-Abacha-run campaign championed by people with
self-serving interests. Particularly,
there was a so-called two-million rally organized under the aegis of Youths
Earnestly Ask for Abacha in March 1998 in Abuja to beg Sani Abacha to succeed
self as a Nigerian civilian President. This event, surprisingly, was well
attended by prominent Nigerians across all walks of life. Amongst the speakers
was Arthur Eze.
As quoted by Olusegun Adeniyi in his 2005
work, The Last 100 Years of Abacha,
Arthur Eze said: “Youths gathered here
today will not leave this parade ground until a positive response is received
from the Head of State, General Sani Abacha. He is the guardian of lives and
security in Nigeria. Our blood is on his head...”
Funny enough, Mr. Pat Abbi, the National
Secretary of Democratic Party of Nigeria, DPN, whose party joined the other
four existing political parties that sought to adopt Abacha as a sole candidate
said: “In fact, I am telling you now that
whether Abacha likes it or not we shall conscript him to continue as civilian
president. Even if he joins other parties, DPN will still support him.”
The coordinator of Abuja Rally, Mr. Daniel
Kanu was also quoted by Adeniyi as saying: “If
Abacha says no, we will go on strike.”
It is time to take the future of this state
and country into our hands, instead of allowing the political demons to fix us
in eternal hell.
Yes! I am UbongAbasi Ise. For
Comment Send SMS to 08189914609
Source: The Sensor Newspaper
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