Drunkenness and madness are the same, only that madness is longer. Since you cannot legislate morality, the rule of law and the constitution of the land should be upheld, as supreme at all times. The mind of men is infinite and more often ruled by his ego or alter ego. Most men in the luxury of their imaginations usually assume they are taller than who they are and what they are in reality.
Whereas the constitution of a nation is a living social contract with the people, reviewable, and subject to amendments, the ego of an average mind, waxes stronger, lyrical in the songs of praise of their own dreams, reeling in the sound of their own voices and vision, often bruised or suppressed in highfalutin ambitions, but can never be buried until death do both of them part. Are you thinking what I am thinking? The Nigeria politician is a breed of uncommon-rascality, a wild political animal that is begging to be tamed. Who will bail this wild cat, lose and prowling our political landscape most often in self-aggrandizement? True fiscal federalism is the answer and the rule of law obeyed to the last letter at all times. Nigerians, when shall we be free of this legionnaires political ailments? Alain Lefvre was a boxer paid by Marseille Mobster to win a fight in the 1998 film, Legionnaire. Such scripts, typifies our do-or-die politics, particularly in Nigeria today. Nigerian politicians don't play to win an election that belittles their twin-tower egos. They scheme to win; often aided or abetted by the power that be. The more you look, the less you see. Bank on that, they are won't to say.
Senator Bukola Abubarka Saraki has just won the Senate presidency. My hearty congratulations! Please notice the implications of the combinations of his names, their origin, striding two powerful tribes - Hausa and Yoruba! Indeed, there is something in a name. I have read some superlatives on his victory, crafted by my great aburo, Dele Momodu, the prose master.
My piece here is not given to such luxury in celebration nor in contestation of his somewhat mildly tainted victory that is going to be subjects on social media frenzy, academic debate, moral, ethics, politics and possibly legal, is in the mix as things begin to unfold. Our crawling democracy can use such test of wits and challenges, I affirm.
My personal opinion is that for a political gladiator of Saraki's pedigree, weaned on raw-politics from birth. Fact: few of such men can be counted on the tip of fingers in the whole nation. He is a very well horned, educated, calculative, deft and deadly game player, and he should metamorphose into a game changer - my advice in favour of his generation.
That is why he should not have in the least of his desire to win the coveted post, brushed or tainted even slightly an inevitable victory, reassuredly secured in the closet in the dark of the night, now somewhat in controversy, after he has done his homework, flogging the midnight hours restlessly.
To put things in sharper focus, just reverse the script in favour of loser contestants frame by frame. You will realise why his party, the APC is wound-gathering. That is executive rascality in a power game. But then he is only human, even more so, principle is often alienated in politics; in our clime, it's a total alien. No law appeared broken but the spirit of the law has been ruffled and muffled. So, Senator Bukola Saraki, once again, congratulations!
Though the cloud was hazy and he was in a panic mode, truth; he checkmated his competitors an hour too early, or maybe he knew the secured 57 unanimous votes in his vault, mostly from erstwhile estranged PDP Senators, purchased on trust, contracted or just his for the asking on goodwill accounts from friends, in a payback to APC or the usual cash and carry a la Nigerian politicians.
He probably thought this is a dream that may vapourise in the heat of a full plenary session of the 8th Senate that is almost certain, momentarily in another one hour. He must have thought that all he has laboured to be counted on may indeed vanish into thin air, if he held on for, wait a minute, an hour too risky, too late? The end justifies the means, as the saying goes. Only time will tell on: the last one questionable hour of his election!
Our crawling democracy can use such theatrics in such heightened hours of betrayal and trust in a grand melodramatic moment in the history of our nation's politics. I am of the studied opinion that and I hereby repeat for clarity: life is a game, you win some; you lose some. But most especially in the game of politics in our land, there are Masters, Grandmasters and fate, the greatest master of them all. Fate has crowned Bukola Saraki, the undisputed current champion, sitting him pretty in the third most powerful position in our land today. I guess when two titans collide, something has to give way. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stands humbled on this round.
Nothing whispers regret louder amongst players in politics like a dormant or even a smoking volcano, exuding and unfolding unlimited variables in a game of epic historical dimensions of this victory's magnitude. All players should be humbled by this victory, winners and losers, I reasoned. The APC's leaders lost profoundly, as Saraki snookered them in the third and fourth of the best-of-four-series - the president, the vice-president, Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives in dizzying progressions.
They should learn a lesson from what turned them into spectators at their own games! Senator Bukola Saraki's victory appeared written in his stars by fate. Let us pray that those who paired with the piper will not be dictating the tune, my only reservation and most peoples' apprehensions. Methinks his victory should be dedicated to his generation and the greater Nigeria project on hand. That should be the crux of the matter and his challenge in the hallowed red chambers.
I, crowding the biblical age of seventy and in the league of the generation that failed your generation hereby assert and tell you bluntly what is not a hidden secret to many - Senator Bukola Abubarka Saraki - by your pedigree and antecedents in the politics of this nation, going by such pedigree and privileges which you were favoured tremendously in politics and commerce, you are indeed not a Spring-chicken by all yardsticks. Indeed you are a rooster.
So, you are as guilty, if not more guilty in the politics of my generation or the atrophied state of this imbalance or somewhat coerced union on which you stand-tall, dined, wined in vintage privileges of positions and visions and from whence you just harvested a profound victory. Having drank from a silver-spoon with the best of education in your pouch, Mr. Senate President, be more sensitive to the course of legions in your generations to whom most dream remains stunted or dashed outright. It's payback time. Please, in a sense of indebtedness and gratitude owed, that is the most honourable things for you to do now!
Please do all to champion their courses and repel the curses on your generation. Their fight should be your fight; their dreams should be your legislative priorities in improving their lots. I am not on this page to praise Ceazer but to challenge you on the inherent possibilities in your victory. In Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Yakubu Dogaro in the National Assembly, your generation has earned for you both, leadership in trust for their future. Prove deserving of it.
Be humbled and literarily pull all stops to realise the greater Nigeria project of your generations' dream. It will be a calamitous failure, if your generation is still waning, wanting and wallowing in hopelessness after your tenure, without the compass to navigate freely once liberty and right to dream and aspirations with no godfathers. That's the essence and profound hidden message in your victory. So, hit the ground running now, from day one with their best of intentions, interest, aspirations and dreams in mind.
The late Oloye, as the elder Dr. Senator Olusola Saraki was fondly addressed, most especially in his domain, his formidable political forte, saw it all, and did it mostly his ways with little regrets, almost to the end. The agitating question that should be on our mind is: what is Bukola Abubarka Saraki going to do with this victory fate has thrust upon him? To top his daddy I hope.
That only which eluded his late father is in view too - a profound question begging for answer in his umpteenth time around victory in politics with little or no regret or failures in life. Thanks to his towering late father.He has been toeing his father's antecedents as most dream sons are expected to. All these are self-evident in his triumph records. One needs no soothsayer to predict his mind on this line of dream his family has been particularly favoured by fate.
The number one seat: the presidency is on his mind and all he needs is not to sustain the permanently tainted few in the past and immediate corridor of power as it appears they are scheming to be relevant forever but his performance, and indeed greater performance in the leadership of taking his own generation to the next level. Tell the old folks, the party is over. It has lasted a season too long they had their fill. It's payback time.
Your late father bestrode his territory in a princely manner, like a zizzling knive cutting through butter. He lived almost like a crown king in his times. Yours will be a needle in a hay-stack - a camel passing through a needle's eye at the most inauspicious and challenging times in Nigeria. Can Senator Bukola cut this Rock of Gibraltar, on the path of his generation, with the same knife he has held onto in politics, with same swagger to date? The music must change, the beat is spent! You have got the pedigree, degrees, altitude and latitude but wither is your attitude to attain this most prized altitude on your dream voyage beginning with this victory. Please check and recalibrate your compass. Food for thought!
President Obama earned it, sweat and tears, a grateful nation applauded, the whole world celebrated. Senator Bukola Abubarka Saraki claimed successive victories on an enviable platter of gold. To whom much is given, much more is expected. Tomorrow is pregnant with promises and dreams and hope but loaded with envy. Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga, in commerce, took liberty of privileges and challenges and both men turned it into formidable empires beyond our shores and wildest dreams to the greater benefits of all - proudly made in Nigeria mascots. I pray you are gravitating towards my reasoning. Please replicate their fit in government and politics.
APC has won the war but their battle ship is in disarray on high-waves. The slaughtered PDP is likened to a scotched snake, dangerously poisoned to the hilt, prowling every breath and inch of opportunity on a vengeance mission with its wherewithal. God save Nigeria and Nigerians, we are in a moral equivalent of an undeclared war; things could get worse. I humbly submit.
- Omisore lives in Lagos
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