Written by Ralp Omale
It’s season of political activities leading to 2023 General election. Our political personae have mounted the rostrums to give us another intriguing part of political drama like they usually do.
We know what they want and We know who they are. we know that they are not who they really projects themselves to be.
Some have stopped by road to buy roasted corn from a road side corn seller who may never get to see them again.
Some have gone to hospitals to lay on the same bed with the sicks whose journey to the hospital was initially occasioned by the maladministration and embezzlement of fund needed to improve their livelihood inform of providing basic social amenities which they deny them.
Some have gone to rural areas to drink dirty water in identifying with the poor who have no source of good water supply in their respective locality.
It’s indeed, a season of political patronage and gimmicks with the poor because, they need the poor who they have neglected over the years.
The sad reality, is that, the poor needs only #5k to offset his hospital bill which he or she cannot afford to pay and will dances and shout to high heaven when he is given #10k to pay his hospital bill. At least, he or she is sure of his meal for the remaining three days after paying his hospital bill from the #10k given him by the politician.
What is most surprising is, that, one man who knows how best to do this, is not in town.
He was always visible in every election period since I was born to know what election is. One would wonder why he is not around to do his own side of the gimmick.
Why? I asked. Is it because, he feels that, it had not won him enough admiration and affection from the electorates to be able to win election in the past?
Is it because, he feels that, the electorates are too wise to be deceived by such political gimmicks?
As I speak with you, he is in Dubai and he has always been Dubai. He comes around whenever election is by the corner, roar like a lion and in the end, accept his defeat and go to Dubai yet again.
Dubai is his home. No where else but Dubai,except when he was granted a 24HRS pardon by the U.S.A to hold series of meetings with some authorities of the United States of America during 2019 election. We learnt that, he had been banned from going to United States of America for the past 12years but granted 24HRS waiver by the U S A to hold meetings with some authorities in the United States of America.
He is in Dubai chilling with big boys while the party under whose platform, he is vying for the exalted seat of the nation, is in turmoil.
I read on a national daily this morning, where he said that, his party is not in crisis. This is jaw cracking. What this means is, that, he is simply overrating himself against the structures of the party. Governors are not just mere men. They hold the highest stakes in an election. Underestimating them sometimes, means, political suicide.
To me, that man is not a good politician. He is lazy politician. No wonder he keeps jumping from one party to another.
He doesn’t have the tenacity, consistency and the discipline to build party.
How then can he build the nation?
His counterparts, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu had been every where. He had visited his challengers in the run up to primary election of his party who lost to him. He did not sidelined, neither did he underestimate the damage they could do to his ambition, come 2023 General election. He knows he need them just as they need him. He pacified them and they are at peace with him. That is a good politician.
He is dogged but age is failing him but at least, he is on the field and he is seen to be on the field, though not healthy.
As we go into election year, we can’t afford to have a Dubai based president who never see Nigeria as a place to reside but as a place to presides.
We can’t also afford have someone who is also half dead as president. Let us look beyond APC and PDP and vote for someone who appeal to our conscience irrespective of religion and tribes.
Ralph Omale is a public affairs analyst.
