TheCable

Tomorrow’s gubernatorial election in Lagos is going to be fiercely contested as an effect of the wind of change that is blowing across the length and breadth of our promising country. It seems most Nigerians are getting fed-up with the old order of greed, selfishness and wickedness, replacing them—one by one with a new set of greedy, selfish and wicked ones. They are beginning to see that every politician in Nigeria is not in the game of politics for the common man—our politicians are only swimming in the pool of politics for themselves, wives, children, cronies, girl-friends and boy-friends.

The wind of what they nickname “o to ge”—that was cooked on the inside of the bed-chamber of a politician, moved at the speed of light and did hit the fore-head of Bukola Saraki in Kwara State, making him politically unconscious for days, swiftly moved and knocked off Godswill Akpabio in Akwa Ibom and Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State. After the next four (4) years, you would find out that the three new Senators, replacing Saraki, Akpabio and Ajimobi are likely going to perform worse than them. Removing and replacing politicians is not the solution to our problem, our dead systems of government is our major bane. Our systems of government have been dead for more than four days! This makes our own case worse than that of Lazarus of old.

After the synthetic and unreal wind of “o to ge” left those three mentioned States, the man who has been trying to divide Lagosians along ethnic lines intensified his effort, inviting the trendiest move in our politics to come make Lagos it’s abode till tomorrow. All of a sudden, my beloved Igbo brothers and sisters began to scream and shout “o to ge” as if, if the PDP takes over Lagos State tomorrow and Jimi Agbaje becomes the next Governor of Lagos State that Lagos State would become better than it is right now.

As imperfect and flawed as Tinubu is, I still prefer him to those who are shouting his name from the rooftop—as if they are not the same breed of politicians. The PDP has lost Abuja and the only false-hope they have now is to take over Lagos, not to build Lagos, but to further milk my Lagos and your Lagos. You know all our politicians cannot be out of power for one day, because they only use power for personal aggrandizement, not for service. Anyone who calls the shots of Lagos State can comfortably negotiate the seat of power in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. If you didn’t know, now you do know.

Each time I hear that either Jimi Agbaje says that he is not going to be controlled by anyone when he becomes that Governor of Lagos State or Sanwo-Olu says that he is not going to be controlled by anyone—when he finally becomes the Governor of Lagos State, I do laugh. I do laugh because I do know that they are not telling the truth. He who is not going to be controlled by those who put him in the corridors of power will always end like Governor Akinwumi Ambode. When it comes to politics on earth today, it is the political party that enthrones the politician that calls the shots!

The first time Jimi Agbaje came out to gun for the highest office in Lagos State, I fell in love with him, but immediately he started using the trick of sectionalism, I backed off. God forbid that I queue behind anyone who tries to divide our people. He, who divides in order to rule, will never end up ruling.

Many years ago, I was in an organization where the leader was using divide and rule system to paddle the canoe of his company. He was dividing the workforce to lead. In a few years, the company crashed and the rest they say is history. Nothing grows on the watch of those who divide the people in order to rule them. To further destroy Lagos, then hand it over to those who are using divide and rule system to deceive the people. Lagosians are being deceived already, but I do not need to be a seer to know that it is going to get worse—if those who are dividing Lagos-dwellers—along ethnic lines ever take over the mantle of leadership.

The battle (and war) to either take over Lagos State or to retain Lagos State increases every four (4) years because he, who governs Lagos State, governs Nigeria! The reason they want to either takeover or retain Lagos State is because they want to start or further milk it, not because they love Lagosians a hoot. Lagos State is the cash-cow of a few and they are both in the PDP and APC. When it comes to milking the resources of Nigeria, every politician becomes one!

Sanwo-Olu has done extremely well, when it comes to publicity. Today, it is very hard to see Jimi Agbaje’s posters in Lagos, because Babajide has covered the face of “Lasgidi” with his posters! While I do know that he (and his team) is going to recoup when he finally gets to power, but what he’s been able to achieve is highly creditable and commendable. He is not banking on the strengths of Tinubu and his co-territorial holders alone, every day and night; he is being consistently showing Lagosians that he is very much interested in the job.

Lastly, as we go to the polls tomorrow, do not die for any politician who doesn’t like you. You cannot afford to be foolish. I am yet to see any politician (not even PMB) being accompanied by his or she children to vote. They know how to keep their own children beyond the shores of Nigeria, so they are not hit by stray bullets. Those who died in vain during the last presidential election have all been forgotten. They are already part of the wasted generation!