TheCable

A few days ago, when the news broke on social media that Otunba Gbenga Daniel was quitting active politics, I knew that he was only dumping the PDP for APC, not quitting active politics! I equally told one of my team members—that it was impossible for him to quit active politics at this time in his political career. I also knew that he wouldn’t quit politics, because he cannot afford to let being famished, alone and forlorn exterminate him.

Also, 99% of our politicians in Nigeria cannot survive beyond four (4) years, if they are not part of the ruling political party. This is why they change political parties—as mothers would change diapers for their babies. They do this, because of money and power. Remember, it is only in our own version of politics that cheap, despicable and shameful money can be made and attracted. In politics in our clime, you can go to bed a pauper and wake up a billionaire!

One evening, in the year 2007, one of the ancient times governors of Nigeria hurriedly walked barefooted past me at “Old Bodija”, Ibadan. I guess he was dead beat and all-in of being alone and lonely in his house. In Nigeria, when you quit active-politics and you are no longer in power (you know power is used for self in this clime, not for self-less service), people would stop visiting your house as millions of people would visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia. This is one of the reasons why our politicians prefer to die in active and caustic politics. They are not relevant a hoot outside our own version of blood-spattered and shallow-politics.

Some hours after the letter he wrote (and submitted to his former political party)—quitting active politics did hit social media; he granted an interview that his people are mounting pressure on him to lead them to the APC! This is what virtually every Nigerian is yet to understand. How do I mean? Each politician in Nigeria is in power, for his or her own people (those he uses to negotiate for selfish political gains), not for the whole nation of Nigeria. A few years ago, one of the political-servants of Nigeria came on air to speak and defend his own people (those he uses to negotiate for political gains), not the whole nation. Throughout the time he spent on air, he kept on referring to his own people, not the poor and helpless citizens of Nigeria.

For many years, I did not understand this aspect of our own version of politics, so each time folks called for protests in those days; I would thoughtlessly jump out, thinking that we were protesting for Nigeria. I did not know that folks were using me for their own selfish gains—which were surreptitiously against the nation of Nigeria. The worse part of what I am touching on here is that I was joining them to protest—without being part of their people. Today, I do know better. I am yet to see anyone who would call for a protest and I would queue behind him or her. In addition, even within the contest of casting of ballots, people do not ask for votes because they want to build Nigeria, they do ask for votes, because of both their bellies and pockets!

For the umpteenth time, when it comes to casting of votes, if you are not part of a politician’s people, voting for either him or her is not for Nigeria, it is a waste as far as the issue before us today is concerned. People do not vote for Nigeria, they vote because of what is in it for them. Why am I saying this? I am saying this because of too many thoughtless youths who are dying for politicians—who are void of values and do not know them. I am saying this because of those who are fighting everyone on social media without being part of those politicians’ people. Take for instance, “MC Oluomo” can die for Tinubu, because he is one of his people, but there are many foolish youths who are willing to breathe their last breath for Tinubu without being part of his people.

One of the few Politicians, who have remained in a political party, imperfect though, is Bola Ahamed Tinubu. He has succeeded in building a tiny political party, transforming it to a national one. Most politicians in Nigeria are busy—moving as a pendulum. They would be in the PDP today and tomorrow, they are back in the APC and they are so shameless. They are a bunch of values-less politicians—whose memories would soon vanish from the earth. Remember, history does not remember people of no value and values.

A few years ago, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar said the PDP was an irredeemable party after he dumped it for the APC, but last year, he returned to the same political party to contest for the last presidential election! I will not be surprised on the condition that Senators Dino Melaye and Bukola Saraki dumped PDP for APC tomorrow. They all do not care a hoot about the common man. They do have their own people—who they are using to negotiate and—who keep them in power. These are the people who should die for them, not you. If you die for them, no one will remember you. Many have died for them in ignorance; you cannot afford to be the next foolish-victim.