In the city of Birmingham located 110 miles of London in England, United Kingdom, a recreational sport was first played in the early part of 19th century officially.
With a tennis racket strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball about the size of an average man’s fist covered with felt over, on a marked portion separated by a net. Lawn tennis is played either by an individual against a single opponent or between two teams of two players.
In the game of tennis is a phenomenon called “unforced error” where the player serves or plays into the net; unforced because it is entirely the result of the decision of the player caused by limitations in reflex and skills!
Unlike tennis, politics is not recreational. If anything at all, it should be “creational”, a better society and good life for citizens should be the trophy of this game which is played for power!
In a democracy, number is of essence to politics! Like the biggest sporting event in the world, FIFA World Cup played every 4 years, Nigerian politicians are back on the field of play!
BAT has been enmeshed in several unforced errors not just against individual opponents but, institutions that shouldn’t be ignored in the game of politics!
Before the game began, BAT made a promise to the church institution — and unlike Buhari led APC government that hasn’t fulfilled most of the promises made to Nigerians — he made good his; a Muslim/Muslim ticket! It is entirely left to the church what to make of it.
In the build up to the APC primary, the desire of the President would have been for the strategist he has found in relatively known personality to succeed him, he was the hidden personality in the President’s remark when he was asked who will succeed him? How the ‘BATist’ camp identified and clipped the wings of that game is still a mystery to many who were privy to it!
Ahmed Lawan substituted the Presidency’s choice and the conspiracy was thickened against BAT, on the rocky court of Abeokuta came the service that gave him the lead but not the game. Though Abeokuta is the home of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Osinbajo was more like the opponent in the Abeokuta Game.
Along with him, he took down the person, office and the institution of the Presidency in one serve, he didn’t spare the Catholic Church in Nigeria, whose Pope in Rome can’t win a game if picked as a running mate to the Buhari he made Nigerian President!
BAT is a political tournament ticket seller any day, he skewed the game; thus far, keeping the spectators entertained. BAT is to politics what McEnroe is to tennis! Very entertaining. In any game, skillful display entertains but deliberate decision made with it will win the game.
BAT of course knows that now is the time to give the game his best. Efforts to repair self destruction from political unforced error had made him go begging the Christian Association of Nigeria, this equally turned him to unofficial RSVP at Bishop Kukah’s Birthday. How this will save the game can’t be known until the ballots are counted!
The institution of the Presidency has shown their intentions not to halt Tinubu’s game but his ego. That institution’s control of the process will surely not be deployed on his side, but on whose side will that be in 2023! Not forgetting the institution played the last Governorship game on the side of Oyetola in 2018 but went neutral in 2022.
Speaking through Garba Shehu, “he who made Buhari the President should make himself the President!
Greater signs of possible pose of neutrality or playing on the side of another was seen during BAT’s attempt to introduce Shettima, his running mate to the President. It is rumoured that it took him 3 days to have access to the President in Daura!
And just weeks ago, the campaign office of Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina became the campaign office for Atiku Abubakar’s Presidential bid, as the donor of the property rumoured to be a nephew of President Muhammadu Buhari decamped with his property to PDP. Katsina is thus showing northern pattern of the understanding of the game of power!
Their preference is obviously from a Fulani man to another Fulani man! One question this series must answer is: who will the institutional conspiracy favour in this game?
The hashtag generation was loud in protest against bad Governance, institutional rot and corruption when it flew #EndSARS.
They must keep their social media handles busy and get on ground not in protest but through a peaceful walk to call global attention to their need for a transparent process.
The understanding that until the process is made transparent, it can’t be free nor fair and their desires for good governance will remain a mirage must inform actions.
With the new electoral law in place, hope of manipulating the process is left to vote buying. The most preferred candidate can only emerge when we all say no to vote buying. #notovotebuying
Reactions on social media must become iWalk action. Your candidate or mine doesn’t have to win, but let who ever will; be the winner indeed. It’s time to work for the Independence of INEC! iWalk!
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