Editorial note:

(The following constitutes the personal opinions of a concerned elderly Nigerian lady, which had been sent in about a week ago)

 

This 2015 elections campaign should go into the Guinness book of world records as the worst campaign the democratic world has ever witnessed. It beats one’s imagination to observe how men can cook up stories, slander, use very derogatory languages against fellow men, having been oblivious of the fact that elections campaign will last only a few weeks but the damage that indecorums may cause in the mind of our children will linger for the rest of their lives.

What do our children learn from these indecorous people? How to be abusive, arrogant and fight. As a result of the greed for power and the wanton desire to win at-all-cost, the youth is threatening. Is this the Nigeria they have created, no fear, no discipline; today, you call good elders names, tomorrow you become an elder and children will also turn around to call you worse names. As evil solidifies, it attracts worse; if now, the children refer to an elder as useless old man, the coming ones will call you fucking foolish old man, you worthless old thing. I may be in my late sixties then, I will remind the likes of Fani-Kayode, ‘once upon a time.
‘Your mouth dey smell’, name-calling, words our parents taught us not to use while we were growing up, shamelessly, we hear them every day on TV. I ask myself, what kind of jungle society are we building in the name of democracy? What are we teaching our children? It sad, the worst of them all is Fani-Kayode, who is the supposed mouth-piece of a sitting president, a man whose composition and mental stability is only good as a bodyguard for a rich actor or farmer. This man, who was an aviation minister and had nothing to show for it outside being in courthouse, is the mouthpiece of the president. It is sad; a man who rattles like a woman, talks without restrain, all that comes out of his (pardon me to use these words) mouth is insult that runs like an open spoilt tap, how could such a man be the mouthpiece of a president? It is one thing to speak good English and get a university degree, but wisdom is priceless and you can’t get it anywhere except it is in you or you build it with age. I’m totally disappointed in him; ordinarily in a developed society, and with the kind of case he has in court, he is supposed to have honourably resigned. They are simply lucky Nigeria is not too exposed, so they can play on people’s intelligence.

I see the reason why they are saying the biometric machine should not be used. They paid as much as 5,000 Naira for a card, and I wonder how many millions they can buy if they buy only 5 million. That totals 25,000,000,000; how many are they hoping to buy and where is the money coming from? Nigerians, be wise!

This is not a speculation; my electrician was called and asked to go to a certain primary school, where he will meet someone who will settle him. I had to educate him; I reminded him about Jacob and Esau, who sold his birthright for a bowl of porridge. They have agents who ‘mobilise’ people to sell their cards and you hear things like ‘you go stand under the sun for hours, what will be your benefit? This 5000 naira will do a lot for you. Be wise’.

Nigerians should resist any attempt to stop the use of the biometric machine; boycott of the polls may be the way to go. The biometric machine must be used; they can go and think of another plot.

Am sure the reason for haunting Jega is because he is refusing any attempt to dance to their will; it obvious, they must have said this behind closed doors and he refused. They underestimated the sensibility of Nigerians this time around. The slandering of Buhari and all the propaganda never had much effect; then, all these other drama started playing out.

I pray Nigerians hold on stronger. Any man that wants power at all cost cannot be just. How many servants will want to be servants for life? If he had served, made a little money, can start his own business and the master wants him to go use the money to better himself, will he remain? But this servant, which we put in office, observe how he humbled himself, knelt and begged to be voted into office, imagine now how he has become our master and rule over us, intimidating us, turning our youth to area boys (God forbid) while their children school aboard, get the best of education and come back to lord themselves over us.

In one of the first lady’s campaigns, she said ‘make una no disgrace Goodluck, make he come back; he no give una road?’ Who told her that it’s disgraceful to lose an election? What is election? Who told her that stepping aside is disgraceful, who told her that her husband cannot try again if he loses this election? Our leaders’ problems are pride and arrogance.

Who says in a civilized society, that APC or PDP members cannot work in each other’s government if they are good. After elections, are they all not supposed to work for the general good? We need the wisdom of a disciplined good old man to teach us the way out of all this mess.

Nigeria is in a big mess and all that glitter isn’t gold.

Another plot playing out has to do with the party that the court said Jega did not register. There is what I call discretional judgment, I suspected used in O J Simpson’s case. All evidence pointed towards O. J. I followed the case all through, but I’m sure instead of the judges allowing America to go ablaze, judges who followed that story new what happened. Now, let’s liken this case to what is playing out now. This party, does it stand any chance of winning this election? Are they interested in Jega postponing the election again? So, they can reprint the ballot paper? Have they considered the cost effect? It unfortunate this is the best time to liken this situation to the OJ Simpson’s case. If they don’t want to ignite this country, they should let sleeping dogs lie; too late now for any consideration. My dear brother, rest your case tomorrow is another day.