Jungle Party -By Bamidele Joshua

Buhari wanted to preside over Nigeria

He contested against the big Ebora, Yar’adua and GEJ. He lost on 3 occasions. He was zealous, he was loved by the northerners and seen as the hope for reform in the nation. His military regime was hyped and portrayed as one of the best times in Nigerian history since independence.

He cried when he saw the desperation put in play in marring the 2011 election. His tears were good enough to appeal to the average man that sanity could be upheld in his stead.

On three occasions when he lost, he was the flag bearer of parties where he was influential and couldn’t be dictated for.

After 2011, it seemed he lost will to vie for the office again, also due to his accumulating age which was to be above 70 at the next election.

Now came the recognition of all and sundry to see the ruling party as the common enemy. A mighty amalgamation and appeal to interests was necessary to build force against PDP. Buhari’s CPC was not left out in the merger, and here came APC…………

Intermission

This was a merger of ‘good and bad’, the unholy matrimony in solemnization of the hands that have sailed the stagnant boat, the hands that have hypocritically criticised the leaders, those that have fought the powers that be tooth and nail and the seeming ‘saints’. At the altar were these hands joined by the minister in his stained but glittering robe. Everyone saw hope in the marriage as the ruling party was for the first time in the fourth republic greeted with an equal match of opposition. Cross carpeting made the game sweeter and the soothing balm came from the porting of the head of the lower chamber and his core loyalists giving this new jungle party the majority of the house, a seeming threat for the executive body.

Election came and tables turned, now the day is over, PDP is bowed out with the broom. And here came the new ruling party, its rule and strength to protect. Howbeit, every small boy wanted to be a big boy, every big boy wanted to be a big man, every big man wanted to be a big daddy, the tussle for power.

The real game players were good at what they do and carefully analyzed personalities in determining the mode of sailing. It was a game of Lagos being afraid and skeptical about the ‘Gambaris’, for this was Bourdilon’s bigwig particular and concerned about legislative leadership, not in the interests of the nation though. He had seen Afonja’s descendant as a boy too big to be loyal, Abuja was to be controlled from Lagos.

All games were in play and the last man who could make things come to play was Buhari, but for reasons best known to him, for arguments best appealing to his naivety, he won’t play this game. It was beautiful that he was not a puppet of the party or BAT, he was a puppet of no one, the puppet of everyone. He appealed more to the best and fastest gamer, and in confidence of BAT, Bukky won the game.

This was the beginning of the end. The next scene was to have a man known for anti corruption do what he does best. This time not in the interests of the nation but in the vengeful permutations of Lagos boys. To this end, it was time for power to combat power. Where power combats power, the power to decide overrides the power to act.

Today……………
©  Joshua Bamidele (JayD)