My Personal Experience With Nigeria Politics!

My personal experience with Nigeria politics!

In 2015 I was among those who were tired of the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, a lot of misappropriation of funds and abuse of offices were taking place behind closed doors and openly. We were tired and desperate for a change.

We wanted anyone else but Jonathan, Buhari came onboard and became the front runner against Jonathan - we were left with few choices but to rally round and support him. I put together an online team and bankrolled a project to sell his candidate abroad.

Buhari won the election and was sworn in, we were happy that a lot would change, months rolled in and out and things were stagnant for a bit, baba became sick - ha! What have we done? Of course the man is old!

I personally had a high expectation that a number of public officer in the last administration would end up in jail! But sadly, they are still free and some of them became members of the Baba’s cabinet! Chai see wahala!

I quickly detached from the Sai Baba’s team and started speaking to others that shared my state of mind, it wasn’t that hard to find! I started writing against the government of Buhari and published a number of articles to call the man out on his style of governance.

Then, leaders in the opposition started reading from me and extending an arm of friendship, it was only natural to accept as we seemed to have something in common.

In the summer of 2017 - I was on a break from work and decided to take a road trip across Poland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany. I decided to use that opportunity to relate with my contacts on ground as they say politics is local.

I started making the calls, speaking to people across parties and those who are not partisan. I was documenting and analysing my conversations and findings with them with the aim to balance my judgement.

This document would be useful to guide me on who to align with, who to trust and who to stay away from.

After much deliberations, calculations and counter-calculations. I put together a team locally and internationally to brainstorm on how I can be useful in making a difference in our community - they concluded I should run for an office and we agreed to vie for the position of House of Representatives! I agreed of course!

By this time - opposing the unpopular programmes and policies of the government of the day naturally pitched me in the camp of the opposition. Therefore, plan were put in place to officially join the PDP!

I didn’t stop at that but continued my consultations either by proxy or directly, I continued to make those calls and started incurring expenses.

Then I stepped back a bit to do some self-analysis! Then I discovered that Buhari is not the enemy of the state but rather someone out there with the determination to stop the business as usual process that has held the country and its people to ransom for decades! Of course, the elites didn’t like this!

I went home during Christmas of 2017 which gave me the opportunity to be on ground and meet a number of people locally. At this time I was still in bed with the leaders of PDP which includes my childhood friend who was practically on the phone with me daily updating me on the protocols and who is who to speak to in the party etc!

Then this meeting happened with my uncle who is a staunch APC leader from waterside, I was there narrating why I departed from Buhari and reasons I am not heading towards the opposition! He made his points clear and shared his experience when he was in government and outside which includes direct experience with the general local people attitude!

I related that experience shared by him to my own discovery and decided not to join PDP but left for Europe without joining any party. I was hoping on a 3rd force and sadly when it came - it was formed and being led by the same leaders we were trying to avoid and replace, so that was not an option.

A number of other parties started springing up but they were too regional with so much online focus and zero alignment to my vision. They were not an option either.

At this point I have decided not to stand in any election considering a lot of factors, to name a few below:

For me to be a successful politician in Nigeria!

- I have to embrace cultism and be a member of various cults 

- I have to be powerful with so much charms etc!

- I have to have the heart to kill or be killed 

- I must be ready to do whatever it takes to gain power

- I must be desperate and willing to sacrifice anything and everything which includes the people I am aiming to represent 

- The people do not matter in any of my decision

- I must have the heart to tell the people what they want to hear and not really the right thing 

- I must see violence as normal 

- I have to be willing to enrich myself and my inner caucus 

- I must take oaths with various power blocs

- And lastly but not the least, I must have a very deep pocket, aiming to occupy any office is very expensive in Nigeria

All these I couldn’t do, my war ended in the university and not willing to engage such path ever again, not at least when I have a choice.

Before I forget - all the Whatsapp groups that were created for the purpose of introducing my person to the community and to allow them interact were all with one agenda or the other. It’s either to get whatever they can get or they were just there as moles of other candidates - very few people have genuine intention about the community and the people.

I decided to bury the idea but rather join a frontline party and contribute my own quota by supporting others that have the abilities to lead. I am not fit for the system.

By so doing, I received not just abuses and attacks from the people that were disappointed from my choice of party but the general people that I was attempting to rescue. Not that I care, but I was shocked!

It was an easy decision to join APC and yet a hard one. The people that would end up as my leaders in PDP in my zone are not exactly poster boys and girls - so it was hard to swallow that as a fact. APC wasn’t doing much as I expected but I later learnt that so many people in and out of the government are working day and night to ensure the government is a failure by sabotaging all the efforts and policies of the government along with propaganda.

I resulted to the formular of the enemy of my enemy is my friend and embraced Buhari once again - it didn’t go down well with a lot of people who know my potentials but I have done my homework before taking that decision.

On the home front - Now active in APC at ward level and there was need to extend to the constituency. I linked up with leaders of the party (You can’t do without them, never). I have utmost respect for them and most didn’t believe that I am not running considering my impact and promotion of the party and its candidates - but I am not. My style and ideology doesn’t fit!

I am now a member of various Whatsapp groups in the state, politics related or community development groups. My eyes became opened to a lot of our challenges, politics behind politics, scheming, plannings and counter plannings - they are intriguing and I can confirm that our people are the enemy of the people.

During the state primary - a lot was going on under the directive of the state Governor, many aspirants and party leaders are loyal to him as a result of their fortune being tied to him. Some of us are free with zero ties to the Governor and our conscience can’t be bought.

No doubt Dapo Abiodun came late into the race but a lot of underground and unclear schemes were going on and the Governor was determined to install his cronies in nearly all positions, even at that! It is what it is I embraced Triple A as declared by the state arm of the party.

The central arm of the party upturned that as not being legal primaries and encouraged all to attend the primary recognised by the central arm of the party - the state arm of the party abstained intentionally, I am in the Whatsapp groups where all these instructions were being disseminated - confusing to me as a newbie but being quiet was the best thing to do.

The primary went on and the party declared the winner in person of Dapo Abiodun, so be it! I am loyal to the party and not individuals. I waited to allow the drama to settle down.

The Governor decided to form a new party with his candidates - I refused to tie my fate and destiny to someone else’s own! I remained in the party and embraced all the new candidates as a family. All efforts to drag me along to APM was not fruitful. I have a mind of my own and too independent with zero greed to engage in “follow follow” The Governor himself is smart enough to remain in the party.

I liaised with the leaders of APC and gave my words to ensure that within my small area, we shall deliver for APC. I have friends and leaders in APM just as I have in PDP. But they made their choice, I am not responsible for that.

As it stands today - I have no regret in not standing in the elections as if I had listened to those words in Poland in 2017! I would have secured the ticket but it wouldn’t come cheap at all! I would probably be in heavy debts by now and would have lost the election and would be on my way back to Europe to start all over again to pay my debt for the next decade!

Sometimes, we must listen to our inner self and believe in our own ability - not what others thinks we are capable of, in most cases it is to their own benefit!

Congratulations to all APC winners today and congratulations to other candidates too for trying, at least some of us didn’t have the guts to attempt.

I must also use this medium to thank the general people for giving the party another chance, many thanks to party leaders for all their sleepless nights and their ability to record a success despite having a hostile Governor who is playing against his own party morally, physically and financially. We are all a living witness to how a sitting President of his party was nearly stoned by his own people!

All party excos and members in all the wards, thank you for your contributions and efforts at all times.

We must join hands together to elect Dapo Abiodun as our next Governor and collectively support our house of assembly candidates in order to have a successful government in place.

Thank you all

Tunde Oluomo