TODAY IS SANITATION DAY!
Today is the day that we, citizens of this potentially-great country, are allowed, in theory, once in the long period of four years, to change, or retain, our rulers. In theory, that is. But in practice, our rulers usually decide who to change or retain for us and on our behalf, starting from the so-called […]
Today is the day that we, citizens of this potentially-great country, are allowed, in theory, once in the long period of four years, to change, or retain, our rulers. In theory, that is. But in practice, our rulers usually decide who to change or retain for us and on our behalf, starting from the so-called political party primarys’ elections. Then these leaders oblige us to troop out on a day such as today to confirm their decisions. Generally, that is, except for a few exceptions. And today may perhaps be one of those few exceptions, in sha Allah.
Yes, it is here! The day of reckoning! “Ranaba ta karya,” or “The day doesn’t lie.” Today, it is March 28 – six weeks minus six weeks equals zero! We thank Allah for sparing our lives to see today, and may He do so for many more days, weeks, months and years ahead. Amin!
Most likely by the time you are reading this, you may have already voted for some people to determine, and make better or worse, your economic and political future, indeed almost all your life, for the next 48 months. Perhaps the only ‘future’ you have not mortgaged to some people today is your socio-spiritual; this only being so because your local imam, or bishop, has monopoly. You have just done what you are required to do in the great event of today: voting for a President and members of the National Assembly. So may it be that you, I and we all, have made the right choices. Amin!
Many citizens of this country including, it must be admitted, this Columnist, are not so enamoured with this country’s political system (being the murderous and costly and unethical contraption that it is), one is almost resigned to the fact that, unless there is divine – or other – intervention, we are stuck with it. And in this dispensation, we have been with it for sixteen years. Therefore, may there be a divine intervention today. Amin!
If the various opinion polls are reliable, and some may well be, the Presidential Election seems all but decided. The North West, the North East and a large part of the North Central may be called for the All Progressives’ Congress (APC)’s candidate General Muhammadu Buhari. The South East and the South South, plus some parts of the North Central, may be called for Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate President Goodluck Jonathan. In between the strongholds, there may be mutual ‘incursions’.
Now in absolute population numbers, as evidenced by the 2006 Census and the 2011 Voter Registration and the subsequent collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), Buhari’s APC seems to have the clear edge in the zones it is strong in. But from all indications, the joker in this election is the South West Geopolitical Zone which spearheaded the merger of three parties (All Nigeria Peoples’ Party, ANPP; Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC) plus factions of a few others, to form the APC.
It has been a campaign season that has been most virulent and vehement. The documentaries, the personal attacks, the name-calling, the death-wishes all leave such a bad taste in the mouth. Nowhere else in the world would this kind of reckless insensitivity be allowed without sanction, but this is Nigeria where anything goes.
If things go the way they are predicted to go (and may Allah make things go where they are predicted and expected to go, amin!) there are a few real points that need to be stressed leading to this day, today. Some of these points are national in nature and some are Kano-centric, as this Columnist is reporting from Kano (with its unique political sagacity):
TINUBU AND ATIKU: These two politicians have told the world the world how they have been visited in the middle of the night and in the middle of the day (what can be called ‘lailanwanahara’) in attempts to entice, lure and cajole them into abandoning their party and its candidate. In view of the tremendous spending capacity of the ruling party, as seen in these last six weeks of extension, Tinubu and Atiku deserve salutes.
“NO, THANK YOU!”: Media Trust, our publishers, prides itself with the slogan “No, Thank You” when staff and associates are approached inappropriately by politicians who believe they can buy anyone. I remember that, when late President Umaru Yar’adua was clearly dying, this Columnist (and I am sure many of my colleagues) was approached inappropriately to slant his comments to say Mallam Umaru ‘was in charge’! No, we had said, Mallam Umaru was NOT in charge. And the envelope, brown it was, was rejected. It happened again this time and I must say Alhamdulil Lah, “No, Thank You”!
‘WAKE DA SHINKAFA’ (Rice and Beans, actually Beans and Rice) or ‘SAMA TSINTSIYA KASA LAIMA’ (Broom For President, Umbrella For Others): Here in Kano, it may be safely assumed that the Presidential Election is all but decided, so there is only one real electoral battle today – that of Kano Central Senatorial seat with PDP’s incumbent Senator Bashir Lado against incumbent State Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso of APC. And it is a messy fight. The ‘Wake Da Shinkafa’ slogan is Kano’s unique approach to politics, with precedence. In 2011, despite General Buhari’s call for SAK (i.e. VOTE MY CANDIDATES ALL THROUGH), Kano voted massively for Buhari’s CPC in the Presidential Election, and split their votes almost equally in the Governorship Election between PDP and ANPP (with PDP running away with a few thousands more votes). CPC’s candidate Colonel Lawal Ja’afaru Isa placed a very distant third. After all, the ‘Wake’ argument goes, the agitation is for Change! Change PDP at the top in Abuja, and Change APC at the lower levels!
THE ‘HUMPBACK’ FLYOVER: To his credit, Lado ‘brought’ a Federal Government project – the new flyover on Zaria Road by Maiduguri Road, which President Jonathan had commissioned a few days ago. Candidate Kwankwaso calls it The Humpback Flyover (‘Gada Mai Doron Zabo’), for it is a little inverted V-shaped in the middle. A few days ago, the Governor was on radio claiming the flyover ‘had collapsed’. Next day, Senator Lado was live on radio on the bridge saying the ‘bridge lives’! And six fully-loaded trucks proceeded to cross over. Very real mess!
Despite all this mess, our eyes should be on the greater prize – may Allah will that our wait is over today. Amin!
And here we are, still at Hasbunal Lahuwani’imal Wakeel! (Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the Best Disposer of affairs). And to this we add Inna lilLahiwainnailai Hiraji’un! (We are from Allah, and to Him shall we return).