Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate, wrote the play, Death and the King’s Horsemen, a gripping tragedy by any account.
The play fused the best in Yoruba culture and tradition with the English medium of theatrical rendition, and made the grim point: you bait tragedy when you enjoy privilege but try to escape the corresponding responsibility. That was the tragedy of Eleshin Oba, the tragic hero.
On November 23, Fate imposed a no less gripping tragedy on Nigeria’s politics. Were it a fictional play, it would probably have been titled Death and the candidate’s party men.
A few days after Wole Soyinka won the Nobel in 1986, Dele Giwa, the celebrated journalist, was parcel-bombed. In his inimitable way, our own WS proclaimed the “celebration turned ashen in our mouths”.
Just as it was in 1986, so it is now with the Kogi election. Though the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared it inconclusive, Abubakar Audu, the controversial All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) candidate had virtually won, given the vote returns.
And then, death — sudden and vicious!
Where does that leave his party (wo)men, on the cusp of jubilation over a stunning return to power despite the late Audu’s controversial image, in a poll not a few described as an election of no choice?
The incumbent, Idris Wada, is a grand failure, from his woeful performance record. The late challenger, on the other hand, was perceived as proud, pompous and overbearing; but was nevertheless credited with the little modicum of quality governance Kogi ever enjoyed since the return to democracy in 1999.
So, as flawed as the late Audu was, his return was to be some renaissance. And from the result, a 16-5 local government rout, just showed how impatient Kogi had become with its gentle but incompetent governor; and its steely resolve, if it came to that, to endure the late Audu’s perceived flaws, just for a bit of his government magic.
But at that critical juncture? Death! Where does that leave everybody?
The ousted Kogi ruling party, PDP: perhaps fake sorrow and tempered joy. Sorrow, because by African tradition, death changes everything, even between the worst and bitterest of enemies. So, even Audu’s worst enemies won’t publicly go gloating about his death.
But tempered joy? Well, Audu might have been close to winning. But with the election declared inconclusive, PDP would fancy new hopes, never mind that the clear incompetence of its candidate and sitting governor would not vanish.
APC, the ruling party-in-waiting: irritation and frustration — how can we be so near and yet so far away? In politics as in football, it is not over until it is over. So, expect over-the-heel conspiracy theories. When two or three are gathered in politics after all, some conspiracies or theories of conspiracy are likely brewing!
And to the polity? A novel constitutional situation; perhaps never anticipated by the drafters of our laws. But though (wo)man is mortal, God the immortal still created (wo)man to be master of his environment. So, the legal arguments, fierce and hot, would blow over. But at the end of the day, there would be some progress, to be cited as legal precedents, in case of future tragedies.
The Abubakar Audu demise on the cusp of personal glory just shows the vanity of life and the supremacy of the Almighty. May Allah forgive him his sins and console the grieving family, personal and political, he left behind.
Even then, the Audu family should appreciate the final grace God bestowed on their patriarch. He exited when the ovation was loudest. Hardball hears Lokoja was yesterday filled with rumours that Audu had risen and would after all take office!
That posthumous charisma doesn’t cut the portrait of the candidate as a repulsive megalomaniac.
Indeed, for Audu, it is glorious beatitude after death.
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