By Kola Animasaun
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human rights.  It is the argument of tyrants.  It is the creed of slaves.
-William Pitt (1708 – 1778).

Dele Alake, former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy went home to vie for the post of senator in Ekiti Central Senatorial District.

In the race, there were Opeyemi Bamidele, the incumbent Information Commissioner, Lagos State and there was Femi Ojudu, a well-known journalist and an accomplished one at that.

The contest did not go as Dele thought it would. He could have used all the tricks in the book – to get all the advantage.  Rather he quitted the race.

In a well-crafted letter he wrote: “When I joined the race for the Senatorial seat in Ekiti, I was motivated by the higher ideas of offering service and quality representation to the people of Ekiti Central Senatorial District in particular, Ekiti State and Nigeria in general.

“I felt that my God-given intellect, talent and erudition and articulation, experience exposure, knowledge and vision would be best put to the service of my people in the National Assembly through a clean electoral process.

“I did not envisage that intra-party primary would degenerate into malpractices, fraud, violence and brigandage.  Given what occurred on Monday (11/1/11) at the cancelled primary in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, I have come to the painful conclusion that it will be an uphill task for decent people with a sense of propriety to be part of many such process again.”

Dele’s experience is typical of some decent people throughout and the length and breadth of the country.  They were typical of PDP and CAN; and, of course, in the Labour Party.

People who had no connection with a constituency were spirited there and were given the mandate to contest.
People who did not do well in their constituency were moved at given safe constituency.  Even those who “paid” for delegates and won were not sure and were not given their “bets.”

We shouted internal democracy and we do the opposite.  And, there are cries for redress in Abeokuta, Lagos, Ibadan, Ekiti and everywhere.  And, that is about to change the complexion of the political gains.  Nigerians are thinking of changing political sides.

I would like to remind Bola Ahmed Tinubu, most especially, as the most promising political leader of the progressives, of three lessons I learned somewhere. It is the story of another Baba Mogba of MKO fame.  I hope my readers will not have forgotten.

When the going was good the drummers were singing my brother, Ahmed Tinubu: O o le se bi ba’re ti nse (You cannot do like your dad).  The drummers, in the Baba Mogba episode were merely admonishing him to be careful. Whereas in this next episode it is for him to behave like the toad (Akere).  It wants him to clear even the impossible goals.

That Tinubu has done and they are singing another one: Digbolu, ko lu; Digbolu, ko lu (Hit him, hit him).  Meaning: Clear everything in your path. Will you be able to do that?  The refrain is higher and higher.

I have always been your admirer.  I would not tell you any lie. You must revisit some of the things you had done.
Otherwise the drummers may drum: To ba buru tan, iwo nikan ni o ku (If it goes bad, you will be severely alone).