By Bisi Lawrence
For those who have often found it comfortable to seek cover from serious discourse behind the mantra of, “Don’t heat up the polity”, the time is up! Election time is here, and the criss-crossing of political animals over party lines for the purpose of seeking comfort zones for themselves, has created a friction that is generating a rising heat allover the land.

The action has been warming up openly for quite some while, with little regard for the time-table set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. The Commission itself crossed some unacceptable lines by attempting to create more polling booths in certain parts of the country, thus stirring up the ire of various elements within the polity, even across party lines.

From the North to the South, from the East across the land to the West, declarations of the intention to take part in the forthcoming elections are the order of the day. In some single constituencies, the tally of entries for some legislative positions is in double figures; and we are still talking about distinct political parties whose members are vying for preliminary nominations. In detail, for instance, that is saying that for a particular senatorial district among the All Progressive Party (APC), or the Peoples ‘Democratic Party, (PDP), more than ten candidates would have each presented himself, or herself, to be considered as a flag-bearer for the party. After that would then come the battle royal itself at the election theatre; but first, there must be the necessary opening clash within the house. That is the drill.

The posters are now mounting up in all their fascinating colours depicting the logos of various parties and partisans. The newspapers are already running lengthy and scintillating advertisements. The television screens will also soon be awash with glorious productions indeed, there are already some associated with President Goodluck Jonathan, featuring whole dancing troupes and articulated comparisons with acknowledged world leaders.

Frankly, one finds the extent of these promotions somewhat embarrassing in some cases where they almost assume a caricature profile of their principal, especially when some claims that stagger at the approach of well-known facts are pronounced. The depth of sincerity is thus minimised, especially as the credits add little to the value of the intended pr6motion. But what makes the urgency and intensity a bit off-colour, is the fundamental fact that this is one candidate who has no opposition within his party. The PDP has actually granted the president a full and incontestable endorsement within the party. If a campaign would still be made, as it should indeed be made for the actual contest, should all this campaign not wait a while for the bell?

That is a question that may be answered, at this time, by the simple fact that the action starts little more than two months from now, though the campaign has been under way for quite some time now. But there may be a little subtle implication here to do with the entry of the president into the contest. He had only indicated his interest by sheer body language – and how! – all along, without any formal declaration. While he attended election rallies that were held for other members of the PDP for one office or the other, he was careful not to be fully involved with any which directed concerned his own candidacy for any position. So that he could not have been said to have declared his intention to contest for-a second term until when he actually picked up his nomination papers in the past two days.

There indeed had been an issue about his promise not to present himself for a second term at the inception of his first nomination for the presidency after he had served out the incomplete term of his predecessor, the late Alhaji Umaru Yar’ Adua. He had denied that claim totally all along. There were said to be documents to support the allegation, but they are yet to be revealed. But even if some credit could be adduced to it, President could still stand clear of the indictment that he had presented himself for the presidency this time around, because it has been amply demonstrated that he was practically drafted into the contest. Tenuous as that may seem, it can stand with some props provided by party “faithfulls” and officials especially, since as a mere promise, it is not justiciable. All the same, a “Declaration Committee” as constituted by the president, appears totally superfluous, even less than the icing on the cake.

President Jonathan would seem to have little to fear from the electorate in the Southern part of the country. His chances may run into a little storm in the North which, ironically, seems dominated by his party, the PDP. Where he would have had a serious problem was with the defection of some PDP governors from the North. The leader of the dissenting governors then was Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, the Niger State Governor. A formidable adversary, he is affably articulate and cerebral with sterling qualities of a born leader. However, when five of the seven governors defected from the PDP, he remained behind. If he had left at that time, it would have been to swell and stabilise the APC opposition. He would have been able to retain some of the defected members of the PDP who later returned to throw the perceived APC majority in the House of Representatives into disarray. This would have been Babangida Aliyu’s moment of glory. His hesitation or diffidence, at a time when he could have “taken the flood” while it served, has now left the APC in “shallows and miseries” … (with apologies to Shakespeare’s Cassius in Julius Caesar.)

So with the field left wide open on the side of the APC, consider the “talents” that are in view. There are only three so far. Atiku Abubakar, twice Vice-President to Olusegun Obasanjo who was once considered the strong man in the government ensemble of Obasanjo’s first civilian administration. His position had become pitifully eroded when he later entered the list against Umaru Yar’ Adua who saw him off. His story has since then been one of going and coming with little rest for consolidation in between. Then there is Muhammadu Buhari, a former Military Head of State, who said he would tamper with the press —and did! Then there is Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso who avers that his bid for the presidency is in response to a clarion call from Nigerians. He is no doubt an honest politician and stands to be taken seriously by those who urged him into the contest.

Make all that the overlay of a country-wide contest of strife and irreconcilable conflict, contention and perverse dissention, and then talk about not heating the polity. All we can hope for is that we do not set this nation aflame. Those who have a further term to serve in any office are girding up their loins for consolidation. Those who are pursuing the lure of a fresh position are poised for aggression. Highly-placed officials are resigning to seek for greener pastures.

The farce of an actor openly obsessed with a role but is depicted as a reluctant proponent has been played out; two-time losers who once had the palm in their grip are set to recall what has been washed away in the limbo of missed opportunities; and the appeal of newer pastures beckons on a fresh entrant into the arena.

The polity is in the throes of a growing heat. So, let the games begin.