By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo

The Bible says that on that day of judgment , there shall be gnashing of teeth. Some will embrace weeping and wailing and mourning seeking to soothe their troubled souls. March 28 is a judgment day without the crushing unforgiving finality of the biblical last day.

The day when men’s deeds shall be judged and the judgment of their countrymen shall be their fate. And like all judgments , the implications may fall far and near. There will be revelations because not all obsequiousness and servility mean loyalty. Many will be disappointed. Did the holy book not warn of the futility of putting trust in men? Even chariots and soldiers cannot not be trusted.

Money! Money!! money!!!

Money answereth all things . Especially dollars and pounds. But the heart of man is desperately wicked, and I add , infinitely cunning, and no one can know it. Some of the dollars they have been sharing may have fallen on stones and thorns and will bear no fruit. Some have sold their birthrights for mere mess of porridge but in Nigeria where ‘omoniles’ sell one land title many times to many people, it’s not impossible that some of these political Esaus have eaten from many and different Jacobs.

You can claim you are a cultural organization , make all the noises about self determination and end up a bunch of vigilantes. And before you become totally irrelevant you can grovel at the feet of the master to get some crumbs in pipeline protection contract and declare support for continuity. And you wont be alone. OPC is not alone.

Afenifere, OPC, MASSOB

Afenifere, immortal, puritanical, was once cultural . Now they have emerged from near extinction to embrace continuity. They may not be delusional but why pretend to be speaking for the Yoruba? Pecuniary benefits? Igbos say the flutist is entitled to the privilege of clearing of his nose. But since they are supposed to be men of principle, they had to find the cloak of constitutional conference and restructuring to cover their nakedness. The day when their works shall be weighed is at hand.

OPC appears rejuvenated or rather intoxicated by the flirtation with the sugar laden spirit of continuity and we know that money can destroy the understanding of the wise. If we sympathise with them because the economy has dealt bad cards to many,  what shall will say of people supposedly ‘moving’ for the survival of Biafra who are agitating for peaceful elections without card readers in Nigeria? What have these Matchete wielding men who are , uniquely, the only group, perpetually being hounded and tried for treason , got to do with elections in Nigeria and transformation agenda? MASSOB , like Ohaneze donated their birthrights, ex gratia, in advance, without negotiations. They are so naïve that they are firmly in a ‘lose lose’ situation. Short sighted opportunism. Prostitution , political or otherwise, in being an enterprise of flimsy engagements allows the whore to switch typically superficial loyalties effortlessly. So Ohaneze may never be at the table , they are too shortsighted for such a lofty aspiration , but they have the requisite shamelessness to always hang around every table for the crumbs.

Okupe, Fani Kayode

You listen to Okupe yelling , beating his chest vigorously , swearing that they will never hand over to Buhari , you begin to wonder if Nigeria is his father’s private estate. But if you understand why servants never want their masters to lose their jobs you would appreciate the precarious positions of some of these men. For these agents of fair weather politics , life in the opposition is return to oblivion. And for some it could even be more perilous.

You don’t switch parties, make enemies of your erstwhile friends only to have those friends superintend your criminal trial. Fani kayode is not on the ballot but his political neck is on the guillotine. He has been malicious , relentlessly uncouth and deliriously loquacious . He is entitled to desperation. He was hired like a mercenary, hired despite his short comings, to do a hatchet job. It will not be advisable , though , to fall into the hands of 73 year old ridiculed man who has a reputation for cold, firm , handling of high profile criminal suspects . With Fani kayode , however, another determined potentially neck breaking but shameless back somersault to the APC cannot be ruled out. Politics devoid of convictions, principles and boundaries . Peripathetic jobbery.

Fayose

Lets keep that Ekiti tape aside . One day we may get to know what “ INEC soft copies” really means. Fayose has done his best for Jonathan. Olorun , he has tried. And whatever comes he will take it. The first lady could not put it better when he warned Ekiti people to vote Goodluck so she wouldn’t have to take food to Fayose in prison. Fayose’s fate is tied to Goodluck in more ways than one. If PDP fails on the 28th it’s unlikely he will get a majority in the house subsequently to stave off the sword of impeachment that has dangled precariously over his head since he assumed office. Its one thing to sustain , through violence, the charade of signing ‘bills’ passed by only 5 renegade legislators of a 20 member house but its another to survive a day with in the hands of a non diaper wearing impatient president who is now fairly convinced that you may be a mentally deranged criminal suspect. In the event of a PDP loss, fate has positioned Fayose to cry more than the bereaved. Not of sympathy but of pain and doom.

Rochas Okorocha

Rochas knows that If Jonathan wins he is in clear and present danger. Most political bigwigs in Imo are now back to PDP and are bent on unseating him. Jonathan’s victory will be, for him, a political set back of monumental proportion. If Jonathan wins, the mourning can as well begin for him and his supporters. His good works may not save him from the tide of the momentum that will build against him. Is he in the wrong party? On the flip side, APC will retain Imo and make inroads into the east if Buhari wins .

Rotimi Amaechi

Amaechi’s circumstance is similar to Rochas’. In a sense he needs a Buhari victory more than Buhari. Amaechi, the cat with nine lives, risks a return to life in exile. Where else can a ‘son’ who has been disowned by a ‘mother’ who seeks to skin him lay his head? Accra is always close but London is not afar off. Mama peace whose quest for peace doesn’t not begin at her Okrika hometown is a formidable, relentless and irrepressible force . Mama’s political ‘collabo’ with the ebullient Wike, the erstwhile minister of education , whose speeches bring to mind the humming of a bulldozer and whose eyes always blare with viciousness, has left men of charity worrying for Amaechi. But the Lion of Ubima is not reputed for cowardice. Faint hearted Tele Ikuru , fearful of the future, has sneaked away. Mole or coward or chameleon? That was cold, KGB like. Rivers is on the edge , it’s a winner takes all scenario. Where are the elders?

Bode George

Bode George contemplates life in exile but need he worry? Except the Ekiti matter and Koro can sleep well. But what happens to Brigadier Momoh? He can plead he was obeying superior orders but since that didn’t fetch Mustapha much, I wonder how that will save his endangered career. He may have to swap places with Capt koli. One comes out and the other goes into hiding. For Marilyn Ogar and her DSS , I will reserve my comments. Retirement beckons on many if power changes hands and others will learn one or two things about neutrality and decency. AIG Mbu knows he is exposed. The military chiefs won’t wait but they may have to find Baba’s certificate before leaving and if they can’t, I recommend a “tactical withdrawal”.

Namedina Sambo

Namedina Sambo may head to his ‘hometown’ Medina for more courses in Koranic recitations. A Buhari victory will definitely hand over Kaduna to Malam El Rufai and Sambo will have neither Abuja nor Kaduna nor Kano nor Lagos to nurse his soul. A victory by the ‘Christian crusaders’ may damage irreparably the political ambitions of this “ budding Islamic cleric”.

Father Mbaka

Mbaka has suspended gatherings on the Adoration ground. He claims someone plans to assassinate him. If that fellow wins then he may need a transfer to the Vatican. I suspect he is not ready to go to heaven yet. But if he returned the other illicit gift bag and its unholy contents to Ekwerenmadu, why also return the other cash that had entered the offertory bag? Has that not become God’s money regardless of who the dishonorable donor is? And wouldn’t God’s children in any motherless babies home anywhere in Enugu have need for that money . Isn’t it even true that these monies belong to all of us and more to those children?

Adeshina

Adesina should be retained by whoever wins to continue his good works. But Buruji Kashamu knows his enemies at the hill top in Abeokuta and knows that though they may be old , they are unforgiving. They may ask for Buruji’s scalp and Buhari’s legendary dislike for certain kinds of offenders may compound his woes.

Jega

Jega , whom the ruling party has spent a fortune discrediting, marches on to the finishing line with a single minded obstinacy of a warrior. His officials and materials must arrive polling booths on time before the PDP passes a vote of no confidence on him that day. If the card readers work as planned , Jega becomes a hero. The card readers should work if only to save Jega from his traducers.

Waziri Ibrahim

Ordinarily it should end with a ‘no victor no vanquished’ party. Unfortunately Waziri Ibrahim, died many years ago and left no apostles. Politics without bitterness died with him. The day of Judgment is upon us. The beginning of a new Era.  Oh Lord , apocalypse we want not but peace, power and jobs we pray thee.