By Emeka Obasi

Drama adds spice to Fourth Republic politics, some of these actors who found themselves in power may be in the wrong room. We need to take them beyond president Muhammadu Buhari’s ‘Oza Room’. Nollywood needs new faces.

My brother, Dino Melaye is a Geographer. I am so sure he knows about  Marco Polo and his travels. I need to introduce the former senator to a branch of Zoology called Paleontology. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan could help me out.

Sorry, I forgot Dino was one of those who brought bad luck to the ambitions of our former president. The Otuoke shining light will not be in a good mood to offer any lessons. Jonathan must be tired of Nigerian politics now.

Alright. I will read up Prof. Sanya Onabamiro. He was more educated in Zoology and his family has a place in Nigerian History. Justice Dolapo Akinsanya, the brave Lagos High Court judge who on November 10, 1993 declared illegal, the Interim Government of Chief Ernest Shonekan, was Onabamiro’s daughter.

One of Prof. Onabamiro’s sons, Ayo is well known to my family but that relationship came long after I read his dad’s piece in the Daily Times as far back as the 1970s. The Prof. was also a politician in the First Republic and served as Regional minister.

“The study of dinosaurs,” according to Onabamiro, “how they lived and bred and how they disappeared is a fascinating branch of  Zoology called Paleontology. One dinosaur called Diplodocus whose body weighed as much as those of two elephants put together, had a  head which was not bigger than that of a goat. So the bigger they grew, the more stupid they became.”

Some Nigerian politicians are like Diplodocus. And quite like dinosaurs, need to be reminded that the power and gragra they flaunt today, will not last forever. You do not find dinosaurs anywhere in the modern world. Onabamiro directed inquisitive minds to the Science Museum at South Kensington, London for fossil remains.

Melaye has been to London, I would not know if he dined with the Queen or shook hands with the King. Presently, he speaks for the Atiku Presidential Campaign. When Mr. Peter Obi ran with Alhaji Abubakar Atiku in 2019, Dino was cool.

Obi lost his cool at the Arise Town Hall Meeting when Dino did it again. You know, the photograph that comes to mind is that 2010 shot when a member of the House of Representatives addressed the media in rags. Dino it was whose agbada turned to rags following a battle.

Dino and his Progressives waged  war against Speaker Dimeji Bankole. The former was backed by my buddy, Independence Ogunewe, now late. He apparently did not know that Ogunewe came from a military family that produced Col. David Ogunewe whose son Jack, rose to the rank of Major General. And Bankole was at Sandhurst.

At the end of battle, Dino was a sorry sight. Bankole and Ogunewe were not bruised although the latter joined Dino in suspension.

Obi does not fight dirty publicly. It is obvious that his Obidient supporters have adopted him as the new leader in town. Obi does not sweep, he mops. Umbrella is not enough for him to keep downpour away. He wears raincoat.

One strange development is that anyone who tries to embarrass the Labour Party Flagbearer in the open suffers calamity. I would not know if it is because Obi’s family is full of Reverend Fathers and Reverend Sisters. I am sure Obi is no saint. There is one Saint Obi in Nollywood. Dino has a mentor waiting already.

Sure, Dino will make a great actor. We all remember how he journeyed to Bourdillon to taunt the Jagaban. I understand MC Oluomo was overseas at the time. Dino also threatened to beat up Senator Oluremi Tinubu. This can only be a movie scene.

Dino began to act in 2007, as a member of the House of Representatives. He defended embattled Speaker Patricia Etteh. In the process, Aminu Safana died. Dino spent eight years in the House and moved up to the Senate.

These past three years, it is like expiry date is staring Dino in the face. Things have gone beyond clowning as the first to wear academic gown to the National Assembly. Smart Adeyemi took the Kogi West Senatorial ticket back and Governor Yahaya Bello has the key to Kogi.

Dino needs to go to GYB. We can make a case that the ex- Senator attended Abdulaziz Atta Memorial College, Okene even if Dino does not have the Oxford Culture of the one -time Secretary to the Federal Military Government. General Yakubu Gowon wept openly when Attah died in  1973.

I have not seen Dino cry. He took on Col. Hameed Ali, Comptroller General of Customs. Not long after he lost his seat in the Senate. He played hide and seek with the police, doing more than Jantamanta in an Indian movie. The cops grabbed him.

One Obidient told me Dino was Obedient to Etteh, the woman lost her job. He was Obedient to Bukola Saraki, now he is Obedient to Atiku. What he did on that day on the This Day Arise show was to be noticed by Obi.

That is politics. Dino is a unionist and may end up labouring for Obi. Peter Obi is a Big Masquerade.  He is admired by multi millions. Come to think of it, since Atiku stayed away from the debate, his Otimkpu had to act. Mr. Melaye cannot be tired of shouting.

I like Dino. My fear is that for calling Shetti Bobo Grand Commander of Bandits, he may be unable to visit the upper North, his birthplace. In Lagos, those boys are waiting to serve him Alaye Bitters. This man could disobey Atiku and join Obidients.