‘I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them. I was surrounded by extraordinary women in my life who taught me about quiet strength and dignity.’- Michelle Obama

We have had so much rumblings about the Buhari’s visit to the UK. It has whipped the rumour mill to a frenzy. Depending on what was written by the conspiracy theorists; the London visit, did not really happen, he came for medical checks and anyway, the campaign is running out of funds and so on. The tittle-tattle has been going on for so long that, it would be wrong for me not to mention how this behaviour and how it comes across to rational human beings. Sadly, the reality of the situation is lost on those who cannot see sense.

It is becoming painfully obvious that the electioneering is going to be one long gerrymandering mean fest; who can shout the loudest, spend the most money, wear the most colourful attires, pull the most crowd, insult the most, the most incorrigible, most abusive, throws the most blows or cause the most upset and rent the largest crowd.

Election day has been postponed we are told as there are concerns of insecurity and safety of voters. That is the official story and whether we believe it or not, they are sticking to this official line. So now when Election Day approaches, Nigerian lives matter! Pull the other one, I say, Nigerians will have their say whatever time it is. The subterfuge is transparent and to some they had seen it coming. So though it came as a surprise to many, it seems that some had expected that the government was going to but spanners in to the works.

As we hurl towards the 14th of February election, it is becoming fever pitch and almost irrepressible. You could not miss the campaign posters all around the place as several political parties jostle for positions in already saturated surfaces. There have been problems with posters and defacing of opponents’ posters and accusations flying right, left and centre. The posters are on the high streets, highways, public buildings, private buildings and overheads. There are posters pasted everywhere that even one goat seems to be enjoying eating a Buhari poster.

I don’t know about you, but this certificate thing is getting tedious. We need to move on to talk about what really matters; the future of Nigerians. GMB has come out and rejected claims that he did not obtain his school-leaving certificate and as we know, that prospective presidential candidates must have it as a minimum requirement to run for office. The government spin doctors are hell bent on diverting attention away from campaign issues such as unemployment, insecurity and corruption.

A week ago, terror visited France and claimed 17 of its citizens. We watched on TV as France went into lock down and swiftly smoked out the culprits and delivered a decisive action.

I have often wondered if Nigerians understand the difference between ruling and leading. I said this because, the insults and innuendoes bandied about recently regarding level of education; semi-illiterates, Ph.D holders speak volumes. Nigeria needs a leader not a ruler. We are a democratic country aren’t we?

It seems that there is so much polarisation when it comes to the two presidential candidates. I was not expecting the deluge of responses from far and wide. It does not take a genius to know that there is great expectations and anxiety come February 2015. Either way, people seem to have pitched their camp already. We should put sentiments aside and the priority should be for the good of all Nigerians and Nigeria.

“We cannot trample upon the humanity of others without devaluing our own. The Igbo, always practical, put it concretely in their proverb Onye ji onye n’ani ji onwe ya: “He who will hold another down in the mud must stay in the mud to keep him down.”– Chinua Achebe

“You can fool some of the people all of the time,and all of the people some of the time,but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time

Black Friday, cyber Monday and don’t know about you but if the last couple of days has been nothing to go by, then last Thursday is definitely a super Thursday. Well, for our politicians and those who have a stake in their progress or lack of? To be honest, it was predictive; a two horse race. There was a lot of horse-trading, double dealing, political musical chairs and defections. Threats, legal wrangling, and innuendos, bargaining, pleading, begging and blaming.

“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants-” Isaacs Newton

Those that seek evidence that our highest hallow House in the land has badly behaved, must have seen on TV and read in the papers how uncouth and disgraceful they are. Those that still are not convinced, I have nothing more to say to them as they have obviously lost their moral compass. What we saw were grown men behaving like rent a mob and scaling the fence to force their way into the inner sanctum of the House.

Those that seek evidence that our highest hallow House in the land has badly behaved, must have seen on TV and read in the papers how uncouth and disgraceful they are. Those that still are not convinced, I have nothing more to say to them as they have obviously lost their moral compass. What we saw were grown men behaving like rent a mob and scaling the fence to force their way into the inner sanctum of the House.