Just before 2007 elections, somewhere in this obodo Nigeria, a man told all his friends that he would be contesting d gubernatorial elections under one party.
His friends who believed in him rallied round him and gathered about N80 million to help him. Unknown to them, his business was on the downward spiral. Those buildings they thought were his were under the threats of being taken over by banks for loans unpaid. The man thought going into politics would save him.
Even if he did not win, contesting at all will place him in a position to bargain for commissionership or something. In Nigeria, that is why so many people, the credible and d honest, the acceptable and the electable, the dogs, the cats, the agbero, etc go into politics. Not that they know they can win or have any plan to change their society. They just show up so they can bargain for lesser positions after losing the elections.
Our friend knew the cash he raised, below N100 million, was grossly insufficient to prosecute a gubernatorial ambition. He would need to move to a highbrow environment befitting a gubernatorial candidate, get some powerful cars for himself and his wife, change his wardrobe, entertain friends regularly, take care of the three arms of d spiritual contractors praying for him, etc, N100m would do nothing.
One night, an idea struck him: the money he was going to steal in Politics, he has some in his accounts courtesy of his friends. Must he waste this cash again?
Five days later, his friends heard he had travelled abroad. He would return three weeks later. Some of his friends who still believed in him began printing posters, etc, believing when he wins or uses his failed contest to bargain for a position in government, he would pay them back.
A week to elections, he was nowhere to be found. No communications with anybody. Elections day, no dice. He was somewhere in d US. At last, he sent a message home, he was ill. And doctors told him to stay away from rigorous things. Ok, send back the money we contributed. He has used it for treatment, he responded.
June 2014: news reached his friends that he was homesick and so desperate to return home. But he is scared of his friends who have now discovered that they were easily swindled by a man in whom they had so much trust. They waited for him. No news. One day, a call came through from Kumasi that Mr. Politician was in the land of Rawlings, picking up d bits and pieces of his life.
His friends are now planning how to storm Ghana to bring him back home to face the raucous music of betrayal!
Things happen in Nigeria in the name of politics.