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KWARA 2019: THE VERDICT IS IN A BOOK By Ibraheem Abdullateef


Okay the 2019 General elections is fast approaching. The stage is getting set and the political actors are gearing up. Even the spectators who would decide the winners have their ears and eyes wide open to marry the words and dialogue of the political actors for proper interpretations and later decisions. But in this case, the biggest stage of this political drama is Kwara State. Like a much hyped wresting match, the world is interested in the outcome. Since it’s the clashes of the giant; the Liberation warriors against the Continuity Stallions, we would agree the interest and attention is not unmerited, everyone, just everyone wants to see where the pendulum swings. However, whatever innuendos we will give it, the fact’s unchangeable that it’s politics- the cards of the wise that the joker is ever hidden, guarded and unseen.

Pardon me of busybody; I saw a vision yester night, maybe you would call it a mere dream. I saw Lilian and Lallan doing the routine house chores; sweeping the rooms, cooking the food and washing the plates. They were left with two other chores for the day- fetching the water and scrubbing the toilet. One would love fetching the water before scrubbing the toilet while the other preferred scrubbing the toilet before fetching the toilet. This is a free case for two persons, the same assignment but differing methods culminating into an ideological clash. Both agree on the need to carry out the responsibilities but their ways differ…aptly mirroring each person’s personality. If there were another person he/she could have play the referee choosing the way to go. To me, that was not a dream but a vision of what to come in the coming days.

The next few days are pregnant of political surprises so much that the deliverance would open the people’s mouth. No doubt, Kwarans would be naturally torn in between the Liberation warriors and Continuity Stallions, but regardless of die minutes and extra time machineries, the Verdict of the battle for the soul of Kwara is in a book. The fate of Kwara in 2019, I repeat, would be decided by a book called ‘The Past and the Present as a Mirror of Tomorrow’. It’s a political literature of 16 chapters chronicling the ugly past and the regretted present of one of the contending teams. Each chapter is a horror, a perfect description of deceit, betrayal, treachery, ineptitude, injustice, immorality, and ill-leadership, abuse of authority, inhumanity and irresponsibility. Each page carries the pains, wounds and scare of everyday actions and inactions of the readers and the hot, hurting tears is the Eye-opener for the next big decision of trust and belief. The book ‘The Past and the Present as a Mirror of Tomorrow’ is like a sure betting tip, its sure having the biggest betters and the greatest payers. The time would reveal the winners soon.

There’s one such book again, ‘Impolitic: The Political Hunter’s flaw’. It’s equally a bulky, copious book of 16-long-chapters political literature dovetailing the falls and failures of one of the contending teams. I repeat, the Verdict of Kwara 2019 is in this book. Each chapter documents and reveals the lethargy, complacency, inexperience, immorality, desperation and insensitivity of this team both in the past and the present. Each page carries the readers’ fears, worries, anxiety, anger, frustration and disappointments. The inability to learn from mistakes, learn the lessons and play the games of politics the ways of the readers would determine their own fates. The message is cleared but the voice is unheard and the writer is not verse in the subject. It’s clear the chances of winning depends on the political lessons time teaches the team all of these political years. The Verdict is in the level of readiness and experience shown. The time would reveal the winners soon.

Kwara 2019 is apolitical school; and the Verdict is in a book. It's the better learner that will get the good readers - the readers would decide the game.


Ibraheem Abdullateef, a writer and political analyst writes from Ilorin. He can be reached via eggheadibra@gmail.com

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