ater that evening…..

"How did it go today?" I asked Uncle Sunny as he sat down in depressed mood.

"Fine, excepts this senator! I told you that soon him will sen (send) for me. He wants to be the only light in our land. Good leadership, he will not give. Encourage others, he will not. He just sit (sits) down there, cornering everything meant for this district for himself. Road contract, bore holes contract, electricity contracts, election contract, even those that will be whatever, in our land (political office) is contraaated (contracted) to him. It is not fair. What do we get in return, poor leadership, big cars for himself, bigger houses everywhere? Changing women like wrapper. He is building another mansion near his old mansion. I ask for what purpose? He should at least let some pass him by. Are we not human beings too?"

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"What has he done lately?"

"Some body told me this afternoon that he (the senator) has heared (heard) of our plans and that he is very, very mad and has sworn that it will be over his dead body can we win."

"What does that mean, uncle?"

"Ah, it means a lot in this part of Nigeria. In Isiala Mbano and the entire Okigwe! Whoever, the senator wants to go, goes. That's why I suggested earlier that we join the PDP and may be try to run on PDP ticket. But even at that, we must first cross the almighty senator's hurdle."

"The senator has a lot of clout here, why is that?"

"Money, my brother, money. We must go to see him. We must. Or at least send a prominent Eze to go talk to him. If he won't support let him not disrupt."

"But what can we do right away?" I asked literally trembling.

"He puts a price on every poelitical position in our land, from councilor to the governor. Even, even to Abuja inclined appointments such as minister and heads of parastatals. Membership of the board of any federal or state office, he has a hand."

"Do you think we can buy him to our side? Other than money, there must be other reasons for his scary strengths."

"If we were not from the same ward with him, we could have bought him right away. I know his price. It just happens that we are from the same ward and he will not allow any light, beside his to shine here. Yes, yes, his other strength is his Benin Connections."

"What Benin connections."

"His paternal uncle is the head of PDP nationwide. Chief Imohimi Anenih. He achieves his power through him. He speaks their language. He is more like them than like us. Don't you see his tribal marks? They looks (look) like those of his paternal uncles."

"You mean maternal uncles?'

"No. I mean paternal. I know what I'm talking about. But let's not get there now."

"And so. Why are there not many people here standing up to him, like I asked earlier?"

"Aside from the lack of jobs and poverty in the land, the people are also scared of their lives. His uncles, - they are great medicine men. They can do any things to stay on to power. People have disappeared (uncle now talking in hushed voice), people have been shot and people who do not agree have been made to see hail while living! We have a big problem on our hands."

"But it is a modern time. Educated people should not take this thing too far. You present your manifesto, I present mine. Who the people choose will be there. If you are not satisfied, you wait for your turn next time to prove you can do it better. At least that's how I have seen it here in the past. We should be progressing not regressing. We should be matching forward not backwards. I have come to see the rise of my people. The resurrection of the seed! The dynamic symphony of ……"

"Which educated people? How many of them go to school here before being educated any more? Almost all of them (those in power now) did not go to school. From the president down who has HND to the councilor who has primary six! How many of past Nigeria's presidents have university education? The new art in town is for them to sit down at home and university teachers will come and award, no confers (confer) them with degrees. Every 419 in Nigeria now has a master's degree. Most of them are pursuing the doctorates which they cannot defend any day. Most of their wives are now lawyers. Stay at home lawyers. It is now, the in things (thing.) Looks like they're tired of being called chiefs."

"Their wives, stay at home lawyers what for.?

"For their own ego. When you visit them at home as soon as their wives comes (come) out to bring kola nuts, they will say meet Rosaline, my wife, she is a lawyer."

"419ners wives, 419 lawyers."

"A lot of 419 lawyers in Nigeria now. That's why there cannot even be small justice for the small man."

"Even the judiciary is not left out in this jamboree of madness."

"That's true. Nigeria don spoil. It makes me remembered with nosalgia (remember with nostalgia) the days of Azikiwe them. Oh, the days of even Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe. Those were the days. The days when poelitics was poelitics. People had fun. Leaders delivered on their campaign pledges and everybody went about his/her business, happy. Those, days, when there were no poellitically (he meant politically) motivated assassinations. Those days, when poeliticians spoke good English and students quoted them copiously (copiously). Those days when people like you would get any position they wanted in the land just for the asking."

(We were in the midst of this conversation when an aide walked in to tell us that some one was outside wanting to see us. That the person has a very urgent message to deliver to us.)

"Let him come in."

"Yes, Sir, Honorable, I am the APUGA (APGA) ward Chairman for Osu-Ama. My name is Chibike. Meet my friend. Dr. Joe. We have come to greet you. Tell you I "heared" (that you are running to replace Maurice Ibekwe under APUGA. Am very, very excited for the news. I have been alone fighting for the cause of APUGA in this land. PDP cannot continue to misruled (misrule) us. That's why I volontiered (volunteered) my store as APUGA office in my ward. I have been doing it for a while without no support from any body. Until my brother asked me to shut the office down. But I happy well, well, say you have come to the rescue all of us. So I say make I come greet you. Congratulation. Welcome and thank you very much. Meet my friend Dr. Joe Odonus."

"Well done honorable'" said Dr. Joe Odonus bowing gently towards me. "I am Dr. Joseph Odonus originally from Abomey, in the Republic of Benin. I have lived in Nigeria for almost 15 years. I saw you on the TV the other day on the Program One-On-One and I told Mr. Ward Chair, Chibike and he said you are from here and I said I must come to see you with him today. Welcome. I used to live in Idomaland, thereafter, I lived in Ikom then I moved to Yenagoa, but now I live among a great people, my Osuh people. I do not want to say how I met the ward chair. It is a long story. But the short of it is that I live amongst the great people of Osuh-Owerre and I am loving it very much. Every aspect of it. If you have a minute I would like to have a word or two with you outside. By the way, call me Dr. Joe."

"Dr. Joe, are you a medical doctor or a Ph.D.?"

"I am a doctor of the traditional medicine."

"I heal with herbal power and power of vision. I am in the realm of spiritually. I have helped a lot of politicians win elections here. That's why I am here. If we can talk outside I will tell you in full. Do not be surprised. Do not be afraid, I am for real."

"If the Ward chair is your friend, this is my uncle, we can discuss."

"If you say so." (Dr. Joe hesitating.)

"You mean you can help me in this election?"

"Yes, ask Mr. Chair, I have done it before for many people."

"Really?"

"Yes, and if I had not seen the vision, I would not have bothered to come. You can see I'm already calling you honorable. Because that's what you are. It's been ordained. I have seen it. It is you. It will cost you nothing. I'm not here for money. I am a prophet. I work for higher beings. I am a messenger of God and I can't charge a kobo for my work. After you win, if you like you compensate me if not you don't. I am only a messenger. I won't come if I'm sure you will not win."

"Do you know Chief Odenigwe of Umole?" (Interjects Uncle Sunny.)

"Yes, we worked together."

"What of Chief Marcus Olega.? (Uncle Sunny Presses on.)

"Yes, I know all of them, we worked for him. We helped him win in Njaba and today he is a happy man" said Dr. Joe (his innocent looking cherubic face beaming with effervescent smiles.)

"Okay Dr. Joe, sorry the kola nuts came in late. But better late than never. It has already been blessed, so we do not intend to bless it again. We have some drinks here too. You can see we're a bit busy when you came in. Come again first thing tomorrow morning and we will continue this discussion. It is a very important subject. A lot of people are outside waiting to see us in the next minute or so. Thank you Dr. Joe and thank you Mr. Ward chair for bringing him. By the way, Mr. Chair, who is the Isiala Mbano LGA Chairman of APUGA ?"

"His name is Eze Umuokoro." Said the Ward chairman pouring some drinks for himself into the cup his eyes fixed onto that of Dr. Joe. "He is from Eziukwu. He is a taxi driver. He has not been active with the party. In fact if I should advice, I should say, be careful when dealing with him. He is a double dealer. He collects from the PDP and collects from APUGA or any party that calls him. He is very close to the senator. But I will get more information, regarding his secretary. His secretary is a better individual. At least he went to school and understands politics better than the so called chairman. I will come with the secretary when we come tomorrow morning. I may need some money to run around to look for him" he ended, gulping the last drain from the china glass cup.

"By the way, how many wards are in Isiala-Mbano?" uncle Sunny asked the Ward Chairman.

"By the old arrangement, it is sixteen, but by the new arrangement, I think it is over 20. But this election is going to be done based on the old arrangement because federal government did not approve the new LGA created by the state government. Onuimo has nine wards and Okigwe has eleven wards. Total of 46 electoral wards in Okigwe North." (The Ward chairman concludes as he collects some money from uncle for his transportation and simultaneously beckoning on Dr. Joe.)

"Take this one like that. Just work with us, we will work with you and see you tomorrow as early as you can make it" uncle Sunny said, as Dr. Joe and the ward chairman leave."