A quiet Emilokan amidst Obidients

“This is an ‘Asiwaju’ free zone!” “Yes o” There was unanimous chorus of assent by my neighbours.

Ihad just woken one early Saturday and was enjoying an early cup of coffee in my lovely studio at. It was one of 5 ats that had been carved out of a large house in Gbagada Phase 2, a nice location on the Lagos Mainland. The other 4 ats were rented by young, upcoming professionals like me. There was Chike, who worked in the IT Dept of a telecommunications company. Kemi, a hard-working banker. Okey who was progressing in a highly ranked law rm and then, Kehinde who was an entrepreneur trying to push his start up.

We were all in the late twenties to early thirties age range and most of our views – on politics, economics etc were about the same. We all could not wait to get young people like us in positions of power and really turn Nigeria around. In the meantime, we were not adverse to ‘japa’ if the opportunity arose. When Peter Obi announced his candidacy, all of us were in support and became ‘Obidients’. We shared videos and information supporting our candidate and disparaging Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The political fervour was very high and there was a general rousing of everyone in the compound to get their PVCs. Chike was the chief Obidient and he once stood at the gate demanding that we show our PVC before entering the compound. There was some grumbling here and there but we accepted that it was the kind of behaviour was needed to force Nigerians to change their way of thinking.

But I had a secret. I had become a secret admirer of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. I was a BATist. An emilokan! It had happened over the last year. It started when I was assigned by my company, a public relations rm, to take on the task of pushing the agenda of a politician close to Asiwaju Tinubu. I tried my best to avoid it but my CEO, who I respected highly told me that it was the kind of assignment that would propel me up the rm and also make the company closer to the political establishment.

I grudgingly agreed and had the rst meeting with the client. I expected an old man but was surprised when I was introduced to a female of about 40 years old with a faint American accent. It did not throw me off my stride and I peppered her with all kinds of hostile questions in the guise of mastering my brief. She was not defensive. Quietly but clearly, she made her points, responding to my tough questions. I responded with questions which were even more insulting. I was expecting my Boss, who was in the meeting to shut me down but he let me be. Later, he explained that I needed to know and understand the client to be able to serve her better. If she could convince me, she would be able to convince anyone else.

The more I interreacted with her, the more I became convinced that BAT as her candidate was called would be a better President for the country. She accepted BAT’s faults but always found a way to push his competences. Between her so American accent and her persuasive way of deecting criticism in a charming way, I became convinced that Asiwaju was a better candidate.

It was clear that there was no space for any candidate other than Obi in the compound. I became an Obidient at home and a BATist at work! I was tired of ghting on both fronts.

Anytime, I tried to deect some of the criticism of Tinubu at the house, I was quickly shut down. It was clear that there was no space for any candidate other than Obi in the compound. I became an Obidient at home and a BATist at work! I was tired of ghting on both fronts.

Then calamity! Some promotional items for Asiwaju’s campaign were delivered erroneously to me at home instead of at the office. They were dropped with no other person than Chike last night. I just saw a text from the driver that he had dropped the materials with my nice neighbour. OMG!

“This is an ‘Asiwaju’ free zone!”

The tone was strident and it was coming louder to my door….