Politics is one of the most important acts to ever hit humanity, and should I also say it’s the one thing that has no affiliation or preference. All that it requires is that you know how to play the game, once you’ve got that, then politics would work for you. Probably more than other areas in life will.
Politics is that one thing that will open doors when every other thing slams it shut. With something as simple as knowing the right person, your life can be a whole lot easier. With one simple phone call, you can have something that will take others ten years to achieve, that’s the power of politics.
Some people see politics as something that’s dangerous and evil and something they won’t touch with a ten-foot pole. But I feel like we only feel that way because we’re suffering from the effects of politics, if we were benefiting from it, then we’d be singing a different tune altogether.
Politics is a dirty game, but no one is willing to get their hands dirty for the sake of everyone. So, the ones who will get their hands dirty do that for their own selfish purposes, and that’s just life. That’s why we keep remaining where we are as a country. Those who can make change prefer to wash their hands off politics because it’s a “dirty game”, whereby allowing the corrupt politicians to hold sway. The truth is that politics is not a dirty game or a dangerous one either, the players are the dirty and dangerous ones.
Politics is like a loaded gun that’s been placed on the floor, even if the safety is turned off, the gun is still harmless because as long as it’s on the floor, it’s not shooting anyone. It becomes a danger once it enters someone’s hand. Now, the person would have to decide if he’ll use the gun to protect people or to terrorize them.
Many of us practice politics without even noticing it. We do little things so that we would make certain people happy, and as a result, they would do the same for us. One major political strategy I’ve come to see is this aso-ebi issue. Couples who are about to get married sell customized clothes called the aso-ebi, and as their friends and guests at the wedding, you’re obligated to buy because not doing so could ruin the relationship. Even worse, if you’re yet to marry, know that you must buy the aso-ebi or on your own wedding day, no one will buy yours. In one way or the other, we’re guilty of politics.
So, do I have an experience in politics? Kind of. Back when I was in Lagos, I was an executive in my Outstations CYON (Catholic Youth Organization of Nigeria), and part of our work was to always be in cohesion with the CYON of our mother parish. However, this was never easy because there was always a conflict of interest among both parties. It always took a lot of politics to try and get a middle ground so that one side would not feel sidelined in favor of the other.
Other than that particular experience, I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Although I personally see politics as a daily thing, we have it in us. We would only complain when we suffer for it, but once it’s in our favor, we’ll keep quiet. If I was connected to Dangote and he offered his power to help me secure a spot in the Federal Ministry, I’d probably take the offer, even though there are people more skilled than I am and this act will place me in his debt. I’d be happy that I finally got into a highly coveted position. But then, the story changes if Dangote does the exact same thing to someone else and takes the spot in the Federal Ministry from me.
One thing you need to know is that politics is not racist, or tribalistic, or rich, or poor! Politics is just like money, it answers only those who have mastered how to handle it. These days, people in power play us like ping pong all in the name of politics. They use our tribal and racial differences against us, forcing us to fight each other while they remain in power and grow stronger and richer. And the funny thing is that we don’t even know we’re being played.
This is a sad reality, but there’s nothing we can do. The only thing we should do is get involved with the politics as well. We shouldn’t view it as a Devil’s game and something to run away from, because then only the devils will play the game and with no opposition, the devils will gain power and rule over other devils and all the angels as well.
I know that politics is dangerous, but I believe that when a new influx of minds is pumped in, we’ll have a more cleaner playing field for everyone. Politics in Nigeria needs a total revamp, those already there won’t do it, so it falls down to us to change the status quo. This is not just for us, it’s for our children and those who come after. We need to do better for them.
And then, will I partake in politics if I had the chance? Well, this is something I’ll have to mull over, hehe!
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