Adeleke’s dollars and pounds

Speaking at a campaign event, Adeleke patted his pocket as he told the cheering crowd in Yoruba that if it was about money, he had a load of it – and not just in the local currency but also in foreign currencies. What he said translates as follows: “My fellow Osun people, you are the one to decide. It is not by force, not by gimmicks. If it is money, I have brought money and not only naira but dollars, pounds and euro. This time around, it is fire for fire for Osun governorship election.” He was hailed by the crowd as he spoke.

Both the statement by the governorship candidate and gleeful response by the crowd graphically illustrated the extreme poverty of the Nigerian political enterprise. To Adeleke, getting into the governorship office is about how much money he could spend in counterforce – “fire for fire” – to buy his way; and to cheering supporters at the event where he spoke, his bragging was within the norm of electoral contestation and they apparently subscribed to it. Notice: there were no issues canvassed and no programmes articulated by the aspirant as plausible goals he would pursue beyond Election Day, and the supporters (at least those at the campaign event) asked no questions about what’s on offer for the state – their own children and others – into the future.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejoined that Osun people weren’t up for sale. The Director-General of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s re-election campaign, Senator Ajibola Bashir, was reported saying in a statement that “Osun people are enlightened (and) are not up for sale to the highest bidder.” But that is only stating the ideal. Adeleke has money to spend and he will likely find persons available to play his ball. Buying and selling of votes are, however, electoral offences punishable under the law and potential culprits should bear that in mind.