The Electorate
THE PEOPLE HAVE NOW cast their votes and were waiting for it to be counted and the results announced. This year’s election was the most contested and interesting in the political history of the nation. It brought about political enthusiasm among the electorates, especially the youths and has caused a paradigm shift in the nation’s politics. The nation is not a newcomer to politics but the events that has occurred within the last one year has caused an irreversible change in the political environment, things were no longer the way they used to be.
Change, they say, is the only constant thing. But Humphrey was finding it really difficult to deal with the changes that has occurred in his life within a very short period. If he had been told a year ago that this was how things would turn out to be, he could have sworn on his late father’s grave that nothing like that could ever happen to him. Humphrey went to the polls with mixed feelings, he was happy to go and cast his vote for his conscience to bring about a change in the way things used to be in his country. He was sad because he had lost the love of his life during this same period — she didn’t die, he and Sandra had a heated argument over her choice of candidate for the upcoming election, this lead to their breakup. A relationship of four years was cast aside because of the polls.
Matilda’s roommate and best friend, Rejoice has become a stranger overnight. They no longer talked about stuffs the way they used to. They no longer go out together as they used to. Even cooking together has become a rarity. Their friendship took a downside after Matilda became a card carrying member of a new political party. At first her best friend, Rejoice was okay with her withdrawal from the activities of the political party they’ve both supported and gained from since their days in school at the Student Union Government. She had told Matilda that this her new-found love in a political party whom hardly anyone knew about until recently would die a natural death. A political party whose principal receives special advice from a lunatic. But teasing gravitated to jealousy and finally hatred after Matilda became a card carrying member and wouldn’t ever stop talking about the prospects of her new political party. To make matters worse, Matilda’s party gathered momentum and disturbed the ears and eyes of everyone daily. Their friendship eventually petered out.
Baba Thomas whose favorite tenant is Matthew, began to give him problems. He was receiving reports every now and then from the other tenants about his strange behaviors. Baba Thomas believes that everyone is supposed to mind their own business irrespective of what they see their fellow tenants doing or whoever they came home with, after all they are all adults. But after so many reports, he came to observe the issues on ground by himself and he noticed that Matthew who has lived peacefully in his compound for almost a decade, now began to show signs of thuggery and was harassing the other tenants. After making inquiries, he was told that Mathew started exhibiting these behaviors at the onset of the election campaigns. Baba Thomas called Matthew aside and spoke to him about the recent reports asking him to be considerate and not become aggressive towards others because they have a different political ideology from him. Matthew listened with rapt attention and promised to change for the better. Baba Thomas left the compound assured that everything was going to be alright. Matthew’s house rent would soon expire and the money to renew it isn’t yet in sight, the economic situation in the country was touching everybody badly. Putting on the blue agbada he got recently from one of the finest tailors in the neighborhood, Matthew decided to go to a town hall meeting, different from the ones he has been attending, perhaps a share of the National cake could reach him here.
Jonathan wasn’t finding it so funny after his friend and business associate of many years began to avoid him and take businesses elsewhere. They had worked hand in hand executing many projects over the years and both men were very good at what they did and they working together always produced something beautiful. Daniel was the one who had most of the connections, he always brings the work to his associate, Jonathan. But recently, he began to take his businesses elsewhere because Jonathan was bringing too much of political talks into their business. He even once accused him of kissing the asses of politicians just to get contracts. Daniel felt bad about this accusation from his associate who also benefits from all the contracts he has hustled their way over the years. He felt that both of them were the same no matter how his associate tries to paint himself a saint. Jonathan felt that it was unnecessary to always succumb to the caprices of corrupt political office holders just to get a contract from them. Men who lives abroad but are willing to sell off the nation’s assets to the highest bidder for their own gains. He knew some of the things his associate has to go through to get those juicy contracts, he knew that the processes weren’t so straightforward, he also knew deep within himself that he cannot stop eating from this table of unscrupulous men, yeah they were corrupt and the corruption puts food on his table and pays his bills. Jonathan was only accusing his associate of kissing asses because he wasn’t the one doing so, he’d have licked them.
Bridget couldn’t take it anymore, she was tired of the relationship. Her boyfriend, Collins never misses an opportunity to insult her for negligible things. At first she thought that this was just one of his weaknesses but then she saw that he worsened over time and is unwilling to change. He may never have raised his hands on her but the words from his mouth pierced her to the quick. They caused more harm than any slap would. Who said words don’t hurt?! Their relationship took a downside after Collins started insulting her of being broke and leeching on him. He had hurled all kinds of insult on her before but he hadn’t done anything like this. He always got her whatever she needed and even some of her wants, it felt so hurtful that he was now treating her this way. Her choice of political candidate worsened the situation, he accused her of being broke and yet supporting those who has built a system that has continued to impoverish her. Collins didn’t mind his words, to him he was just saying his mind and spilling out things he has been bottling up for so long. His relationship with Bridget felt as though he was taking care of an orphan. Her choice in politics irks him, he couldn’t stand it anymore, he was just finding ways to push her out so that it would be as though she’s the one that left. He wondered what he was doing with a lady who couldn’t make a down payment for a roasted corn.
After the election there were a lot of broken hearts, broken contracts and broken relationships. Best friends became enemies over political candidates who didn’t give a hoot about them. Lovers became separated over their support of different political parties. Business associates now distrust each other because during the campaigns they ruffled each other’s feathers roughly. Neighbors now repulse each other because each had a different ideological perspective on candidacy. Things were no longer in place, they have fallen away from each other. Just because of the election.
