I heard this statement once from a friend and I wondered what would make him say that confidently. He went on to give me an illustration.
I am a middle class student who can afford a 2square meal per day and sometimes, 3. I’m a moralist and a big political critic at the same time; I follow anything happening in the country and then criticize those events. Nothing passes me and there is almost no political that I do not know about. One day, an opportunity flashes itself right before my face; to run for councilor or chairman of my local Government of my constituency. As people say, opportunity comes but once and I eventually develop interest and pushed into it. I campaigned, made a lot of promises; consciously and unconsciously, forcefully partook in the stomach infrastructure I so much criticized. I played the politics game so well I felt I was already an underworld political controller. I also partook I other infrastructure and flashed my beautiful sets of people posing with people I knew nothing about. The votes must go up; I must win, that was my ultimate goal as I never had any thought about my opponent.
Finally, I won. I came, I saw and I conquered but that was just part one. After I emerged as the chairman elect, I sat down and ruminated on all the occurrences before and after the election. I must admit that I was disappointed n myself for most of the assessment I did on myself. However, the deed had already been done, the die has been cast and no Jupiter can unseat me. My friends were now in categories- just two anyway. The ones that hailed me all the way were my best of friends, if there is anything like that. The ones that tried to tell me the truth, I kept at arm’s length because I felt ones enemies should be kept at a distance.
In less than three months, those things I criticized so passionately meant nothing to me, they were just norms, they were bound to happen. I had forgotten what it meant to go hungry or to be broke or expect money from parents, relatives, and friends and never get it. I acquired properties everywhere but I never really had time to build all those houses. One thing I made sure of is that my family never went hungry, I took care of them. That is how things work.
One can clearly see that it is easy to castigate and tear leaders to pieces but it takes a lot more to take your stand when you are actually in that position.
Corruption has eaten so deep into the system that any saints that enters the dirty game of politics in Nigeria becomes a devil within a short period of time and it is the NORM as we are made to believe.
Only a mad man will be in a position of power and not turn into a devil. Only a mad man will get into that position and not believe some things are just norms. Only a mad man will decide to stick to what is right for the people. Only a mad man can say the truth to the citizens. A mad man and not a mentally derailed man.
Only a mad man can take his stand in Nigeria.
Only a mad man can rule Nigeria.
