By Abdullah Tijani
No doubt the famous reckoning day had finally come – as large a number of people looked curiously and submissively. Anyway, the situation seemed they have gotten more chance to prepare for either heaven or hell. Oops! It’s just a semblance of such in Danfodiyo university, here in Law Class 3 (LC3) of the faculty of Law. One had option than to think of such, as on this day the class got filled to the brim sheerly – students relying on their reading materials. Meanwhile, I chose this class on this day not because of its accommodating strength, though it’s my faculty, but it’s also the favourite of all freelance readers. Not to exaggerate its features, its fanning ventilators is potent enough to challenge non-students of this faculty to a marathon reading contest. Whatever the attention-getting features, the merrily reading of the day was like the dark ages festivity – as both law and non-law students reading and chuckling to their papers.
Among those that were in class on this day is this reporter, it was just a day before election, we were there reading for the test of one of those lecturers who wouldn’t care whether there is going to be an election or not. Suddenly, a troop of students entered – shouting and bellowing “Of the Great Nigerian Students.” The leader of the bellowing troop, needed not that much introduction, I thought. Yes! I mean in his faculty. He is called Aluta Last Born – SU newly elected secretary. His voice above others sounds like the broken of a gramophone, while his right hands raising simultaneously to weigh the pitch of his voice. What has happened to this man’s inner head? How erred had he to deserve such a non-responsive audience? Perhaps the fear of the expecting test is the beginning of wisdom. And who knows, perhaps the people led in by the believed-influential SU Secretary appeared strange. Well! That’s never my problem.
Ever since the Secretary lodged into the class, the presentiment that came to settle on my mind was that, “what has brought SU secretary among this people?”. Believe me, I was so afraid to think it was just for a campaign of an ordinary Law faculty election. Ordinary? I became confused at the sight of power seekers who looked strangely familiar. Mind you, it was the day which preceded the election.
Before the end of my premonition, the amiable SU Secretary started talking “Good day Ladies and gentlemen, I’m Sulaiman Auta, popularly known as Aluta Lastborn. I’m the current Secretary General of the Students’ Union,” as if somebody muttered to his ear to remember marking the heavyweight of his introduction with dot, he paused, then continued, “I’m here to present my candidates to you. I want you to vote for them. I promise they will not disappoint you.” I thought I heard something different from this. Was anybody there to foresee any disappointment? Or what’s he trying to say? What’s he trying to gain? It’s hard to contemplate.
You won’t believe these questions paved way for other questions. Such a question like “wait, did he stop there?!” Yes he did. A question and answer, both in my mind. A student beside me giggled like those anti-(progress), then managed to murmur, “can’t they talk themselves, or you’re their father?” That’s too blunt a question. But as if this student knew what had been on my gentle mind. “Yes their god-father,” but I later realized his bluntness was potent enough without my complement.
But has anybody ever thought of this? Politics in Usmanu Danfodiyo University is just like politics elsewhere in Nigeria – where godfatherism has overshadowed the real politics. In a political spectrum where godfatherism strives, real contestants are rarely known — rarely seen and barely identified — but the grace of their godfathers illuminates their way. This is exactly what happened inside Faculty of Law, where election was held without featuring the candidates.
“Any question for the candidates?” As if a donkey years barren women just conceived, that’s indeed a happy conclusion from our amiable Secretary and there appeared a need for rejoicing questions.
A minute of cemetery-silence hovered the class, students were trying to identify who and who those candidates were, just to get mix and match questions.
“Greeeeeeeeeeeeeat Nigerian Students” another bellow from the SU Secretary. It came too political. And seemed like an interruption to the dead silence inside the class. Like the first Great-Nigerian-Student deceitful aluta sloganeering — the one that got no response. Still, as if no serious type among students gave attention to such. “What’s my business in being the first to ask questions”, I intoned, but right at the middle of the first row, somebody was raising a hand above his short height.
“A question for one of the aspirants, ” the student stitched the grammar with courageous needle.
“My question goes to aspirant for protocol director,” he directed his attention to the men on the podium. “You are contesting as our representative, and your master said you will not disappoint us, but you were once the sport director and you disappointed us. Do you think we will put our trust in you again?” What a contrasting question from a gentlemanly face.
The questioner had asked a very good and important question. The aspirant to the post of protocol director was the former sport director of the faculty. And according to an explicable piece published by the NEWSDIGEST, titled : “#50 Pure Water For 22 Players,” which explained how this man organized a tournament as sport director and suffered the players with dehydration. The write-up exposed how #50 pure water was budgeted for a whole 22 players on the field despite the allegedly estimated #25,000 paid by the participated classes at the competition.
Surprisingly, the questionee — former sport director — could not shiver, but was just stuttering. From his facial expression, one could deduce that if it had been possible, he wouldn’t have come to campaign talk more of being asked such a question. He was already naked at the market square – neither could he run nor hide, so he talked.
“I was not the sport director only to represent your class, I was representing the whole faculty,” somebody breathed to him courage and he answered.
Nevertheless, the question seemed needed a recap, perhaps former sport director has misunderstood the question, or the fear that gripped his mind made him give let-me-just-talk response. Or was he evidencing the claim that the former sport director has a bad legacy? Until now he has not accounted for the estimated #25,000 supposedly paid by the students. The director has claimed it was not enough to buy a sustainable water for the players, and one godfather just called him “my candidate.”
I was made to believe the former sport director could not have come out on his own — knowing the kind of reputation he has — perhaps, for this reason, he had run to the wall of securing a godfather; Aluta Last Born – someone whom he thought has the Jagaban-like influence to get him into power.
Getting the dice well tossed. It’s true that the campus has a high concentration on the secretary of the Students Union. This is why Aluta Last Born sought to use this as an influence, and to influence the voters to vote for those candidates of his anointing oil responding to sokoto sun on their head.
He wouldn’t have interfered in the Faculty politics. This same faculty is lucky to produce the president of the Students’ Union too, but he has not been seen involving in the faculty politics. Comrade Kalgo, in a report, abruptly denied endorsing a candidate during the last SU election. These are responsible leaders who want students to vote without anyone’s influence. But does anybody saw the action of our SU secretary as worthless and irresponsible?
It is not a myth, neither unnatural, but the truth is that the birth of ‘god-fatherism’ is hovering on our campus politics. Fearing a defeat, and running to a person which we think might have enough influence might not be a good political strategy, but a menacing emergence of god-fatherism. The effect would be to keep a wrong person in a right place.
In order to ascertain the fact, this reporter directed his question to the SU Secretary. “Are you trying to use your position to influence the voters?”
“……” but the refusal of the sprouting god-father made the question hovers in the air for another day. Perhaps, if anyone sees him, he can help ask him again.