Perhaps anyone looking for a faultless model of a square peg in a round hole should focus on Shawo South-west Ward in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, where a certain Afolabi Jimoh Olawole made news by pooh-poohing an official declaration that he won a re-run councillorship election. Three days after the poll conducted by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) on August 31, Olawole spectacularly shunned the crown, insisting that it was thrust upon him without merit.
Even more dramatic was his choice of forum for the disclaimer. For a candidate who went into the contentious election ostensibly as a card-carrying member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), it was a sight to behold when he took the stage at a media briefing organized by the rival All Progressives Congress (APC) in Offa to rubbish his own party. Olawole’s performance was not only unheard-of; it was also unbecoming of a loyal party man.
Certain questions are inevitable in this absurdist show: Could Olawole possibly represent the ideal politician that the country has lacked to its detriment? Is he the kind of democratic champion that the people desire? His denial of alleged victory was suffused with the sentiment of divine justice, but he clearly missed the point. According to him, “To me, I know that we shall give an account of all our acts on this earth one day. On that day, there will be no influence from anybody; be it Oba, governor, leader, elder, father or mother; but you will be left alone with your deeds. In this wise, I have resolved not to be a partaker in getting what is not mine from anybody at all in Offa and in Nigeria as a whole.” He added, “In all the eight polling units in my ward, the PDP lost, while the APC won convincingly.”
Evidently, this was a speech for the priestly pulpit rather than the political podium, and it was discriminatory by not taking others into account, individuals of a different mind, especially materialists who dispute the existence of a spiritual world where earthly conduct is judged. Olawole’s overriding logic was simplistic and, in the final analysis, did little to further the cause of democracy. His one-dimensional appeal to spirituality was not only mystifying; it also carried the invalid implication that the non-religious may not be sufficiently moral to do what is right in the realm of politics.
It is important to appreciate that, although Olawole’s argument might sound appealing, it would be unjust to restrict the business of political leadership to the circle of those who claim religious or spiritual credentials. Reality has proved that those who wear their religion like a badge are not necessarily moral exemplars, and it will always be debatable how much the practice of religion influences moral conduct. Perhaps one of the most fascinating ideas about moral behaviour is Immanuel Kant’s notion of “the categorical imperative”, which bespeaks the possibility of moral action based on a rationally defined duty to do what is right. Of course, it is a philosophical issue whether the idea of what is morally right can only come from religion.
So, on two counts, Olawole has the aura of a stranger. First, by his rejection of allegedly contrived political glory, he proved to be in the wrong ring. He must be the butt of jokes among “real” politicians across the country; they would eagerly give anything for political relevance, and would celebrate even the most brazenly invented and undeserved electoral success. In this context, it is significant that only Olawole rejected victory; his fellows, 11 other councillorship candidates and a chairmanship candidate, in contrast, are basking in the glow of alleged triumph in the local government poll. Not surprisingly, PDP disowned Olawole, claiming implausibly that he had crossed over to the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which morphed into APC, and that he was not regarded as the party’s candidate. Obviously, such argument was disingenuous, as the party would likely have kept mum if there had been no rebellion. Furthermore, not only was Olawole listed a the PDP candidate; also, the logic of a re-run implied unchanged candidacy, except in well defined special circumstances. It was scandalous that PDP talked of a substitution after the election, claiming that one Olagunju Olalekan was its councillorship candidate. This move mirrored a party that has no qualms about how it pursues power. The second count: By his sermonising style, Olawole equally demonstrated his oddity. Evidentially, “real” politicians in the Nigerian context hardly spare a thought for after-life judgment, despite their flaunted godliness. For, if the reverse were true, the fear of God should be enough to guarantee near-zero corruption and good governance.
Profiling Olawole is particularly difficult because his background is unclear. It would be interesting to have information about his early life, education, work history, family life and social circle, among other pointers. However, perhaps the most intriguing aspect is the puzzle about how he found himself in PDP, the country’s stifling ruling party. Considering his grand moral standpoint, it is incredibly incongruous that Olawole must have identified with the party convincingly enough before emerging as its candidate in the council election. Is it possible that he was never aware of PDP’s duplicitous politics? Isn’t it said that birds of a feather flock together? Could his new song be an indication of reformation on his part? Or, to stretch the imagination, could Olawole’s presence in PDP mean that the party’s dark image is not without redeeming features? Interestingly, Olawole’s script is reminiscent of a play by the German theatre giant, Bertolt Brecht, The Good Woman of Setzuan, which is about a young prostitute, Shen Te, who struggles to lead a life that is “good”, according to religious standards.
Without doubt, it was a revelatory episode of tentacular dimensions. In the light of Olawole’s unexpected righteousness, the PDP, which is in power in the state, KWASIEC, and even the man himself, surely cannot be beyond scrutiny and reproach in this drama that is at once comical and tragic. It is apt to ponder how much influence the PDP perhaps exerted, how much money possibly changed hands, how unconscionable the formal electoral structures could possibly be, and the candidate’s apparent inconstancy.
It was a welcome demonstration of political awareness and sovereignty consciousness that the people said “No”. Despite the protests, the state governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, hastily inaugurated one of the alleged usurpers as the new local government chairman, while the new councillors were presented to the media in moves that suggested a fait accompli. Certainly, it was alarming and suspicious that KWASIEC reportedly announced a “blanket result” without a breakdown. It is predictable that the protest will eventually shift to the court of law.
With the 2015 general elections approaching, the Offa example gives little cause for optimism concerning the integrity of the electoral system and its operators, and right conduct on the part of politicians.
• Macaulay is on the editorial board of The Nation
