Greed, creed, and the politics of deception, by Folorunso Adisa

A few weeks ago, Alapinni crawled out of obscurity to lament bitterly about being neglected after the electioneering circus. Now, Lalude is trending for the same reason. He too has taken to the stage, not to act this time, but to complain. Loudly. Publicly. He declared his anger over not being paid by MC Oluomo after being paraded like a sacred cow during campaign season, only to be discarded once the feast was over.

That, right there, was the striking moment of revelation. It became clear that these men never campaigned out of conviction. They did not lend their voice for vision, but for vanity. They danced not for principle, but for profit. The campaigns they joined were not acts of conscience, but of commerce. They were not patriots. They were pawns.

And then I began to wonder. How many ordinary Nigerians were swayed by these performances? How many citizens cast their votes, not from personal belief, but because men like these whispered endorsements into their ears? It is painful to imagine how many voters betrayed their own creed to follow the greed of another. All for the shine of borrowed loyalty.

These men didn’t work for humanity. They laboured for cruelty. Their disappointment is not the fruit of injustice, but the bitterness of unmet greed. And that is the real tragedy. Not that they were used, but that they allowed themselves to be used without conscience. And worse, they influenced others along the way.

This entire charade reaffirms a truth I’ve always known. Whatever you decide, especially when it comes to politics, let it be built on your own conviction. Do not follow a crowd you do not understand. Do not be persuaded by the noise of paid praise singers. You do not know what they stand to gain. You do not know the deals made behind the curtain. And you certainly do not know the price they expect you to pay for their spotlight.

Do not allow any actor, any influencer, any self-anointed prophet drag you into the theatre of their self-interest. When the curtains fall and the stage goes dark, they will count their earnings, while you live with the consequences. Your vote is your voice. Let it be your own. And if you must fall, fall by your own compass, not in the shadow of another man’s greed.

Sadly, having been denied their cut by their recruiter, they now peddle President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s names from scene to scene, hoping someone somewhere still finds them useful. It is a shame…