WHEN ELECTION DRAWS NEAR!

I am hardly who you can call a night-crawler. The few things that keep me out at night would be hanging out with friends or days of Champion’s League football matches. However these days, the urge to stay indoors at night is more pronounced. It is because election time is here again.

Election is hardly a friend to the Nigerian masses and yours sincerely is one. It is a time characterized with perpetration of several heinous acts. Need I say that hooliganism and thuggery becomes amplified, vandalism and destruction of properties tends to happen especially between supporters of opposition parties, ritualistic killings also become very common. It is therefore not wrong to say that strange things happen a lot in election time in Nigeria.

Sometime in 2012, I escaped a kidnapping attempt. I was final year student in University of Benin and it was few days from Edo state gubernatorial elections. I escaped that day partly owing to my vigilance and all the learning I picked up from the street while growing up. Most of my hostel mates were praising my ‘sharpness’ when I narrated the event but frankly speaking I believe it was my mother’s prayers that stood me in good stead. Many a person weren’t so lucky and they became victim of election period.   I often wondered what would have happened if the road was not too busy for the driver to pull off in acceleration as he wanted to do or if the central lock had not made a loud ‘wack’ as it was activated but I am grateful to God I am here to tell the tale.

It is often alleged, most politician indulge in fetish activities to secure the mandate of their people. It is always in the rumours of the steep prices they pay to achieve their ambitions.

So when you feel like going out someplace and you will be returning too late in the night, please be watchful and be careful. If need be, pass the night at your destination. Elections is less than two weeks away and less than savoury events tends to unfold and many a citizen could go missing again.

Oluwole.