THE TWO CATEGORIES OF POLITICIANS

According to Bum Philips, the late American football coach: “There are two categories of coaches, those that are fired and those that will be fired. The same quote is also applicable to our politicians. Aftermath of the general elections two categories of politicians have emerged in our polity today, those that won elections and those that lost elections.

The first category have officially been sworn in and settling down for the task ahead. Majority of them are the joyful songs on the lips of all, they are the political actors to look upto in the next four years.

The second category of politicians are those that lost out in the power contest. They are divided into two groups. (a) those that lost re-election (b) those their anointed candidates or political parties lost out. The second category of politicians are those that Philip Bum asserted have already been fired.

They have not only remained subject of ridicule. They have been described as epilectic failures whose wanton corruption and financial recklessness impoverished their states.

It was so bad that some couldn’t attend the inauguration ceremonies of their successors. Some that attended were physically assaulted by aggrieved members of the public. While some were not even recognized nor allowed to speak.

After the effluxion of their tenures, most of the fired politicians have not only been relegated from the corridors of power but have began their journey to political infamy.

Before now it was PDP and other political parties. The polity was not favourable for the opposition parties and to avoid the wrath of the former ruling party or to gain favour, opposition parties directly or indirectly began an unholy intercourse with the former ruling party. The oppositions’ meddlesomeness in the affairs of the former ruling party left them without much challenge hence the reason why they chose not to give a damn in the affairs of the nation.

But the March 28th presidential election turned the tide. It bridged the disparity that has been in existence between the former ruling party PDP and opposition parties.

For the newly elected officials, the task ahead is gargantuan, almost all the elected officials inherited empty treasuries and unpaid loans running into billions of naira. They have been entrusted with power to rescue it’s people. But how they will pilot the affairs of the nation and their respective states in the next four years will determine if they would be among the categories of politicians that would be fired or not.

Written by Joe Onwukeme.
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@unjoeratedjoe