“Ye gods, it doth amaze me, a man of such a feeble temper should so get the start of the majestic world, and bear the palm alone.”
This is a quote from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar where Cassius the conspirator was enraged against how a weakling-turned emperor of Rome, Julius Caesar, suddenly becomes a ruthless despot whose mere mention of his name alone sends shivers down the spines of Roman citizens.
Cassius succinctly reminds us that only weak humans are wicked, insensitive to the plights of others, ruthless, oppressive and lawless. Strong men and women with character are humane, empathetic, selfless and caring.
He trails the story of Caesar’s upbringing and informs that he was a near-weakling who is unable to engage in common competitions amongst the young men of his days. Again, each time he falls sick, Caesar behaves like a toddler.
The chief conspirator, Cassius also wonders how the universe will put the rulership of the majestic world (Roman Empire which ruled the world at the time is referred to as the majestic monarchy) into the palms of a man who could not compete effectively in common youthful sport because of obvious weaknesses.
But when he ascends the thrown of power, Caesar promptly forgets who he is, and banished citizens albeit arbitrarily to the chagrin of the Romans.
The story of Caesar is compared here with that of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu. Before his ascension to the Aso Rock Villa, Tinubu lacked the necessary ingredients that could persuade majority of Nigerian voters to elect him as President.
His All Progressives Congress (APC) had become an outcast in the hearts of citizens due to the misrule of his predecessor, Mohammadu Buhari. Tinubu was embroiled in a messy drug scandal in the U.S., his real age was in contention, his academic record was in contention, even his real identity was contested. The Nigerian fundamental law book forbids such an individual from contesting the presidency of the Federal Republic.
At the election that brought him into power, the electoral body INEC could not account properly for how Tinubu was able to defeat his powerful opponents, which ended up in controversial litigations. Again, as with Caesar, the gods gave the presidency to him.
On his first day in office, Tinubu removed the age long fuel subsidy, which has caused citizens untold hardship. Tinubu floated the Naira against the dollar, which reduced the purchasing power of Nigerians. He also banished the elected governor of Rivers State Siminalayi Fubara from his office and replaced him with a Sole Administrator. Tinubu is allegedly using coercion and the EFCC to force Nigeria into a one-party state, tacitly killing opposition parties. As it were, he is transmuting into an emperor, a ruthless emperor ruling Nigeria at his whims and caprices.
Now, his son, Seyi Tinubu has followed his father’s footsteps, getting himself allegedly involved in the affairs of the organized Nigerian students’ union in his alleged quest to govern Lagos come 2027. Will there be a conspiracy, as with Caesar? Or what other options are available to Nigerians?
As in our usual manner, we serve you all the befuddling issues confronting our dear country with the hope that Nigeria, will again, breathe a fresh air of democracy even as the politics of 2027 rages. Enjoy the package!
