By Chido Nwakanma
The elements of the epochal historical drama are playing out in Lagos. Hubris, ego, unforced errors, unforgiveness and humiliation.
Samson is now tied down, his dreadlocks shaved, and his eyes gouged. He is currently part of the political entertainment. His only recourse? Die as a warrior would do, pull down the house and perish with his enemies.
The politics of Lagos is presenting the Samson Option to the incumbent governor. On Sunday, September 30, he gave strong notice that he would not take his humiliation lying down.
It is a tempting situation. For all parties. The only winners, like the Israelites then, would be the people of Lagos. Those who have many grouses against the Governor would be satisfied as would those who despise the dictatorship of the Lion of Bourdillon. Persons seeking tantalising details of malfeasance may also get snippets or full doses.
Samson was not a blameless victim as a proper reading of the Biblical account would show. He gave in to irritation and uttered what he ought not. He grew tired of the persistent entreaties of Delilah to reveal his secrets. Moreover, he should not have married Delilah in the first place.
Our point man in Lagos has so many blames. He acted as a bean counter that he is, checking only the Benjamins for he and his friends and unmindful of the consequences to others. There were prohibitive taxes, levies and charges. I wrote in BusinessDay that he should read up on the women’s riots in Aba and Abeokuta! Then he forgot the Laws of Power, failing to keep his bases oiled.
Now his ego is at stake. Someone wants to take the candy from him, and not from others. Why, he cries? He begged, he remonstrated, he sent emissaries. But the emissaries belonged among those he offended.
His traducer is on a trip whose fuel are hubris and greed. The upstart of yesterday has looked him in the eyes and spoken rebellion. Only taking his place in that elevated mansion would suffice as sacrifice.
Lagos must ensure that Samson does not with one blow avenge his two eyes by pulling down the pillars of that “governance blueprint” of Lagos that has worked in fits and starts but mightily empowered a few. There are too many secrets buried in that blueprint and our man knows where the graves and the bodies lie.
Hopefully, this being Yorubaland, it would not get there. The Yoruba understand the need to avoid a fight to the finish. The Yoruba pretend-fight is classical. Fela Anikulapo-Kuti described it as shakara. The uninformed use pejoratives for it. Plenty of bluster, a few blows to the body, demonstrations and more requiring the intervention of third parties. Suddenly the fight is over.
Continued postponement of the primaries is part of this tradition of fighting from a distance and postponing the final confrontation for as long as possible.
In this case, Samson has an option. ADP beckons as a platform to try and pursue his ambition. He is wounded, but without the chains he will live to fight again.
*Nwakanma, a veteran journalist, wrote in from Lagos
