Many a time, Bello bellowed at him. He browbeat him to bow. But Muri never mellowed. The atmosphere was that of mayhem, but Muri didn’t muck up. The Confluence City became a confluence of pestilence and petulance. Like in the battlefield, Bello battered and bayed for blood, but he was never charged with battery. He’s the lion. Then, a roaring and prowling lion. Now, a listless and restless lion. But he said he is still the white lion.
The weakest are the strongest; the strongest are the weakest. Short people are hard to beat. As short as they are, they have searing shots. But ‘tall’ people have this false illusion about the impregnability of their ability. Their overconfidence and arrogance usually stultify their critical thinking abilities. They weigh their own strength, but they always weigh their opponent’s weakness. Goliath did this towards David. Pharaoh did it towards Moses and the Israelites. And Bello did (still does) it towards Muri. But all the above-mentioned historical figures were hoisted by their own petard! Bello could be no exception.
The stage was set when a fraudulent primary election was conducted by Bello on the 14th of April, 2023. Before the exercise, the likes of Muri and Adeyemi were technically ‘screened out.’ The primary election was blatant circumvention of democratic principles. ‘Results were even ready before the election,’ Smart Adeyemi breathlessly said. But as a sound strategist that he is, Muri dribbled Bello again, becoming the legitimate flag bearer of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). How? Muri bedazzled, and Bello was dazed!
The journey began in earnest. After all the primary election hullabaloo was over, and Muri embarked on a ‘thank you’ tour to the eastern part of the state, Bello bellowed again, carrying out a more brutal and vicious attack on Muri. There was a deafening staccato burst of gunfire. The atmosphere was visibly tense. The shots were mettalic, buzzing and booming. But Muri escaped again. It was another victory; Muri stopped Bello again.
The onslaught continued, but Muri was not distraught. They came with certificate saga. They said Muri forged the certificate of Barewa College, but with our rudimentary knowledge of criminal law, we all know what constitutes to perjury under the law. In a more critical case, you’ll need both mens rea (intent) and actus reus (action) to prove beyond reasonable doubt any case of forgery, and that a forger really intentionally committed the perjury, and so he can be charged with perjury! But Bello and his men failed to prove this unsubstantiated, defamatory and malicious allegation. Again, Muri stopped Bello!
And so, in a more thrilling, dramatic and explosive climax, Bello allegedly instructed the Attah of Igala not to give a warm reception to Muri in his own palace. Sadly, Attah of Igala danced to tune, but the dance abruptly came to a halt as Attah later courageously welcomed Muri, his son, to his palace. That reminds me of Korede Bello’s semi-gospel song ‘Godwin:’ God indeed won. The gods won. And Muri won. Again, Muri stopped Bello!
There is great similitude between Muri’s and Tinubu’s political voyage. During Tinubu’s presidential expedition, he encountered a series of attacks and betrayals, but he still won. That’s what makes victory historic and sweet. Now, Muri passes through the same phase. The process is a political norm for potential winners. After all, it’s said that the tougher the battle, the sweeter the victory.
To quote Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address given on March 4, 1865, I write ‘with malice towards none.’ I only write ‘to bind up the nation’s wound.’ In other words, I don’t write because I hate the Ebiras or Gov. Yahaya Bello; I write purely out of patriotism. And as a writer who loves his state, I write to expose the evil of any government. If Bello had done well, I would’ve been singing his praise. But he calls himself ‘The White Lion,’ and he believes that he can do no wrong. He has brought Ododo, but Ododo is a proxy. Most assuredly, either Muri or Abejide will bring them to a permenent stop on the judgement day next month – 11/11/2023! I will have no tears for him, and even the whole Kogites will cheerily say in unison: ‘good riddance to bad lion!’
Sule Abubakar Lucky Mark,
Writer and Sociologist.
Email: suleabubakarmark1111@gmail.com
20/10/2023.