The Revolution

Godwin James wakes up with a start, it was the first day of October and he was feeling jittery. There had been too many speculations about the day. Some speculators said it was going to be the end of the country, many others envisaged a serious war. It was only a few people that thought the country would stand, not even the powerful men of God!

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Well, whatever it was, the day of the Armageddon would not be at his own time. That day must be postponed until he was through at the presidency.

“Why me” the president of one of the most developed countries in the south of the Sahara pondered over the problems surrounding his political life as he puts some paste on his hard brush.

The hard brush are preferable to the soft ones, it removes tobacco stains from the teeth. The soft ones is like using paper to wash your car.

Not many people knew he was a chain smoker, except for those really close to him. How that crazy Newspaper got to discover his drinking habit and affair with Barbara still surprised him, it was one of the topmost secret in the State House.

If it wasn’t for democracy he would have ensured that the newspaper was closed down for prying into his private and personal life.

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Most people think you are powerful being a president, but you are almost a slave for everyone. People who wouldn’t stare into your face if you were the MD of an ordinary company will say all sorts of bad things, mostly not true about you just because you the president of a country. What an irony!- The most powerful man is the most weakest man, hmm., life!

There was so much that people didn’t know about him, climbing to the position of a president of one of the largest country in the south of the Sahara was not a child’s play, especially coming from the kind of background he came from.

How many governors were able to become president, maybe in their dreams? Even his rise to the position of the governor was another thing, all together.

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If not for fame and power, what would ever make someone like him marry Patricia? Barbara had been his childhood girlfriend, Barbara was the woman he had plans to marry, before he met Patricia, the highly influential and powerful woman. Though an illiterate she controlled a lot of power. Even now as the president he still didn’t understand how she got all her power. He was like a lame duck before her.

But she had been the secret behind his rise from being an ordinary lecturer to becoming a deputy governor to become a governor, vice president and now the president of one of the strongest nations in the world.

Thinking of it now, if she had told him to lick a sour on her private part just to rise to the position, he probably would have, less to talk of ordinary oath he took never to betray her and always to do her bid.

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Now the country was at the verge of a break up, no one is sure what would happen. It was the fiftieth independence anniversary and different school of thoughts believed the country would not go beyond that year as a united country.

Not even the almighty United States thought the country would see beyond it’s fiftieth independence anniversary, there had been rumors of war and total collapse of the system, some even predicted the military would take over power again after over a decade of democracy.

All these thoughts are not comforting thoughts at all, he was doing the work of the Chief Executive Office of a large country and almost doing the work of its National Security Adviser! And yet some people call him a dull president.

He quickly finished with his teeth, not sure if he had left some stains on it or not, he puts aside the thoughts, as the president there was so much to do, than dwell on one particular thought forever.

All these “big men” that always allow people do their wardrobe for them, how can they be sure they would like what the fashion assistant chose for them, as for him, what to wear depends on mood and occasion. Mostly on moods, he needed something, very unique outfit for the independence anniversary ceremony, something different from his usual attire.

A black suit, white shirt and red tie should be the best outfit on such an occasion. It had been quite a while he used a suit on an outing. Politics sometimes makes you do the things you had rarely do.

At exactly seven 0’clock that morning, in the other room, Patricia was already dressed. Nothing else goes perfect on her like traditional native attire. She had looked into the mirror more than ten times, admiring herself. Her continual look into the mirror was upsetting to Godwin, who feels she looked bad in anything she wore, he wonders if she really thinks she was beautiful.

He didn’t give it much thought, he wished there was a way he could tell her the things being said about her in the public and some reports he gathers through intelligence reports and mostly reported on tabloids. Even close friends and family members had on many occasions called him to talk to her. If only he could let her know those things didn’t go down well with him. She was obviously becoming a tabloid first lady. Talking about it will be like opening cans of worms.

That case with the anti-corruption agency while he was a serving as a state governor is something he was yet to live over. He couldn’t still fathom how or where she got all that money from. Even under his watch as the governor, she was able to control things, and money without his knowledge. If not for his political ambition which would be at stake, he was ready to do away with her.

Only Patricia knows the true story behind his success. It is a secret between the two of them. Divorcing her will mean forsaking his political ambitions, and also becoming public subject for tabloids to analyze. Patricia will ensure that he was impeached. For him, the fear of Patricia was the beginning of his wisdom.

He puts the tooth brush on the sink and walks into the large and elegant bedroom. What is this thing about Adamu Maikudi contesting the election? The news was everywhere. He thought, after spending several years as a military dictator, Adamu should give up any ambition of ruling the country again. He knows his people will not vote in Adamu, no one likes him not even his clan, or the party, no one ever fill comfortable being around Adamu, they feel he could betray you anytime.

His major concern was Rabiat Nuru. He is a new contender, but has loyalty and respect, especially from the youths. And since youths are the majority of the voting population, then he was someone to be reckoned with, but he has low chances even with the party. Then he smiles, thinking of another presidential aspirant, Otunba Dayo Abayomi, he wonders make makes Dayo imagine he could become the president of the country at the time, he would have done well contesting as a state governor. He didn’t see Otunba as a major contender.

Then a frown settles on his face as he recalls the security reports about bombs being planted in some locations around the capital city. He had received a special security report from the head of the secret service, days back about one leader of an opposition group planning to bomb the country’s capital. But he was assured that the threats were just jokes and security around the city had been taken care of.

He still didn’t understand why people prefer war instead to peace. In a war situation the leaders will have no one to govern, and the governed will be displaced, so what is the need for war? How do you enjoy even all the money you have when there is war, why won’t people dialogue instead?

Maybe his opponents were just looking for ways to distract him. There had been several protests from different anti-government agencies and human rights organizations since he announced the amount the government planned to spend for the independent day anniversary ceremony. He couldn’t think of anything better to spend the country’s money on, if the country cannot enjoy a good independent day celebration, why is the country having so much money?

COAS had notified him the time for the kick of the ceremony. He had a little more time to play around.

He signs on to his face book account. He was proud himself for having over a hundred thousand fans on his page within a month without an advert. Not even the American president had as much fans on his page within a month.

He starts to type an anniversary message for his followers, fans, and sympathizers across the globe. He reads a comment by a follower and sighed. “What does he know calling me names….”

“Why would people be referring to me as a clown?”…. “Do I look like one, if I look like a clown what about Maikudi and the rest of them?”… “How would anyone even consider me as a clown, even with my PHD, and antecedents”. He was sure with his level of achievements and positions, he couldn’t have been more of a clown than any of the people that called him clown!

He posts his independence anniversary message on face book, and shuts down the iPad.

James went to the other room to meet Patricia who had already changed into her fifth cloth within a space of twenty minutes.

“Do I look good?” She asked, smiling.

He would have preferred to tell her how much she looked like a Dracula or a comedian, but that would be looking for trouble. She could because of that ensure that the anniversary ceremony was cancelled; he wasn’t prepared for anything like that.

“You look great” He calls for his orderly and informs him, they would be ready in five minutes.

Categories: Short Stories & Articles

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental

The Revolution

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