For some time now, I have been disturbingly disturbed by the disturbing shenanigans of several members of the political class. As a matter of fact, the majority of the members of the political class disturbingly disturb me, disturb us, with their idealess ideas which deliver idealess ideas.

I call the ideas of the political class idealess ideas because they do nothing, they contribute nothing, that will alter or change our circumstances for the better. Day by day, things go from bad to worse, from place to place, everywhere from state to state. There is no innovation or innovativeness whatsoever to halt or disrupt the things the politicians have created and are creating to devastate and devalue our country and our collective life.

Those in power and those not in power do not exhibit any difference in attitude or behaviour. Yet they are leaders in power, government and authority, and leaders not in power, government and authority. Head or tail, these are persons rocking our country without improving or changing or disrupting it during this horrifyingly difficult time.

I am engaging in an intense dialogue with myself. Ours is a wealthy country. It has always been a wealthy country of wealthy generations of the bright and the bright, the educated and the educated, the researcher and the researcher, the sophisticated and the sophisticated, the gentle and the gentle, the rebel and the rebel and the more and the more of the good and the more and the more of the good.

Yet despite all these beauties of beauties, the country has been a wreck – a wreck of a wreck whose ultimate wreckage, the wreckers its wreckers cannot escape from.

The Galactic Federation will see to that. Why is the gleaner intruding into that space now? Why is the glimpser’s mind entering there now – and gladly so? The blatant exhibitionism and demonism of the sightless and insightless ones compel the gleaner and glimpser to serve the desire of the ethics of The Galactic Federation.

The image of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo (Congo Democratic Republic) from June 1960 to January 1961 surfaced before my very eyes. He was the steadfast leader, the unique symbol of resistance against European (Belgian) colonialism. At a relatively young age of thirty five years he took assassins’ bullets on behalf of his Congolese people.

He was the fearless, patriotic and pan-African ruffler of the feathers of European (and American) colonialism. In the morning of a Thursday in June 1960, the day he took over his liberated country as Prime Minister from King Baudouin of Belgium, he, among other things, proclaimed as follows: “We shall show the world what the Black Man can do when working in liberty, and we shall make the Congo the pride of Africa”. He has gone down in history as one-of-a-kind African leader.

If you add Nelson Mandela of apartheid South Africa (who became the first Black post-apartheid President of South Africa) to him there shall be this qualification or modification: “Lumumba and Mandela are/were two African leaders who are/were two of a kind”. Which Nigerian leader of our contemporary time can we see in the light of either Patrice Lumumba or Nelson Mandela?

The answer to this question cannot help but allow trepidation in its blatant and stark reality to visit the collective consciousness of our experiential reality. So let me not answer the question directly in order not to aggravate your pain and the emotion that yields it. Instead let me mollify it by stating hereunder.

Our First Republic politicians, our First Republic leaders, were the best, the very best, politicians, the very best leaders, we have ever had. The Nigerian military of mindless coupists came to vanquish them and their grand dreams for their country, your country, my country, our country. Of course, those supremely patriotic leaders of diverse hues had their flaws – as human beings – but among them were those who we will forever remember as denizens and heroes of historical immortality in comparison with those of our severe circumstances of today.

Obafemi Awolowo, Adekunle Ajasin, Festus Okotie-Eboh, Ernest Ikoli, Jereton Mariere, Anthony Enahoro, Dennis Osadebay, Guy Otobo, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Michael Okpara were some of the compelling and powerful political leaders of the First Republic.

They were authentic politicians whose powerfully patriotic voices and commitment to their fatherland, and concern for the welfare of their respective peoples, were wholeheartedly and enthusiastically impactful. Each of them would qualify – and touchingly and deeply so – as one-of-a-kind Nigerian political leader.

They were supremely loyal and faithful – very reasonably, morally and ethically and selflessly so – to the country, their respective political parties and the people and masses of Nigeria – despite their human weaknesses and flaws – I say it again. They were righteous political animals whose political righteousness was well earned. They were angels who should not be viewed, examined, or placed on the same footing with the obscene and compassionless fellows riding roughshod over us now.

Today’s politicians and political leaders at all levels overwhelm us with the vastness of their desire and greed in today’s country, where everybody outside the political elite is decisively in want. The political class lacks the passion for the poor worker, the people and masses. These politicians love and serve one another through debauchery, deception, manipulation, corruption and exploitation of the people. What is said so far is not new and is not strange to us. What is new or may be new is my manner of saying it. In fact, what I am underscoring or what I wish to underscore is that these politicians are not different from one another.

They pretend to disagree and quarrel with one another, but this is not so or true. Those who are not fully chopping now want to replace those who are fully chopping now. This is what 2027 is all about. To put what I am saying differently, or slightly so, these many politicians who are not political leaders are many politicians of the same kind. They are hyenas of the same breed. Let them do as they please or as they do not please. At the appointed time, those who will hunt and hurt them will hunt and hurt them. 2027 will neither begin well nor end well for them.

To the Nigerian worker and voter, I say this: Tame well your current adversity. Do so heroically. The Galactic Federation will not disappoint you. Your winning time shall come. It has come. Read well, my lips inspired.

Afejuku can be reached via 08055213059