Politics 101: My Baptism of Fire with Naija Politics, By Praise Fowowe

One mistake many of us elites make in politics is coming in with the arrogance of our competence, polished English, and big ideas thinking we are superior to career politicians. But after a few years, it dawned on me how grounded those guys are, and how much they understand about how:

1. All politics are local.
2. Party leadership is supreme.

Let me tell you a story that happened to us in Ojodu Berger years ago.

We all decided to become a part of politics to change Nigeria so we joined a party as elites, armed with high-sounding English. Those we met at the ward level were older men with pot bellies, some not formally educated or so we assumed.

On Day 1 of the meeting, when it was time to adopt the minutes, one of them spotted a lady passing by, started talking about her body, and that became the topic for the entire meeting.

I was so upset and livid that I walked out, wondering how these people became party leaders. The next few meetings followed the same pattern. I had enough, gave up, and concluded I was “too polished” to be hanging out with such folks.

A few months later, I drove out of my street and one of them spotted me, waved me down, and I obliged. He asked why I had stopped coming.

I expressed my frustrations and told him I was too busy to keep attending such “useless” meetings. The man listened attentively, then laughed so loudly it upset me further. But what he said next never left me:

“Whenever we see people like you come to our meetings, we know how attractive your credentials are to our ‘ogas’ at the top when they meet you. So we create uncomfortable conversations that you will find annoying, so that you stop coming and lose out on the chance to be made leaders over those of us who have been here for so long.”

Apparently, they ran a program on me and I fell for it.

I learnt a lot from that experience, and it dawned on me that the rules of engagement in Nigerian politics are lost on many elites. Real politics don’t happen on social media. The best of social media is just a space to excite ourselves and feel like we can decide stuff.

I’m observing all that is going on now, and I still see the same mistakes across the board. But you know, time teaches and instructs the humble who are willing to learn.

In case you still don’t get me, go and figure out the meaning of this statement:

“You don’t import a high priest; you pick the high priest from among the people.”

You can either read this with humility and pick lessons or be like me many years ago and attack the post.

Ire oooo.
God bless Nigeria.

Praise Fowowe