Peter Obi and the Metaphor of an Unheeded Circus Clown

Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, in one of his works, tells the story of a Circus clown that is sent to a nearby village to warn the people of a festering fire that has started at the circus.

The clown, decked in his costume, runs to the village and pleads with the villagers to come and help put out the fire, but no one takes him seriously. The harder he tries to explain the problem, the more amused the people become at what they consider his usual clownish display. Eventually, the fire festers and engulfs the entire village, burning all in it to ashes.

The situation in Nigeria at the moment mirrows the Kierkegaardian Village. We now live in a country where insecurity is festering like a wild fire with killings everyday. To grasp the severity of the situation, some bandits recently threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State.

As if to make good their threat, a few days after they issued the threat, Presidential Guard was attacked and some soldiers were killed in the attack. It’s like the bandits saying to the presidency, ‘we are at your door step’!

Anyone who has listened to the public speeches of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, for the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, since 2016, when he made the famous Platform speech that launched him into the consciousness of Nigerians, will have observed the consistency of his warnings and admonitions about the imminent danger of total collapse to which the country is headed.

He warned that the more Nigerians that fall into poverty, the more criminality the nation will grapple with. Today, situation has proved him right.

Peter Obi warned against the APC-led federal government’s addiction to borrowing for consumption; he was clear on his words that should the that continue, the country will borrow to a point that her debt servicing will be more than her revenue since the borrowed money is not put into production.

Today, Nigeria’s debt servicing has overtaken her revenue. The Labour Party presidential candidate also warned against the wastefulness in government and reckless spending. His warning was not heeded to. Today, Nigeria’s excess crude account has depleted from $35.37m to $376, 655.

Peter Obi foresaw all the foregoing, not by any magical power he has but because he has a vigilant heart that cares so much for Nigeria and he takes time to reflect on issues. Those who always leave the substance of his message to focus on few statistical errors he fallibly commits are like the Kierkegaardian Villagers who ignored the clown’s message and amused themselves with his costume and gesticulations.

Against all odds from the vicious politicians of the old order, the LP presidential candidate, with what could only be explained as divine providence, is resolutely leading a movement to #TAKE BACK NAIJA! from the strong grip of the old order politicians lest we all go down in flame like the Kierkegaardian Villagers.

#LetUsTakeBackOurCountry

Celestine writes for PO Express Media, POEM