THE QUEST FOR POWER- Abayomi Olamide

 

MOVEMENT 1

(Chief George Kukus house. The party members are seated waiting for the arrival of the chief. The gentlemen and ladies are full of brisk. Chief Layi and chief Dele are seen discussing and laughing out loud. Chief George finally comes out of his room full of amusement)

  Chief George kuku :( Raises his fist to pronounce the party’s slogan) PPP!!!

Members :( stands up in anxiety) progress!!!

Chief George :( turns to chief layi and chief dele and embraces them) what are you two discussing again? I just hope you’ve not started the meeting before my arrival.

Chief Layi :( laughs) you and I know the meeting will amount to no success without the presence of the ‘jaguar’.it you so long to attend to us. We have been waiting for a very long time.

Chief George :( smiles) gentlemen and ladies, I am deeply sorry for keeping you waiting. All I was doing inside is for the purpose of this meeting

Chief Dele: we are aware of your busy schedules. Even if it will take a day to wait for your arrival, we are ready to do so.

              (All nods and laugh out loud)

Chief George: Thank you. I have called you all to this important meeting in order to discuss the coming election and to make plans on how to defeat our oppositions.(all nods).it is crystal clear to all that this battle won’t be an easy one and we must put in our efforts in order to regain the presidential seat. Gentlemen and ladies, shall I hear your views on this matter?

   (Side talks as the party members ponder over the issue raised by the chief)

Chief Layi :( clears his throat) you’ve spoken well leader. The presidential seat won’t be ours if we do not take urgent and vibrant steps. Our oppositions are very tough especially the mpp, with a man of the people as their candidate.

Chief Dele: My people, all we need to do is to win the masses to our side. As for me, I have started campaigning in my constituency. I have ordered my P.A to bring in bags of rice with our candidate’s picture boldly inscribed on it.That is not all, I distributed breads, sachets of milk and tea and t-shirts to the masses last week. I am still planning to do more of these. This will create an awareness to the masses and also enable us to have their mandate during the election.

Scot: you have done well chief Dele.on my part, I will make sure I disrupt our opposition’s campaigns. I did one last week by instructing my boys to beat the people supporting our oppositions. I didn’t just informed you all about it.

Madam Jaiye :( turns to scot) I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.my people, I will advise we address this campaign issue peacefully and neglect any violent act.

Scot :( irritated and turns to madam jaiye) it is the best way we can pull crowed away from our oppositions. If large number of them get injured, it will serve as a lesson to others.

Madam Jaiye: but the violent act won’t change their mind, will it? Let us play our card intelligently by winning people to our side and preparing a good manifesto that will convince the masses.

Chief Dele :( turns to scot) scot, madam jaiye is right. Let us play our games wisely and do all we can to win the masses to our side. I oppose violent act too. Please instruct your boys and deduce another plan to help the party.

Chief George :( stands from his seat) Gentlemen and ladies, after listening to all your views, I observe we still have a lot to do if we are to win this election. We should all note that it is not only our candidate that will be the looser but every one of us. As you all know, each and every one of us have a place in the ministry and when we lose the slot to our opposition, we all lose our various positions and money will no longer come in as it used to. I will implore you all to go home and do your plans well.(walks to his seat)I think we should start by visiting all appropriate channels by paying our dues there. By so doing, we are preparing their minds for the help they will render to us when the time comes. (All nods) we must emerge victorious in this election.

Chief Layi: you have said the right thing chief George. We all will go back to our table and make a good plans on how to emerge as a second term winner. We all can’t be relieved of our various posts at this moment. I am not fed up of consuming the national chin chin.

(All laughs and stand up to recite the party’s anthem. The members shook hands with one another. They sing in unison and walk out of the stage)

 

 Movement 2

(A cool evening in Sunday’s barbing shop. With him are his friends Dare and soju.The three friends are watching a campaign programme on TV. They argue on the commitment of the aspirants and each giving his own view on the coming election)

Sunday: We have been questing for reformation in this country for a very long time. All we get in return is deformation. I am fed up of this country.

Dare :( laughs) do you think anything good can still come from those thieves who call themselves our leader? As for me, I have decided not to depend on the government anymore because they have nothing to offer me

Soju :( pointing at the ppp candidate on the screen) look at him rendering poetics but poisonous words. His lying mouth sheds no blood. This is how they deceive the masses while rendering their manifestos. Is this not the same man who promised employment and electricity four years ago? Where are they now? All they do is to steal from the government’s coffers leaving the masses with nothing to live on.

Dare: The annoying thing is the headlines on the papers these days. (Stands and gesticulates with his hands)Irritating news such as:’’$200b missing in the government’s account’ ’does money have wings? ‘’ [Government provides 10,000 jobs for the youths’’. Where is the job? The job I have been doing for the past 6yrs is to come to Sunday’s shop and have a clean shave so I can impress a lady.

Sunday:(stands and laugh out loud, turns to Dare)your coming to my shop for the past 6 years is not a waste of time.atleast,you help me here whenever I have many customers and you go home with  300n or more afterward. You can share that among your side chicks. (Laughs)

Dare :( annoyed) is that what I will engage myself in for the rest of my life? We all know you didn’t go to school. You have been in this business before I gained admission into the university and now I am a graduate.

Sunday: I am better than you who does nothing other than complaining about the government…….

Soju :( cuts in) enough of all this nonsense from you two. This is not the mood nor forum for the argument you two are involving each other. Things will surely be well soon and we all we have things in abundance.

(The 3 friends are captivated by what they see on the TV screen.it is the mpp candidate reading his manifesto. The 3 men glued to their TV)

Soju :( with excitement) here is the man of the masses. The great comrade with the love of the minority at heart. I can bet he will emerge the winner of the coming election.

Dare :( shakes his head) No politician is a friend to the masses. They all have the same motifs. They steal our votes to break their vows. After 4years, they come out with remuneration stories again saying 4years is not enough for them to actualise their plans.

Sunday :( turns to Dare) you are right my friend. I have known only few of the politicians who have the love of the masses at heart.

Soju: Comrade Adelaja is different. I can attest to his commitment towards the betterment of this nation. The political party he belongs to is not known for presenting looters.

Sunday: There is none who is a politician without the tag of a looter. There is no difference between all my dear friends.

Dare: You are right Sunday. They are all the same. Let’s just hope this one will be different. He promised change in all sectors. Shall we give him a try?

Soju :( excited) hopefully!!!!

(Dare and soju continued with the programme as Sunday leave their midst to attend to his customer)

 

Movement 3

(At the ppp secretariat. On seat are Chief George, chief Dele, chief Layi and Scot and their candidate president joseph komolafe).

Pres. Komolafe: I welcome you all to this meeting. I have summoned the important members of this party so as to have a brief discussion with you all. As you all know the election is in 2wks time.(all nods).my people, I am not sure we have done much to convince the masses and to win  them to our side. Adelaja of mpp have the masses on his side and this is giving me a nightmare. Gentlemen, please I want to return to the office

Chief George :( breaths deeply) Your Excellency, we your party members are not relenting. I can assure you that work is going on underground and I promise you a return to the office.

Chief Dele: your Excellency, Chief George is right. The party is not relenting. We are working very hard to ensure you emerge victorious. Please relax your mind. Victory is ours.

Chief Layi: That’s the spirit your Excellency. If we stay as one, I can assure you we shall emerge victorious over our oppositions.

Pres. Komolafe: I am  impressed with all these that I am hearing.it shows I have you all solidly behind me.but you all should continue the good works you’ve started by winning the masses to our side.my major concern is to return to office.

(Scot who have been silent all the while finally speaks)

Scot: Your Excellency, there is no cause for alarm. As the chiefs have rightly said, we shall emerge victorious in the coming election. There are lots to be done. Victory is ours

(The party members stands and shakes hand with the president. They recite the party’s anthem in excitement).

 

            Movement 4

(At the vendor’s point.youngmen and ladies including the old conveys at the joint. The shocking news on the newspaper attracted all and sundry. The vendor is raising an awareness with his screaming luring people to the scene)

Vendor: E don happen for this country again ooo (pressing his awareness horn louder) our politicians don come again ooo.wetin dem do this time? Buy your copy of today’s paper. (The horn pressing persists and it causes more awareness)

First man :( reads the headlines he screams aloud) E wooo, chai!!!

Second man: This country ehn.i wonder when we will have peace in this our nation.

Third man: our politicians have turn themselves into cannibals. Killing one another like bush meats. This country tire me ooo……

Vendor :(top of his voice) make una come see oooo(holds a copy of news paper) they don kill am oooo

First man: These people have turned this politics of a thing into a do or die affairs. They slaughter one another like a Christmas chicken.

Third man: This is serious my people. Very serious.

Woman :( aggrieved) the man of the people have been killed……chai! Adelaja

Second man: This must be an assassination. Adelaja can’t just die like a chicken.

Woman: Even the masses are not free. We all have to hold our heads high and protect ourselves in all ways…
(Soju get to the spot, picks his own copy of the paper and laments over the demise of Ajenifuja)

Soju: This is a man we all have been depending upon to put an end to our various nightmares. His life have been truncated by the virulent sub-specie of humanity….i denounce them!!!

First man :( turns to soju) There are a lot of people who does not want this country to excel. All they are after is to steal from the government’s coffers. Anyone who intend to proffer solution to the imbalances in the country becomes their enemy….such is the case of Ajenifuja who just lost his life in the battle of giving us a better life….may his soul rest in peace.

(All says amen as they disperse to their various destinations. The vendor is seen attending to his customers. Soju checks the headlines on other papers in pity. He is still empathizing with the late Ajenifuja).

                                                                                               THE END!!!