'Lie lie lover, lórí irọ́', By Goke Butika

Goke Butika

One of the unforgivable sins Mahatma Gandhi stated is “politics without principle”, and that’s in vogue now, because majority of politicians nowadays see people who will vote for them as pawns, and people are very clear about it.

 So, when one local preacher waxes “Lori iro” (upon lies) lyrics to describe lies lovers of nowadays tell effortlessly, it quickly becomes a catch-phrase.

As from lies told by desperate lovers who want to take advantage of one another, lies in political climate now have made any form of lies a mere prank, and it’s not peculiar to a  clime. As it’s happening in Africa, so it’s in America, Europe and others.

We used to hear about spirituality of Saudi Arabia, until its crown Prince ordered killing of the critic of the kingdom, Journalist Jamal Khasoggi; the poor journalist was killed, his body was dismembered and taken away. He was made to disappear from the face of planet. 

When the Saudi Crown Prince was asked why he ordered the brutal assassination of the Saudi citizen, he lied until technology revealed the truth.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Natayyau is still standing corruption trial in court. In that wise, let no one acculturates lies to a particular climate. 

However, in Nigeria, lies seem to be the only stock in trade, because when politicians speak to their crowd of helpless people, they claim that they have set of principles that are different only to realize later that it’s all “lori iro”.

Meanwhile, to metastasize the “lori iro”, we could say that the way politicians are crisscrossing party in Nigeria is everything, but principle- “Lori iro”.

I remember when the former governor of Osun state, Olagunsoye Oyinlola moved to APC, and started badmouthing the PDP on the podium of Rauf Aregbesola’s reelection; Oyinlola cited Iyiola Omisore as a “plague” that would never make him to stay in the party where he fought for its National Secretary office. Today, Oyinlola has returned to PDP, and Omisore is now in APC as a chieftain. “Lori iro”.

Remember, when Late Isiaka Adeleke wept like baby, alleging that some of the Omisore’s boys manhandled him at NEXT hotel, Osogbo, the then venue of PDP meeting on 2015 governorship primary; he ran to Aregbesola and sought help. Aregbesola accepted him and rehabilitated him with Senatorial seat, later he wanted to become the governor and Aregbesola was perceived not to dispose to the idea, based on what he reportedly promised. 

Suddenly, he died and the Ede people and his supporters pined the death on Aregbesola despite the fact that medical evaluation said otherwise; because of that Ede has an axe to grind with APC. “Lori iro.”

If Omisore is now the game changer for Governor Gboyega Oyetola as I was made to believe without the consent of Aregbesola and traditional AD offshoot, would he (Omisore) be an asset or liability?