Sometimes last year, I wrote about the brief turmoil my family went through in the hands of members of the Action Congress shortly after Aregbesola was declared Governor of Osun State in 2010. My family, headed by Dn. Noah Oderinu, a political appointee under Oyinlola, was one of the targets of the series of attacks that were carried out then because he belonged to the PDP.

Some of the people who heard or read the story and had been abreast of issues in the politics of Osun State pre-2010 opined that the attack on Members of the PDP was retaliatory, a payback for the years that they terrorized members of the AC. How the retaliation was supposed to target my father whom I have known to be a peaceful politician beats my imagination till date.

In all of the malady and rationalization, one thing did not make sense to me. While the attacks lasted, I saw people with whom we grew on the same streets of Ejigbo, carrying dangerous items and would have done us some real harm if we slacked. They did not mind throwing all the years we have lived together into the bin, they just wanted to assert their new political power.

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On the eve of the 2011 Senatorial election, myself, my older sibling, my dad and two of our relatives visited our little village in the hills - Agurodo.

As we approached the village square, flashlights showed up on either side of the vehicle, obviously from the vigilante team on guard for the night. I had no worries, for whoever these persons are, must at least be known to three persons in our vehicle.

I identified the first face I saw to be that of a relative, who is indeed a member of my extended family. I greeted him in a familiar tone - Boda Bisi, e kaale. His response was as shocking as it was hostile. He answered, "who are you" and I greeted him again, "Boda Bisi, e kaale."

Deacon answered from his seat in the rear, "Bisi, booni? (Bisi, how are you?) and the next answer was even more shocking. Boda Bisi answered, "ehn ehn, lat'ibo? E identify Ara yin" (ehn ehn, from where? Identify yourselves). Apparently, he was being hostile because Deacon belonged to the PDP and he belonged to the ACN.

Tired of the needless drama, Deacon retorted, "Bisi, emi ni ki n identify Ara mi ni Agurodo? Iru egbin wo l'eleyi na?" (Bisi, I should identify myself in Agurodo? What sort of insult is this?) Then the man started mouthing all sorts of insults towards a man who is conveniently older than him to the point of possibly fathering him if he had started earlier.

Of course he did not leave the scene without some memories that will linger in his heart for a long time, but this scuffle, between members of the same family, was absolutely needless. For what? Politics!

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A few weeks to the Tribunal Judgement in the Adejare Bello vs. Bamidele Salam case, one of these young APC social media jingoists called me to seek a favor.

He is from my Local Government and was bidding for a project in one of the MDAs. He was calling because he needed my Oga's help at some point in the application. I simply told him, "Hon. Salam is as much your Rep as he is mine; if what you need is not illegal, he will do whatever he can do to help."

Some days after, the same man went on social media to say all kinds of unprintable things about the person of Hon. Salam. Why? He needed to show his loyalty to his party by denigrating Salam and drumming support for Bello.

Immediately after the judgment was delivered, he went full-scale insane, insulting Salam at every opportunity. He became this careless because in his thought, their party was on the way to snatching victory from Salam.

He denigrated a potential benefactor, just for politics!

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Today, the Supreme Court sacked the Governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha and handed victory to Hope Uzodimma, who had earlier came 4th in the Gubernatorial election of 2019 in the State.

A quick glance at several timelines and I have discovered, to my absolute shock, that instead of seeking to interpret the position of the Court and determining whether it portends good fortune for the sustenance of our rule of law, what young Nigerians are busy doing is counting scores.

I have seen comments like "Imo down, more to go"; "Congratulations to us in the APC"; "Democracy is in danger" among many other half-witted thoughts. When we should be finding out the precedences being laid in our legal system which will at some point affect each and everyone of us, we are busy counting scores!

Most interesting is the fact that young persons on whom the government in Imo State will have no direct or indirect impact, are also busy on social media clapping and dancing, for a judicial pronouncement they still don't understand and does not affect them beyond adding a State to a political party in which they are mere pawns.

I have also seen comments framed in such a manner that paints every person who sounds not excited about the news as apologists of the PDP. Since when did critical thinking on issues of such magnitude become a problem? Or does political bragging rights withdraw the rights of other citizens to ask questions?

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How we got under it I do not know, but Nigerians are sure suffering from a curse tied to politics.

This curse will make them insult, main and even kill their own kinsmen just to perpetuate their party in power. This curse will make them dance over numerical advantage for their party, not caring for a minute, if such advantage portends danger for the country in future. This curse has made us play politics like gerbils fighting to the death.

Who swore for us?

Adedoyin Ologbenla writes from the corner of his room