The Wolf and the Fox are from the same Family.
By
Onyemaechi Ogbunwezeh

I.F Stone is one of the greatest journalist of all times. He may not be a secretary to the oppressed, like Eduardo Galeano. Or a chronicler of papal debaucheries, like Johann Burchard. He was however, an un-lance-able boil, on the scrotums of power. His career was an indictment of governments’ fraudulence and falsehood. He was not only a voice screaming in the wilderness. He was a bullish bullhorn, blaring its message from the rooftops. He was that persistent vuvuzela, trumpeting its dissidence to all ears, harassing our civic apathy, acquiescence, and lethargy. He created the slogan. He editorialized the litany. All governments lie!

Our ears need not be as prominent as a satellite dish, or as pronounced as a mariachi’s sombrero, in order to hear; what he spent his life screaming into our ears. Stone told the world that, all governments are run by liars, and nothing they say should be believed. He contended that all governments lie, but the disaster lies in wait for countries, whose officials smoke the same hashish they give out. In fact, Stone famously said that ‘if you want to know about governments, all you need to know is two words: Governments lie.

Many, who are not acquainted with the sacrifices and contributions of I.F Stone to journalism, may be tempted to think that Mr. Stone was so stoned on some Obiaruku weed, that he couldn’t help himself from trafficking in tired and worn out platitudes, which in history, has been the exclusive preserve of anarchists. However, anyone, who looked at the United States of America today, would definitely think that he plied his trade in the Post-truth world of Donald Trump and his buffooneries. One could be forgiven, for thinking that he actually witnessed the insipid rascality of those weird sisters of falsehood; Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Kellyanne Conway; two liars of notorious eminence, dangerously retailing fraudulence on behalf of Donald Trump.

A Nigerian, who is about to vote against Buhari today, could also be forgiven for thinking that Mr. Stone peeped into the future and made the acquaintance of Lai Mohammed. Mr. Lai Mohammed, one must remember, is the monumental scoundrel, and liar-in-chief, presently concocting lies in defense of the comatose Muhammadu Buhari, who is presently mismanaging his illusions and misgoverning Nigeria.
Stone’s realization, that all governments lie, and that politicians are full of shit, is the major reason, why Mark Twain contended that “politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason”!

Nigeria has been an island of pain since its amalgamation by British greed in 1914. Nigerians do not need I.F Stone to tell them that all government’s lie. Their underdevelopment and dysfunctionality of their State all levels, are testaments to that. Successive Nigerian governments since amalgamation have been one tragic lie, after the other.

Nigerians do not need Mark Twain to know that their politicians are full of shit, or that they should be changed often just like diapers. Their lives have been one huge Shakespearean tragedy. It has been a comedy of illusions. They have seen it all. They have been ready to forgive and give a new pretender the opportunity to prove them wrong and wean them of their cynicism. However, when a tsunami of pettiness, mediocrity, and grotesque incompetence, keeps on throwing waves upon waves of disillusion, at them, to democratize discontent, and break the dykes of their resistance, just like the chronic incompetence of Muhammadu Buhari has done in the past four years, then it is time to send that conglomeration of dysfunctionality packing.
So, fellow Nigerians,
As you go to the polls today, you must vote against Buhari, if you love yourself and your future.
Muhammadu Buhari must be voted out today. Muhammadu Buhari is an amalgam of grievances. He is a micro-universe of nepotism. He is a black hole of clannishness, out of which no light of shame or balance can ever escape. He is a feudal-minded tyrant, who sincerely hates democracy. Incompetence and dalliance with corruption have trailed his history of public service. His government is an archipelago populated by the great incompetents. There is nothing to recommend this government. Hypocrisy has been its blueprint of operation, and central processing unit. He is still beholden to his tyrannical antecedents, and surrounded by thieves and brigands.
So, when you go to the polls later today, remember that another reason why Buhari and APC should be voted out, is Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu is the crook, who has colonized Lagos State and converted it into his corrupt fiefdom and avaricious estate. Tinubu as many Nigerians know, is not only a thoroughly corrupt goon, he is a moral slowpoke.

I.F Stone made that clear that, a certain moral imbecility marks all ethnocentric movements. Tinubu’s inglorious attempt to blackmail Igbos into either voting for the man-Friday he is presently impregnating with illusions in Aso rock, or be treated as visitors to Lagos; a part of the country that should be theirs, is a sign of that moral imbecility. He should be sent packing with his tail tucked between his legs, just like every moral slowpoke should be.
I would have wished that you vote for your future, and vote massively for Kingsley Muoghalu.
I know that many of you have bought that binary bullshit that it must be either Atiku or Buhari.
It must not.
Nigeria is not the private real estate of bleached dinosaurs, who have nothing to offer us, save repeating their gaffes in difference words. So, if you fail in being faithful to your future and the things that matter, by voting for the right choice, know that if either Atiku or Buhari wins tomorrow, you have sold a monkey to buy a dog. A squatter still resides with you.
If Atiku wins tomorrow, as he is billed to; don’t ever think that you can just roll up your tents of vigilance, and go home to rejoice that your Daniel has come to judgement.

That would be the greatest mistakes of your lives. If you do that, just know that your pain has been extended once more.
Malcolm X’s famous description of the two-party system is of eternal relevance to us Nigerians at this time. Malcolm may well have been talking about APC and PDP or this unholy match between Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari; two flawed characters slugging it out for the Nigerian presidency today.
Malcolm told anyone who could listen, about the two party system as follows: “Foxes and wolves usually are of the same breed. They belong to the same family – I think it’s called canine. And the difference is that the wolf when he shows you his teeth, you know that he’s your enemy; and the fox, when he shows you his teeth, he appears to be smiling. But no matter which of them you go with, you end up in the dog-house.”
Malcolm X’s saw Nigeria. You should too. And that should make you do the right thing.
Gwazia ndi yard unu!