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Dyoungstar:
Following silently.

That Wasn't Silent Enough, cos I busted you! Welcome aboard!

UPDATE later today; hoping all things fall in place...

New Direction Kontinyus...
he found the office more homely than their sitting room at home.
He would drive from home around nine a.m., arrive at the office about thirty minutes later, and after some small talk with Bolanle would cross over to his office. Chief Mike would usually use the intercom whenever he wanted him, and that gradually became more frequent as the primaries drew closer.
The very first day they met, the same day he had advised the chief never to judge a book by its cover, he had told Chief Mike to concentrate less on the strengths of his opponents and look more at maximising his own strengths. Unlike Chief Mike, he didn’t see Professor Dele Imonikhe as being the most formidable amongst those desirous of clinching the party gubernatorial ticket. In the course of his political adventures, he had realised that money played a pivotal role in building up political acceptance. One who was initially regarded as unpopular could become popular overnight once his money went to the right places. This money, Chief Mike had in abundance, at least from what he had seen; leaving him the task of deploying it aright. There was also the subtle support from the party chairman, Sir Maigida, though the man had consistently tried to play it down and appear neutral. Ezekiel had detected this the very day Sir Maigida asked him to take up the role of Chief Mike’s righthand man. The chairman had told him that day that he strongly believed in his ability to put his passions to positive use; that he had the opportunity to make a name for himself, thereby securing his future forever.
‘But why Chief Mike, sir? Is he your favoured candidate?’
‘Favoured?’ The chairman asked, ‘I don’t think there is any favoured candidate here. What we’ve got are very good aspirants in the C.A.’
Ezekiel didn’t believe him; it was obvious in Sir Maigida’s voice, his preference for Chief Mike. The reason behind that, he was going to find out later.
‘I will do my best, sir.’
‘I know you will; that’s why I contacted you.’
Ezekiel soon set out to work. After obtaining Chief Mike’s permission and funding, he dug into the background of Professor Dele Imonikhe. It didn’t take too long to discover that the professor’s achilles heel was his love for university girls. This was inspite of the austere perception most undergraduates had of him. Professor Imonikhe could bore his class with many quotes from the bible before commencing a lecture, insist on strict adherence to discipline in his classes, even send out ladies who were – in his opinion – poorly dressed, but the man could hardly take his hands off them once they were alone within any confines. Ezekiel’s discovery of the first lady who had aborted for him soon led him to the second. Neither was of his department, Philosophy, but both took his course as electives. It was another thing Ezekiel soon discovered; Professor Imonikhe was more into ladies who weren’t of his department. The reason for this, he couldn’t find out, but it didn’t matter anyway. Another thing he discovered was that his wife knew nothing about his flings.
Jubilantly, he informed Chief Mike about this and advised that they pushed immediately.
Once again, Chief Mike sanctioned the move and Ezekiel confronted the professor with the piece of information. He had expected the professor to be shocked but was shocked himself when Professor Imonikhe listened to all he had to say with an expressionless face then smiled.
‘Which of my challengers do you work for?’ He asked calmly.
What was the man saying? Was he high on some cheap drugs?
‘Is that all you’ve got to say, sir?’ Ezekiel asked, highly surprised.
To be Kontinyud...

Kingphilip, MissMalia, Kachisbarbie, Dyoungstar...

Ohibenemma:
Kingphilip, MissMalia, Kachisbarbie, Dyoungstar...

oga mi...Long tym o.Thank God u r back

New Direction Kontinyus...

‘Is that all you’ve got to say, sir?’ Ezekiel asked, highly surprised.
‘What else were you expecting? See, young man, I am not one of those that can be easily cowered into subjection by blackmail. I know that’s your intent with this piece of information, but I can assure you that it won’t achieve the intended purpose.’
‘I was thinking we could discuss, sir; but you leave me with no option.’ Ezekiel arose and leaned on the desk. ‘I will be taking my leave now.’
‘Hold it, young man. Who do you work for and how do you intend to deploy that piece of information?’
‘This is personal, sir; you don’t need to know about what do don’t care about.’ He turned around and made to leave.
‘Please, come back and take your seat.’ Professor Imonikhe’s tone was now considerably conciliatory. Ezekiel loved that.
For the next fifteen minutes, they deliberated over Ezekiel’s terms. Professor Imonikhe, this time, admitted to being prepared to do anything to keep the information about his flings from his wife. His wife aside, he was a deacon in his church who had conducted many lectures on chastity in the past. It would greatly soil his reputation if such news got out. However, he disagreed with Ezekiel on outrightly dropping out of the race.
‘…it would raise questions; many of my supporters would want to know why,’ he explained.
‘You can always cook up a lie for them,’ Ezekiel countered, he now held all the aces.
‘No, young man; I will have to cover up one ill-conceived lie with many others. That I don’t think I’m ready for.’
‘Does that mean you are prepared for whatever consequences this news getting out there may bring?’
‘Not that, but…’ his appearance portrayed one deep in thought. ‘I think this is what we should do: I will stop mobilizing my supporters while still remaining in the race. That way, you can have your way without raising questions.’
Ezekiel didn’t trust him, the professor could have something up his sleeves.
‘I don’t think I would accept that, sir. If you don’t have a preconceived lie, I could help you with one. How about getting your car battered, then claiming it was done by members of the ruling party, who are scared of your candidature?’
‘How can you think of such a thing? I have only two cars…’
‘A Toyota Highlander and a Peugeot 406; none of those cars cost as much as the governorship form.’
Professor Imonikhe wiped his face with both palms and stared into space. The young man before him had thoroughly done his homework before coming. His mind flashed to Clarence, the first student to abort for him. She had been brought to his office by Tinuola, his former girlfriend who had graduated. Tinuola, who had since gotten married, begged him to be Clarence’s school father. According to Tinuola, there were some lecturers in her friend’s department who had sworn to give her hell if she didn’t get down with them. It had appeared a normal proposal until Tinuola added that Clarence was ready to give him anything in exchange for his protection from the ravenous wolves in her department.
Anything soon turned out to be three meetings per week at The Palace Hotels. He would drive straight to the hotel, where Clarence would had already been waiting for him, after party meetings on Mondays; his ready excuse to his wife was that party meetings rarely closed early. He would usually drive his family home on Tuesdays before, on the claim of going to visit a friend, drive to the hotel. Thursday meetings were usually once he was through with lectures for the day. He would go home to cool off afterwards and probably attend another meeting same day. Clarence was a wild one, even wilder than Tinu had ever been. She claimed to hate condoms and got him to go unprotected with her on a number of occasions. He wouldn’t have agreed to it had she not further claimed to be adequately protected from pregnancy. That claim turned out to be untrue when she came to inform him of her missed periods.
He would have refused responsibility had he not feared a scandal. He had eventually convinced her to quietly remove the baby, but it appeared she hadn’t been so discreet after all. But, while he could have claimed inexperience concerning Clarence’s pregnancy, he couldn’t claim same about Adaora, his fellow lecturer’s daughter, or Priscillia, both of whom he also got to abort babies for him…
Ezekiel, on the other hand, wondered what it was about sex that made most men lose all sense of self-control once presented with it. He had engaged in it a couple of times, but those times had been on his own terms. He couldn’t see himself getting promiscuous after marriage; he had never found any lady exceptionally sexually appealing. This was in spite of living in a district widely known for being a zone for hookers. He did find their baiting techniques interesting, funnily so, but that was how far the interest went. He found it hard to imagine how men fell for such. Ezekiel almost started feeling sorry for the professor, but didn’t allow such emotions to take hold. He had a job to do and he had to do it professionally.
‘So what do you say, sir?’ He made a gesture of impatience, his brows furrowing as he cast a glance at his wristwatch.
*
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To be Kontinyud...

MissMalia:
oga mi...Long tym o.Thank God u r back

Same to you☺
Welcome aboard...

Kontinyus...
*
*
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‘So what do you say, sir?’ He made a gesture of impatience, his brows furrowing as he cast a glance at his wristwatch.
‘Can you give me some time to think about it?’
‘Yes sir; you have twenty four hours,’ he glanced at his wristwatch again and arose. ‘I will get across same time tomorrow for your response.
Professor Imonikhe watched the young man take his leave. He was being blackmailed, a criminal act, and he knew it. He could get the police involved, but then his reputation would be lost forever. While he wasn't sure of justice, such a case would have beamed the searchlight on his hitherto nocturnal activities. If only he could find a way out of the whole mess... Maybe he could start with a confessional statement to his wife, then to the girls' parents. That way, he would have appeared like one who couldn't hide wrongdoing and turn the issue into an open-secret - a sort of political advantage. Such move was going to require a lot of planning and time to get right, and the primaries was barely a fortnight away. The only quick way out was to blow out the girls, but it could turn out a most stupid move. Ezekiel would have soon been on the move to unearth his involvement. And who knew if the young man hadn't recorded their earlier conversation? He hadn’t put that into consideration all along! No wonder politicians had ready hit-squads. Such would have ensured that Ezekiel left with no proof of their discussion, he could have even ordered them to get him downed! He was surprised at himself for contemplating such thoughts; he, who had always advocated for violence free elections. No wonder people called politics a dirty game. He reclined on his chair and shut his eyes, there had to be a way out... He could still gain a lot if his party's candidate emerged winner in the elections; there were some juicy portfolios he could work towards holding. A glance at the wall clock showed that he still had much time, but there wasn’t much to think about. He was roped in and he knew it.
*********
It was a big surprise next day when Chief Mike received Sir Maigida’s call, informing him of Professor Imonikhe's decision to drop his ambition. According to Sir Maigida, the professor had cited some family issues as the reason behind his decision, but Chief Mike knew better. He wondered how Ezekiel had managed to pull off such a massive coup, as he hadn't really expected much when he gave him go ahead to dig into the professor's background. He had simply seen it as a move by Ezekiel to be busy at something instead of idling away in the office. Ezekiel was yet to give him feedback, but he was sure the young man was only bidding his time. They had a big laugh when, a few hours later, Ezekiel finally revealed to him the details of his meeting with Professor Imonikhe. Who would have thought that his formidable opponent could be so easily cowered? Ezekiel had even extracted a promise from the man to publicly endorse his candidature. Truly the young man was an asset!
With the professor out of the way, the primaries appeared done and dusted. Other contenders hardly appeared keen on securing the ticket. Even Ezekiel had confirmed same when he told his boss that they were likely in the race for economic reasons. Very soon, according to him, they would be making moves to strike deals to be on the priority list for government contracts. This, Ezekiel said, was the case even in the ruling party. Pretenders, he called them, political pretenders. And so it turned out, for while they stuck on till the primaries, rejecting entreaties to step down and prompting him to spend more cash, they were the first to congratulate Chief Mike on his victory after a hard-fought primary. Those Press sympathetic to the cause of the C.A described the transparent manner in which their candidate for the gubernatorial elections emerged as victory for democracy. As The Patriotic Voice Newspaper put it:
The intra-party primaries by the Congress for Advancement have shown that they mean business. They have, for the first time in the history of our dear state, shown that party primaries can be conducted without rancour and the verdict accepted by all – even those contenders who lost out. According to the State party chairman, Sir Maigida, it was a victory for democracy. He was emphatic that the focus isn’t on who emerged, but on what the party represents and how they intend to go about rescuing the state from the many years of hardship the Democratic Alliance have visited upon the people. He has promised the people A NEW DIRECTION, which coincidentally is the campaign slogan of the governorship candidate, Chief Mike.
Responding to questions from the media, Chief Mike admitted that the party knew there was a great task ahead, but was equally sure that they possessed the will and means to surmount them all. He appreciated all other contenders and called on them to join him in the push to rescue the state from misgovernance and lead her in a new direction. This charge has been accepted by all…

*********

To be Kontinyud...

Grin grin!!!☎
Good morning, y'all...
Update coming SoonEst.

Ohibenemma:
That Wasn't Silent Enough, cos I busted you! Welcome aboard!

Running off thread then...

...This charge has been accepted by all…

*********
While his entire focus had been on obtaining the party’s nod to represent her at the polls, Chief Mike felt like a fledgling when, after the primaries, he now had a new opponent to face – Chief Umeh, the Secretary to the State Government and candidate of the Democratic Alliance. Unlike his, Chief Umeh’s candidature was embroiled in controversy. He hadn’t even been a contender until after the sales of his party’s forms were officially over. It was rumoured that his purchase of the governorship form through the back door and eventual emergence as the party’s candidate, was orchestrated by Governor Igbobia, who wanted one of his cronies to succeed him. This caused some intra-party rows, leading to certain prominent party members threatening to pull off the D.A. While creating an air of indifference publicly, it was understood that frantic moves were being made, within the party, to reconcile such differences, even while maintaining the status quo concerning Chief Umeh’s candidacy. Opposition sympathetic press were having a field day reporting on the squabbles within the ruling party. It didn’t matter how unverifiable their sources were, but the conjectures were so repeated that many took them as fact. The Democratic Alliance soon came to be regarded by many as the “Demons Crazy Affiliation”, “Robbers Alliance” and a gathering of undemocratic elements, who couldn’t even guarantee democratic principles within the party.
There were insinuations of massive decamping, especially by the supporters of those who felt aggrieved by the party’s handling of the primaries; these were so much repeated by different media that not even the denial by the Democratic Alliance could change the opinion of many concerning this.
Ezekiel sensed his boss’ fears and quickly allayed them.
‘I don’t see anything to be worried about, sir,’ he told him that morning in his office. It was only a week after the party primaries. ‘Politics just like business require good planning for success, and I believe we have a better team.’
‘I know, but the C.A has always been an opposition party in this state, how do you think the tide can be turned this time?’
‘I think that would be to our advantage this time. When you look around you will see the general discontent with the government of the day; the untarred roads, the poor street lighting, the bad drainages, the mounting unemployment rate and many others. These are things the average man on the street expects from the government, and for which they pay taxes.’
‘But they can also point at some projects that have singled them out from previous administrations like the Water For All scheme that has ensured that eighty percent of the state have access to portable water, the My School, My Pride move that has carried out reconstruction and renovation of most of the government owned schools and even the AgricBoost Scheme just launched for the farmers of the state?’
‘That’s the beauty of politics, sir. We have to work hard to make their achievements appear meagre and inconsequential. That’s why we have a publicity wing, that’s why the party invests so much in the media.’


To be Kontinyud

Welcome back baba agba. Kip rolling

Aipete2:
Welcome back baba agba. Kip rolling

Oh! Lati'aro!

New Direction Kontinyus...
...That’s why we have a publicity wing, that’s why the party invests so much in the media.’
That was part of the problem! Chief Mike now found it hard to believe certain reports emerging from the media. It was gradually becoming more difficult to differentiate between factual reports and those cooked up by the parties’ publicity wings. It was also becoming increasingly more difficult to get an accurate gauge of the actual popularity of the Congress for Advancement, as most media tended to put it at an all-time high. This was hard to believe as the Democratic Alliance’s rally to formally present their candidates to the people, the previous day, had been so massively attended that the state television which beamed the live images described it as one of the biggest rallies ever organised in any part of the country. He had personally been shocked, and not even the report by some newspapers that morning that the crowd was bought with money had sufficiently eased his fears.
‘The C.A’s rally to formally present her candidates to party supporters is only a few days away, sir. That is a big opportunity to create a good first impression and there will be no better way to do that than through a powerful speech. I am already doing a rough draft, sir, though the Publicity Secretary of the party would surely be doing same. I know I can convince Sir Maigida to prevail on him to allow you use mine. I will be back to discuss the points so we could add any personal inputs you may like to add.’ He arose and bowed low before taking his leave.
Without another word, Chief Mike watched him take his leave. He wondered how the next few months before the elections would turn out. He knew it would affect his business, but hoped the impact won’t be too much. He was spending lots of money already, but was ready to spend much more. All that mattered was attaining his goal, the seat of government. According to Sir Maigida, that was what mattered most. Monies spent could always be recovered; all it required was a few mega contracts awarded to fronts. Chief Mike smiled in spite of himself; politics was really a dirty game.
*********
It was a big success, just as Ezekiel had predicted, the party’s rally. The stadium was packed to the brim. There had been attempts by the state government to deny the C.A the use of the stadium, but the government had given in when the media took it up. They had been so demonized by the papers that some government officials had to officially come out to deny ever intending to prevent the C.A from using the stadium complex. It was becoming a big weapon, the media, and the C.A appeared very adroit in its application. The state owned television had also been forced into broadcasting the event by same means. Many newspapers had pre-empted their refusal to cover the rally, thereby forcing the government into prompt acceptance when the C.A eventually applied for their coverage. They had paid more than normal for these services, but they had gotten what they wanted.
Chief Mike had been particularly pleased by the turn out of events; his powerful speech was resoundingly cheered by party supporters. He had especially loved the part where he called on the people…
To be vigilant and steadfast, for we are moving away from a corrupt, self-enriching government to one that is determined to selflessly lead. We are promising a breakaway from the barrier of parochial, outdated and inconsistent policy make-ups which have physically and mentally impoverished our people and lessened our collective expectations to a NEW DIRECTION of progressive, people-oriented ideas, through which we all will have our hopes alive again…
His voice had been drowned by the hoots and cheers by the crowd, so much that it took over three minutes to get them listening again. How he loved Ezekiel that moment; he was going to handle all his future speeches. Even his wife had congratulated him afterwards for a very inspiring speech. Florence, of all people! He had also loved what the papers had to say about the rally and particularly about him. The People’s Eyes Newspaper had put it:
One thing that sets aside the Congress for Advancement is their knack for entrusting governance duties on qualified and passionate individuals who are determined to lead the people in a new direction. This is no better exemplified by their governorship candidate, an accomplished businessman, philanthropist and dedicated Christian, Chief Mike, who at the massively attended rally yesterday revealed a passionate side to leadership that has been lost to the state all this while…
To be Kontinyud...

Good morning y'all; update coming soon!

Ohibenemma:
Good morning y'all; update coming soon!

Be fast with it.

New Direction Kontinyus...
...that has been lost to the state all this while…
He had been described as a dedicated Christian! It was a call to start taking church attendance seriously. He knew his wife would laugh at him if she saw that description on the paper, he hoped she won’t see it. It was almost a month since he last accompanied her to church wife, there was always a time for repentance.
‘This shows that the paper reports all this while haven’t been false,’ Ezekiel said in his office, beaming with smiles. It was a day after the rally. ‘The momentum is clearly with us, all we need now is to consolidate.’
‘Yes, you composed a truly great speech!’ Chief Mike raised his glass.
‘I told you, sir, I told you!’ They clinked glasses; Ezekiel’s containing orange juice while the chief’s contained champagne. He continued after a sip: ‘We have to work hard to consolidate on what we have on ground. I will get a list of the things we’ll need, this state must move in a new direction.’
Just then, there was a knock on the door and Bolanle entered the office.
‘Sir, some men are here to see you – Sir Maigida and two others.’
Chief Mike and Ezekiel exchanged glances before the chief asked his secretary to show them in.
‘You may go and get that list ready, I will send for you once we are done,’ said Chief Mike, setting his half empty glass of champagne on the table and reclining on his chair.
Ezekiel wasn’t too happy with the dismissal, he had expected the chief to specially request that he sat in on their meeting. He arose and made his exit, saluting the visitors at the door.
‘Good morning, sirs,’ Chief Mike said, sitting up but not rising. Behind his wide smile, he wondered what Sir Maigida wanted from him, in company of his two opponents at the party primaries, the tall, light complexioned Chief Ohirhein and the average heighted and dark complexioned Chief Oye.
‘His Excellency in waiting!’ Sir Maigida replied going to him for a handshake.
‘Chief! Chief!’ The other men hailed.
‘You are all welcome, sirs, to my humble office. Please, have your seats.’ He beckoned to the four empty seats opposite his desk. ‘What are you drinking?’ He asked no one in particular after they were seated.
‘Sir Maigida has already offered us something to drink,’ said Chief Ohirhein. ‘We came here from his office.’
‘Yes, Chief; hope you serve water here?’ Chief Oye added, drawing laughter from his audience.
‘If that's what you want, it can be arranged,’ Chief Mike said when the laughter had subsided. He spoke into the intercom, requesting his secretary's presence. ‘So what informs this august visit?’
Sir Maigida was clearing his throat when Bolanle entered the office. He halted whatever he had wanted to say and watched as she received orders from her boss and went to the fridge to take out water cans and glasses. There was silence in the office until she spoke:
‘Sir, the report from the marketer just came in and he wants a feedback. I asked him to hold on as you were in a very important meeting.’
‘That was very thoughtful of you. What did he say?’
‘He said he had no choice...’ The sudden laughter from her boss' visitors surprised Bolanle. She hadn't meant her statement to be a joke and wasn't talking to them in the first place. ‘He said he had no choice than to wait. I promised to get across once you were free.’ She hoped the men got the message from the frown on her face.
‘He would wait for sure; who wouldn't when His Excellency in waiting is concerned?’ Sir Maigida chipped in, obviously oblivious of Bolanle's scowl.
Chief Mike noticed it and smiled: ‘You did very well, Bolanle,’ and as she was about to leave the office... ‘Thank you very much.’
Bolanle smiled as she shut the door. Her boss was really trying, really trying to discard his hitherto brash disposition for a more humane one.
Chief Mike pointed at the glasses and cans on the tray before his visitors and reclined on his chair once again, this time, shutting his eyes. Sir Maigida's adulation was really getting to him, though he couldn't help but detect the tinge of sycophancy in it; he was already feeling like the governor.
‘Yes, His Excellency in waiting, we came here today to rejoice with you on the success of the rally yesterday. You really killed it with your speech. Everyone on the streets is shouting "new direction" now.’
Chief Mike smiled. The organisation of the rally had been mainly Sir Maigida's handiwork and the speech had been Ezekiel's composition. He was supposed to be the one congratulating the chairman. After all, Sir Maigida had also been responsible for recommending Ezekiel to him.
‘That's true, sir,’ he replied, ‘the organisation was superb, thanks to you.’
‘And these gentlemen here,’ Sir Maigida quickly added.
‘Huh?’ Chief Mike sighed, he hadn't seen that coming.
‘Yes. They've been working tirelessly for the success of the party. Did you know that Chief Ohirhein owns The Patriotic Voice Newspaper? Did you also know that he owns Resonance Magazine?’
Chief Mike never had an inkling. So Chief Ohirhein was responsible for the glowing reports The Patriotic Voice always carried on the C.A's activities? And he had always seen the party adverts on the popular full gloss celebrity magazine, Resonance. Florence had once complained to his hearing of the high cost of advertising in that magazine; that day she had been discussing with a friend, an executive member of the Ladies of Hope.
‘I never had an idea,’ he said.
‘And Chief Oye singlehandedly paid for our usage of the stadium and was responsible for those customized vests on the party supporters...’
Chief Mike let out an audible sigh. Those vests had run into thousands.
‘And Professor Imonikhe, who is unavoidably absent, singlehandedly mobilized about a thousand students - I'm sure you noticed the gyrating group on the right side of the podium?’
Chief Mike nodded. He was being subtly informed that the contributions of his opponents had dwarfed his.
‘All these go to show the unity within our ranks; no one is selfishly concerned only with his ambitions.’ Sir Maigida's countenance was now serious. So were those of all in the office. ‘And these men intend to do more in the next two months before the elections only, if only, there are assurances...’
Chief Mike understood, Ezekiel had warned him. That boy was really an asset!
‘Assurances? I don't really get you, sir,’ he lied. He no longer felt like the governor.
‘The next two months will be very important ones - the campaigns, adverts, organized interviews, meetings with student bodies, religious bodies, business groups and many more. These will require massive funding, publicity and mobilization. When different hands are at work, the job goes easier like we've seen so far. These men have selflessly invested in our cause and are ready to invest more, but want to be sure of recouping their investments.’
So much for selflessness, Chief Mike thought. He couldn't feign ignorance any longer. Being a businessman too, he would have expected same had he been in their shoes.
‘What's the deal, sir?’
Sir Maigida leaned forward, his right elbow on the desk and coughed slightly to clear his throat. ‘I went through this personally and don't think it is too much. For my friends here, only forty percent of all state government contracts for the first three years and for Professor Imonikhe, the portfolio of the Secretary to the State Government.’
‘I think forty percent is too much, sir,’ protested Chief Mike. He was sure many other interest groups will spring up later. And he was spending quite much too. ‘Forty percent is too much.’
‘I don't think it is when you consider our input thus far,’ said Chief Oye. ‘We are prepared to do much more, but we have to be sure of what we are getting back.’
‘Yes, in business we meet needs, but the process has to be profitable for one to continue,’ added Chief Ohirhein.
‘I understand what you are talking about, but we are talking about forty percent here!’ Chief Mike said forcefully. Have you considered the state annual budget figures?’
‘We are not talking about outright repayments, Chief,’ said Chief Ohirhein, ‘we are talking about contracts which will be executed.’ Chief Ohirhein’s tone showed he was getting angry.
Chief Mike wasn’t moved by that. He was concerned about himself too. If forty percent was going out to two people only, what was going to remain for others and himself?
Sir Maigida intervened, asking him to think about the proposal while they took their leave. The party chairman would later call him to settle for thirty percent and the secretarial portfolio for Professor Imonikhe, Ezekiel would advise him to agree to it, intimating him that Sir Maigida was sure to have a cut in the deal, they would meet at Chief Ohirhein’s hotel two days after to formally sign some documents to the effect and a few days later at the party’s secretariat, all smiles like nothing ever happened.
*********
Among the proposals listed by Ezekiel was the setting up of a campaign office. This, he said, was necessary as the polity gradually heated up. A non-business environment was needed to accommodate party supporters whenever the need arose. Chief Mike could still go to the office, but he would make sure all political issues were referred to and resolved at the campaign office. A flat was soon secured for the purpose. Ezekiel also requested the formation of a Security Team, a request initially rejected by his boss, but later acceded to when he espied a red pickup van follow him from his office to the Government Reservation Area. The van had disappeared when the sirens of the police, who he had contacted, sounded closer.
Jubilantly, Ezekiel had gone about the recruitment of the guys for the team. He had two criteria for eligibility; brawn and a previous unconvicted record of participation in crime. The latter he intended to use to advantage should the guys try to be difficult. They were six in all; Lanky Peter, who once killed a policeman during a bank raid. The police never got them and the case was finally laid to rest. There was also Man Alabi, who raped a Commissioner’s wife in revenge for his friend, whose girlfriend was snatched by the man. The law had never caught up with him until the case died down. The duo of Ogbewee and Isumafen were two former students of the state owned polytechnic, who were dismissed on account of their cult activities. What was unknown was their responsibility for the death of the registrar whom they felt didn’t do enough to prevent their expulsion despite being from the same town as them. Lekan and Sunkanmi were members of a smuggling ring, who were caught while trying to smuggle in light arms for a robbery gang. Instead of allowing the law to take its course, they had killed their captors before backup could arrive and had been on the run since then. They had met Ogbewee and Isumafen when they arrived at the state capital and were strongly mooting a return to crime when Ezekiel intervened. It had surprised even him, the ease with which he had unraveled mysteries the security bodies had pulled out from after series of brick walls in the course of their investigations. It had been a case of like birds flocking together.
Chief Mike was also to practice what Ezekiel termed “spontaneous generosity”, an advice he put to practice when he stopped over at Mama Ijeoma’s while returning home from the office, paid for her entire stock and instructed her to serve all customers for free. While some viewed it as a mere political stunt, others hailed the move, describing him as a true philanthropist.
To be Kontinyud*
Kingphilip, dyoungstar, Karchisbarbie...

I am solidly following you.

Dyoungstar:
I am solidly following you.

Ese gan! Daalu onu, Nagode sosayi!

...

Karchisbarbie, Dyoungstar, Kingphilip, MissMalia, Flakkydagirl, D97ty...
So far so good, what are your thoughts on the story?

ohibenemma u r really doing a great job here carry on

I hope chief Mike wouldn't deviate from the good person he is after the polls because I see him winning this If he is spared from the scheme of the opposition that's the ruling party

continue the good work you're doing it sure will yield dividends

kingphilip:
ohibenemma u r really doing a great job here carry on

I hope chief Mike wouldn't deviate from the good person he is after the polls because I see him winning this If he is spared from the scheme of the opposition that's the ruling party

continue the good work you're doing it sure will yield dividends

Thanks for your kind commendation.
On Chief Mike, aren't we being too sentimental here? I'm trying to be as practical as possible, utilizing available concurrent data as our Nation marches to the polls...with lots of fiction, of course.
Like you, I hope he wins, but...

Ohibenemma:
Karchisbarbie, Dyoungstar, Kingphilip, MissMalia, Flakkydagirl, D97ty...
So far so good, what are your thoughts on the story?

So my name isn't included here? No Wahala...TRUTH be said, this is good. Keep It Up!

Ese jare @ Emmaphina... I will try to do just that!

YOU'RE WELCOME!

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