The Jungle And The Roaring, Silent Lion By Ibraheem Alli

It was a sunny weekend at my father`s farm in Olori. It was in 2005 with my brother. We were working at the yam land. Suddenly, we saw a lying Isan snake. Our knowledge of farming informed us of distinctions among snakes. We knew it`s only Isan snake that sleeps anyhow. At the time, we were still under 20. We don’t have the temerity to kill the snake. We left and sought the assistance of our farm neighbor who killed “Ejo Isan”. This peculiar attribute account for why Yoruba called somnolent an “Isan Snake” (Ohunsun bi Isan).

A week later, I was adjacent the same farm trying to pluck mango. I harvested, ate some and had two in my hand. As I was going back to resume hoeing, I saw another snake. At this time, it was Sebe Snake (ZEBRA). I pursued it. At a point, he turned suddenly and stood against me. I had to make a U-turn to safe myself from its venom.

Then, I can`t kill snake. Even, I run seeing a snake from afar. Few days to the ruling All Progressives Congress Presidential Primary, the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Ogun State. While addressing the party stalwarts, he roared and analysts began to read, re-read and rewrite his outpour. With the vociferous and audacious ex tempo speech, many thought the doom is near for the ruling APC. The country`s political atmosphere became tensed and cloudy. Tinubu did like a Zebra whose when it is pushed to wall will turn back, not only to defend himself but also to attack it adversaries. He sent the red signal. He was fearless. He called out names. He pointed fingers. He blamed and exonerated. He judged himself with others.

A day after the shaking of the jungle, the national chairman of the party made a controversial statement, purportedly endorsing Ahmad Lawan as the consensus candidate, an announcement that was greeted with outright rejection by majority. He put fire on a dry roof. I guess the announcement was to scare away the roaring lion for an elephant to take possession of the jungle. But lion never quit.

The crushing lion recoiled to strategic class, maintained silence to sustain the superiority in the jungle.Even at silence, they still fear the lion the way I did the day my brother and I saw Isan Snake at farm. Other animals in the jungle ran to the biggest of the elephants. They feared the lion just the way I feared snake, either at hissing or sleeping (Silence). Not even the head elephant could kill the lion since it refused to leave the jungle. There is no any appropriate time again than now for the Yorubas to face the reality, accept Tinubu presidency as a collective responsibility to regain the loss glory of June 12.

Alli Ibraheem, ibsmall.ibrahim@gmail.com