Like Judas Like Nigerian Politicians

The story of a Nigerian politician is the story of Judas, of betrayal. Judas is the patron saint of Nigerian politicians, a progenitor of Original Betrayal. Nigeria politics is an industry of betrayal, squander, and failure. In Judas every greedy Nigeria politician is implicated. Nigerian Politicians do not betray because Judas betrayed. Rather, whenever they betray they do what Judas did. Judas betrayed his master; our politicians betray our sacred votes. If Jesus hadn’t chosen Judas he wouldn’t have betrayed him. Jesus needed Judas because betrayal was the condition of His cross. We owe apologies to our politicians for electing them if we ever did.

Like Nigeria politicians, the theologian John told us that Judas was a pilferer, always helping himself from the apostolic purse. Judas remains a symbol of politicians who design nice policies with ulterior motive, those who betray public trust and squander public naira. We first knew Judas as an advocate for the poor. This is how every Nigeria politician makes his debut.

From the scriptures, we learnt that Judas was a financial speculator in the circle of The Twelve called by Jesus to inaugurate the reign of God. Judas’ nativity gave him an edge over other apostles. Coming from Judea, Judas was the only apostle that came outside of Galilee.  He was more experienced in financial matters and had no rivalry within a group dominated by former fishermen and tax-collector. Politicians are just privileged few, beneficiaries of missionary scholarship who have lost touch with how they began. Others occupy positions on quota and not merit basis. Others are by the virtue of being in-laws.

Judas was zealous of his job. He proposed an austerity requiring monetization of the lavish gifts to his master to boost foreign reserve for the poor. At Bethany he was angry at red-carpet reception organized for his master by family friends- Lazarus, Mary and Martha.  Judas was quick to set a price upon it. As the coordinating minister of economy, he reasoned that it didn’t make economic sense wasting money on presidential comfort while the treasury of poverty alleviation ministry was empty. Judas was a spokesman of all those who through the centuries  would protest the ornamentation of the Christian cult and would feel that when the best of gold and jewels were given to God Who made them, there was slight made to the poor- not because they are interested in the poor but because they are envious of the wealth.

And like every politician, Judas never knew he was all that bad but he knew he could be bad. That is why at the Last Supper when Jesus announced that one of them would betray him, while other asked: ‘Is it I Lord?’, Judas asked: ‘Is it I Master?’ No politician can be sure of his innocence before public tribunal. While every politician could be sure he/she is a traitor, yet no one can be sure he is not. Like deadly ambitious politicians, Judas concealed his turpitude and greed from fellow confidants. Jesus revelation of his plan could not deter him from consummating his evil plan. He lost focus when he took his morsel because devil can only possess a willing heart. Through subservience politicians buys confidence from a sitting executive and use it to plot his downfall.

Led by Satan at Last Supper, Judas instead of going out to buy, had gone to sell nor would it be for the poor he would minister, but to the rich in charge of the temple treasury. Judas went out and it was dark- a fitting description for a deed of darkness. When he moved away Christ, he moved away from the light and continued to stumble in the darkness of his choice.

Power, like money, is neutral until a politician acts on it. Holding public office is a call to public witness. When politicians go to represent people think like the apostles that they are going to get something for the poor that voted them in but they go out of their way. At elections, they appear as the best persons to have happened to their people.  Gullible citizens like the apostles will think that he has gone to buy not knowing that he has gone to sell their destiny. But offices soon become morsels that see them move away from the light of public interest to the darkness of egotism. Their interests run parallel to people’s interest. They become self centred; love only pleasure not joy; hate their wives, their husbands, prefer sleeping outside. Like Jesus going to high priest and elders of the people, politicians associate with economically promising- contractors, big office holders, business concerns. From kickbacks of offices they begin to nurse another agenda of betraying even godfathers that foist them on people’s intelligence.

The first to detect their drift are always the learned like Jesus knew Judas had gone to sell. That is why it doesn’t take time and you see sitting politician falling out with the elites of the society.

And like Judas, they discover their mistake of late. They find it difficult to apologize because they have grown pride. It happened to Hitler and happens to every politician who leaves the cult of public expectation in search of his own gain. Public expectation is like a deity; no one swallows a deity without vomiting it.

A politician is a mystery unto himself. He knows that within his heart there lie, coiled and dormant, serpents that at any moment would sting the public with their poison. But no politician believes at any time that this latent behavior is already in action. He does not tolerate opposition or criticism because he believes his crimes are always covered.

If Jesus were a Nigerian, he would tell our politicians: Accept My Apology for Electing You’.