The frenzy and razzmatazz that enveloped the well-coordinated activities of the two political conquistadors simply electrified the already pulsating atmosphere, as though some clay footed liberators that would take us, blindly, to the fabled El Dorado had just appeared, standing tall on the sacred mountain top, ready to sermonize and proselytize ogssians to make a hard choice between divergent ideologies that would enhance their intellectual well-being. It was, indeed, a hard choice to make, a good hand was needed to pilot the affairs of the elite Press Club in the real world, and not in a sublime clime of arbitrariness.
The permutations that were churned out by amateur political analysts and mischievous pundits defied logic. It was, however, not hyperbolic to concede the fact that no previous election that was held among the various societies in the annals of Government Secondary School, Owerri, had railroaded the entire school to the tumultuous abyss of suspense like the political battle between Prince Bath Obi, affectionately known as Nda Bartho and Chidi Elezieanya, aka Elenco.
The coveted prize was the position of president of the Press Club, the most influential club in the school, then. Of course, we had Senior Literary and Debating Society, Senior Lit, and other societies that were prominent. But the Press Club always lived up to its billing: “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Members of the Press Club were neither muckrakers nor paparazzi, but they never spared anyone who derailed from “the path of probity” in their well edited writeups, carton strips or editorials. Hence, various interest groups in the school had more than a passing interest in the election of the “egg head” that would oversee and superintend the affairs of the club.
Press Club was distinct from other societies as the pursuit of knowledge was its cardinal principle. It enjoyed a special place in the hearts of the school hierarchy. Most students preferred societies that would engage in endless social activities, especially, activities that would later snowball to electrifying dance steps in the airless and jampacked dance hall; with the great opportunity of sharing the floor with “bewitchingly beautiful” and shapely damsels of Federal Government Girls College and Owerri Girls Secondary School.
The Press club elections that preceded the contest between Prince Bath Obi and Chidi Elezieanya, also caused earth tremors in the school. The most memorable being the bitter contest between Tony Anyanwu, popularly known as Ajanto and another powerful political matador; however, its impact on the school paled into insignificance when compared to the fallouts of the excruciating power tussle between Nda Bartho and Elenco. Indeed, the contest between the duo (Prince Bath and Elenco) was so bitter that the contestants sized up themselves in debilitating “preliminary skirmishes” in a squared ring that had no umpires; a tournament that jettisoned the rules of engagements, leading to serious uproar in the school. The skirmishes raised tension between the supporters of the gladiators. Some Junior students even contemplated to ambush some senior students that were rooting for one of the contenders at Red Night to vent their spleen. It was that bitter! It was like a real political melodrama witnessed at the national level where UPN, NPN and NPP stalwarts slugged it out, throwing mud on one another.
Thankfully, the main show had ground rules, as well as rules of engagements, prompting the contenders to present their manifestoes and engage in brainstorming sessions with the electorate. The Assembly Hall was filled by enthusiastic students. Nda Bartho was charismatic, colourful and had a great carriage. He cherished his pedigree and relished his exaggerated blue-blooded accoutrements. His campaign team was well oiled, and his affections for junior students and disabled students compelled them to root for him, fanatically.
He pioneered the concept of “stomach infrastructure,” and junior students, who were accustomed to miserable rations in the refectory, offered their lives for his political ambition, as their tongues salivated for the well marinated broth of stockfish that he commissioned local chefs to prepare for his supporters, in anticipation of his victory.
Elenco was the candidate of the school’s political elite and senior boys, who detested Nda Bartho’s perceived arrogance, pomposity and lack of modesty. Elenco was a gifted wordsmith and a great orator, and members of the elite class that rooted for him were not ready to allow Nda Bartho to “ruin” the reputation of the Press Club, as they argued, beyond ear shots, that Bartho would not do justice to the rigid regime of the editorial arrangements of Press Club.
If the election was based on the dichotomy between “Up School” and “Down School,” Nda Bartho would have recorded a landslide victory as he was in Owerri House in the thickly populated “Down School,” which had eight houses (hostels) while Elenco was in Njemanze House in “Up School,” which had only “B” House, as “A” House and “C” house had been proscribed by the school authorities, then. But other factors influenced the outcome of the election in favour of Elenco: His oratory skills and informedness dazzled everyone, including Nda Bartho’s supporters.
Combining the elegance of Winston Churchill and the erudition of Emeka Ojukwu, Elenco, effortlessly, reeled out his manifesto, benumbing everyone and holding the entire hall spellbound. It was akin to listening to the great speech or rather “funeral dirge” of Mac Anthony after the murder of Julius Caesar by the “conspirators.”
Surprisingly, Nda Bartho was well prepared when he mounted the podium; he shamed his detractors who expected him to commit blunders. He was at his best, and he received a standing ovation that blew the rooftops away and led to earth tremors in the entire Owerri metropolis.
His artlessness and aura endeared him to the marginalized Junior boys. He must have memorized his speech as it lacked the spontaneity expected of seasoned veterans. Yet, he surpassed his previous records. And, when the results were announced, shock waves dazed the expectant junior students that stood by Nda Bartho, while members of the school’s elite class that cut across “Up School” and “Down School,” celebrated the defeat of Nda Bartho.
It was a night to be forgotten as the appetite to savour the stockfish evaporated into the thin air. Yes, the better candidate won, but the junior students felt that their world had, suddenly collapsed with the defeat of their hero, Nda Bartho.
ERASMUS NDULUE is a UK based climate activist, novelist, poet, and short story writer. He was the former Head of Department of Health, Safety, Environment and Security in an Oil Services company in Lagos, before relocating to UK.
