Garin Mazugal

Chapter 11

Chapter 11.
The town hall in Mazugal bore semblance to a bride, spoilt of financial options. It was beautifully embroidered with clothes and fittings expressively provided by Alh. Sabiu. The walls were decorated with the colors of the party giving it, in the words or Alhaji Sabiu,a very "homely appearance". Monies was thrown about to ensure the success of the primary elections. Rows of seats were placed side by side with a table of drinks providing the icing on the cake. It was all beauty and splendor. Delegates numbering about 376 trooped into the hall,varying expressions quietly nestling the edge of their faces. Some wore looks of apprehension,anxiety sort of,while others, filled with confidence, fuelled by their attachment to agents of rigging and official manoeuvring,smiled, laughed and cracked jokes too absurd to describe. Others were just passive; not to apprehensive and not overexcited. These ones just needed a few paper greasing. Their loyalty will be subsequently given to those with the biggest pockets. Alhaji Iro,being the chairman of the party, acted as chairman of the elections committee, a clear contravention of the principles of accountability. What many didn't know was that Iro wanted the seat for himself. Mai Naira is their candidate...at least in the open. Alhaji Sabiu also wanted the seat for himself. It was hard to tell if each knew of other's ambition but it was very clear that they didn't trust each other. They never like each other in the first place. Alhaji Iro saw Sabiu as someone with too much money and very little sense. He constantly asks himself how a dunce like Sabiu came into so much money in life. It looked or felt impossible to him. Either ways, Sabiu will be given the impression of being a party chieftain,his monies financing almost 'everything "..." but this everything is my ambition kawai Alhaji" Iro reminisced. A wry smile stretched and etched itself,beginning carefully and later climaxing into the sort of things children do when they think of the bowl of com flakes they were promised if they kept their mouths shut. Sabi'u on the other hand,saw iro as something to be used for money rituals. He spent his monies clinging to the diabolic hope of recouping every single dime after presenting his head to Baba Audu Mugun Aiki for onward transmission to the land of the spirits. There, a pepper soup is made with the head and the more time it takes the spirits to eat the soup, the more money he gets.
"So eat,my Friend. I want you fat before you're dead!"
Soliloquy.
Mai Naira saw them as devils united against him. He saw them as a threat to anything he has planned. He made the resolve to kill both using the instruments of  power,the coercive force of democratically elected public office. The 3 however put up a very commendable act, a fake friendship, fake smiles, numerous failed poison attempts and curses buried under breathe! They didn't want outsiders to know of the mind games going on because however remote it'd be,it was in their best interest that the party should win the elections.
  It was 10:00am. The time for the elections primaries. Alhaji Iro walked out looking very assured, his gait oozing authority and class. He wore a smile that confused the delegates more than his choice of shoes for that day. His shoe was a curved,sharp edged blazers that sparkled under sunlight after minutes of bathing in shoe polish. This wasn't it however. Alhaji Iron wore two different colors of the same shoe.. reasons for which nobody knew. The other members of the electoral committee trooped in alongside him. Alhaji Iro sat in the middle where the mic was located being the chairman. He cleared his throat before switching the mic on and still cleared it after! Alhaji was just bring weird! The other members of the committee took their seats. Alhajis Mai Naira and Sabiu sat close to each other. They cracked jokes and made effort to burst into irrepressible bouts of laughter,loud ones,to be in character. This was however, few minutes before Alhaji Iro and his committee members arrived.
Alhaji Iro looked around the hall to make sure things were "in order". He is that kind of a person. He quickly noticed Barau's absence and asked the closest person to him. The person's reply was empty. Alhaji Iro didn't append special importance to it. He just shrugged his shoulders, believing in Barau's capacity and ability to get things done.
" Maybe he was holed up some where "

"Salaamun alaikum wa rahmatullah(greetings)" Iro started. "We give thanks to Allah who has guided us to this day...."

Predictable. The delegates were all familiar with this skill. Using the name of the Almighty to put people off their pedestal,weaning them off any form resistance they've planned and smartly using a micro second to achieve what they want. The delegates were eager to get started and didn't hide it..

"You see, the blessings of Allah are numerous. We can stand,eat....."

" A fara! (Start)"

A delegate seating at the extreme end of the hall shouted.

"Aaah,okay. We're starting now"

Iro said. Anger,a tinge of anger resonating in his voice.
Accreditation started and all the delegates were sorted out. They were asked to leave the hall because of "an electrical fault" .They moved to the roofed garage inside the building that housed the town hall. When everyone of them got there,the lights went out. Everywhere was pitch dark. The delegates were confused. Those in the know didn't fret. They smiled knowingly. A little voice came with the dimly lit light of a torch.

"Delegates,listen"

he addressed them.

"We don't need to waste our time. I have with me 200,000 mazugal dollar courtesy of Alhaji Iro. Just vote for our candidates. Do that and we'll all go home happy. Moreover, he promised all of you,all,everyone, contracts when he is in power. There's nothing or no offer that can be better than this. The monies are here. Everyone should come claim his. They did. Very quickly."

Immediately after this,the " electrical fault"was fixed. Everyone returned to his seat, smiling at the reality that dawned on them.

"We're sorry for the faults but thank God it has been rectified."

Iro said "Voting commences immediately"

In 30 minutes, votes were made collated,and results were prepared. Iro was about to announce the results when the hall went dark. This time,Iro and others had nothing to do with this. Thinking it was a genuine fault, an electrician was told to go check it up.

"Be calm delegates, our electrician is checking things up"

Some naive delegates felt or thought it was part of the plot. They were smiling thinking that it was more money to them. Those in the know were a bit disturbed.

"Wayoooooo!" Came the electrician's voice. A loud thud accompanied. Fear gripped everyone. Beads of sweat took delight in travelling round the faces of humans in the hall. Then the lights came. The hall was surrounded by dirty looking thugs with different kinds of crude but effective weapons. They said nothing and did nothing but place their hands of their lips motioning the delegates to keep shut. Iro was scared and confused. Nobody expected this! The leader of this invasion moved towards Iro. He brought out a pair of pliers from his pocket and massaged Iro's finger with it. Iro cried and shouted. The leader, seeing Iro's helplessness decided to compound his situation by revealing his identity. He lifted the veil covering his face and Iro almost died of shock.

"Barau?" "Baraaau?"