By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye
It is three o’clock in the afternoon in the City of Jerusalem, and time for the Jews’ evening sacrifice, when they offer something to God. Then two men were seen walking toward the Temple at that particular hour of prayer, and they were recognized as Peter and John.
Permit me to opine at this juncture that as a creative writer that I am through this piece following Peter who I will literarily liken to Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP).
As we near the Temple, we see that it is a very beautiful church. All around the outside are the porches, which are separated by rows of large pillars or posts. The floors are of marble of many colors. The pillars are so large that three men can hardly stretch their arms so as to meet around them. Some of the pillars are one hundred feet high. Along the walls we see seats for people to sit on, and all day long the people rest on the benches or move about between the pillars.
The Beautiful Gate, in this context, represents the entrance to Aso Rock which Peter Obi is headed to, come 2023, and as biblically described, it leads to the Temple, which is also likened to Aso Rock in this context, and it is made of dazzling brass, more costly than silver and gold, and it is very richly decorated. The double doors to this gate are so heavy that twenty men are needed to open and close them. Yes, it is not an exaggeration to opine that Aso Rock is heavily guarded by soldiers and other security personnel.
At this juncture, it is expedient to say that virtually all Nigerians that are jobless, hopeless and impoverished by ongoing political leadership are anxiously waiting for him and John who I imaginatively sees as Dr. Doyin Okupe, his just nominated running mate. From this imaginative perspective, there is no denying the fact that they have already won the election. Like a movement in the EndSars, which the phenomenal influence of Peter Obi has turned the Labor Party to since the last few weeks when he won the presidential ticket of the hitherto unpopular party, virtually every demographic segment of the population; particularly that of the youths, are forcefully moving with Peter as they literarily make their way to the Beautiful Gate. Virtually everyone is rooting for them as they have the collective leadership potentials and qualities to lead well. Let us imagine that Peter Obi has resoundingly won as indication suggests. There is no denying the fact that he has what it takes as a leader to always remind Nigeria of what he can do without money.
The foregoing cannot be farfetched as the biblical Peter in the bid to heal the lame man at the beautiful gate assured him thus, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk”.
Against the foregoing backdrop there is no denying the fact that a large spectrum of Nigerian population are sick from the figurative sense due to the influence of bad leadership, and it is only Peter Obi that can heal them upon his victory in 2023.
Just as many Nigerians are despondently looking for solution concerning their challenges, we see Peter Obi from an imaginative perspective talking to a lame man sitting near the Beautiful Gate. As biblically written, many, many years this poor crippled man has been carried to the Temple gate. Day after day he has been sitting there begging for money from those who come to the Temple. He is now over 40 years of age, but has never walked. What a sad life he has had!
Miraculously, He looks up at Peter. This man will give me a piece of money, he hopes just the way not many Nigerians are looking up to Peter Obi to share money in Ghana-must-go with them. But no! For an instant, Peter disappoints him by saying, “Silver and gold have I none.” But wait! Peter has more to say: “Such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
Without doubt, our political Peter, just like the biblical Peter is not coming to throw money around, but he is surely coming to figuratively heal virtually all Nigerians from the ailments which the ongoing leadership has afflicted them with through inept, myopic and clueless leadership style since the last 7 years.
