Satirizing Elections in Nigeria: The Masked Twin

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Ancient drums roll roughly in cackling tunes
The masked dance contest begins
A weird puzzle to solve
A definite answer already given anyway
Masked twin dancing for a T shirt
Twins of same cabal, same blood
Old tested and failed cargoes
Deceiving the masses with new dancing steps, practiced by old legs
The masses a bewildered set of people
Throwing bananas at over-rated monkeys.

At fourth intervals they come
Knocking at our door with old gospels, rendered in new-honey tongues
Women on outworn wrappers would sway their slender waist
Sing sonorous tunes
And stamp their foot ; in celebration of gift items
Adverts of hunger!

Little gift that would pave way to protracted hardship
Thin hunger-stricken waists enclosed in double wrappers
Empty brains covered in big flashy weavons
The rented village women will climb the waiting bus after their show of support
And that ‘id be the last they would see the town until the next fourth interval

The masked twins
Locked away in glamorous tinted prison of hilux
Guarded by overpaid wardens
They would do the smiles
Dance lame their old wizened waist
Wave their five fingers in waka or goodbye: I don’t know which,
While the intelligent dancers look on sadly
At the thirsty biased umpires and hungry bought over spectators
Holy ministers would shamelessly hang change and bureau de change
Haven eaten and drunk the corrupt communion
Offered by the masked gladiators
They must now reserve blood to spit waters
Lest they run into debt
The holy book read upside down
Contest for the golden T shirt

Today Nigerians wait in bated breath
For announcement of the overdue disfigured figures.
Too well, we know, none makes a difference
Yet we must seek a new face in every new mask
And practice our new smiles and cheers for the old ill fits
To hope is not a sin.

The dance we need is a revolutionary dance
Where broken old waist dare not enter the contest
The tune we need is a weird revolutionary tune
A dance that would feature intelligent men
Democracy ,sometimes, is not the best form of government
Actually, I know my voice is
a distant tune, echoing in an empty room
Who will occupy?
Can we defeat the Masked twin?


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