Inadvisability Of Failed Gubernatorial Aspirants To Embark On Wild Goose Chase To Agu Awka Government House (OPINION)
By Isaac Asabor
There is no denying the fact that the phrase, “Wild goose chase”, simply means a hopeless quest. The phrase is noted to be a plethora of Shakespearian phrases which was first recorded in Romeo and Juliet in 1592: The dialogue where it was mentioned was theatrically acted by Romeo, Shakespearian character in the book, Romeo. He was recorded to have said, “Switch and spurs, switch and spurs; or I’ll cry a match”.
Responding to the foregoing, Mercutio, another character in the book replied, “Nay, if thy wits run the wild-goose chase, I have done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five”.
Interpretatively put, the use of “Wild goose chase” in any form of communication as it is being used in this context alludes to an undertaking which will probably prove to be fruitless. It is metaphorically used to explain how hard and unimaginable it is for someone to achieve anything that is more doomed to failure just exactly the same way it is for anyone to catch a wild goose by chasing after it.
However, an etymological school of thought has it that an earlier meaning, different from the one drawn from Shakespearian context relates to horse racing. It posited that a “Wild goose chase” was a race in which horses followed a lead horse at a set distance, mimicking wild geese flying in formation.
Without dwelling much on the etymology of the phrase, it is expedient to recall in this piece that “The 1978 film ‘The Wild Geese’ unarguably refers back to Irish mercenaries who ‘flew’ from Ireland to serve in various European armies in the 16th to 18th centuries. The plot of the film involved a group of mercenaries embarking on a near-impossible mission. Of course, the near-impossible is no problem for action heroes and they caught their prey.
Against the foregoing etymological analysis for ease of clarity, it is not an exaggeration to say that since Anambra State Governor-elect, Chukwuma Soludo, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), won the gubernatorial election that was stiffly contested, and emerged victorious in 19 of the 21 local government areas of the state, that some candidates who contested on the platforms of other political parties registered for the election have been making moves to ensure that he (Soludo) does not occupy Agu Awka Government House come March 2022.
Pondering over their surreptitious and mischievous moves since Soludo was announced to be the incoming governor in the state, I must confess that I have been obsessed with one of the experiences drawn from my Secondary School days that I wish is by now forgotten as it would always evoke sad memories. Anecdotally put, one of my classmates in those days was always seen by some envious and lazy students to have cheated in any examination he sat for even when he worked hard. I hope this is not the way the failed gubernatorial candidates that are running to the court to challenge Soludo’s victory are perceiving him?
Against the backdrop of the needless contention over who is the winner in the bygone gubernatorial election; particularly as the victory package has already being sealed and delivered to Soludo, it is expedient to remind those candidates that still do not want to believe that they have lost in the election to remember the popular refrain in the Christendom which says “When God Says Yes, Nobody Can Say No!” “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us”, according 2 Corinthians 1:20.
What a great promise of God we have today in 2 Corinthians 1:20. We see that for no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.
To personalize the scripture in the name of Soludo, it is expedient to say that in Revelation 3:14, the Lord Jesus is called the “Amen.” We know that a promise is an oral or written agreement to do or not to do something, and in the promise to Soludo concerning Anambra State, God assured him that He is dedicated to fulfil all His promises, by a Yes and Amen!
The reason for the foregoing ecclesiastical perspective to strengthen this view cannot be farfetched as the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is a motto that emphasizes the importance of self-initiative and agency. The expression is known around the world and is used to inspire people for self-help. The phrase originated in ancient Greece as “the Gods help those who help themselves” and may originally have been proverbial. It is illustrated by two of Aesop’s Fables and a similar sentiment is found in ancient Greek drama. Although it has been commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the modern English wording appears earlier in Algernon Sidney’s work. The fable, no doubt, is strongly buttressed in Proverbs chapter 21 verse 31 which says, “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD”. Against the foregoing backdrop, it is expedient to say that Soludo has for long prepared his horse for the battle before his traducers adjudged themselves to be qualified for the battle that was literarily fought on November 6, 2021.
It would also be recalled that on the heels of his victory that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), described his victory at the Anambra State governorship election as the will of God. He said, “Let me say that with utmost humility and gratitude to God, I accept the result of the 2021 Anambra governorship election, as declared by INEC, and this victory reflects the supreme will of the Almighty God and the overwhelming sacred mandate of the people.”
Given the foregoing view, it is inadvisable for failed gubernatorial aspirants in the election to embark on wild goose chase to Agu Awka Government House. Rather, I suggest they should look for ways in which the winner can be supported for Anambra to be greater than it is. They should eschew from making it look as if it is a Do-or-die-affair.
