HOW TO LOSE AN ELECTION. By Vincent Bodam

Gideon Jock

"For politicians and aspiring politicians this is a lesson worth emulating. Politics is surely not a do or die affair. To contest in an election, unless it is not free and fair, losing is the second option and if that happens, life must go on and keeping malice and enmity is undesirable." Vincent Bodam 

"Therefore, it is my opinion that Gideon Jock has passed the test in the examination of How To Lose An Election."

Gideon Jock is a relatively unknown politician to many people including me. I never met the man but I heard so much about him and his sheer love for his people. 

His desire to assist his people according to sources was second to none. I learnt how he spent so much money on the people too which endeared him to the people. 

Then he burrowed into the murky waters of politics. The delegates who are lords every election year, did their magic. He aspired to contest for the House of Representatives to represent Zango Kataf/Jaba Federal constituency. We heard how a certain Gideon Jock rocked the boat, shook the table with his generosity and goodwill. As expected, his traducers bundled aspersions and questioned his source of wealth, which minorities always face anyway. But we learnt he was undaunted and continued his campaign. Being a new comer in the political arena, he had no other option but to use his war chest since he had it. 

Political analysts, will agree that in politics, all is fair once the purpose is achieved. 

Some delegates made sure he lost for very complicated conspiracy theories. After spending so much, it is usually expected that the politician in question would be vexed and may withdraw from the public. So it came to me as a surprise when I was invited to witness the man Gideon Jock commissioning a road he promised to fix in kwoi and I met him for the first time. We accompanied him and the show of love by his people was unprecedented and quite impressive. 

The chants of praise reverberated around Kwoi. The side comments by the people were that of admiration, awed that a loser of an election, will, in a matter of days come to see to his promise. 

In his speech, he told the people that he will do more roads and fix solar street lights to brighten the skyline at night. This is a clear case of politics without bitterness which is lacking in our context of politics. 

For politicians and aspiring politicians this is a lesson worth emulating. Politics is surely not a do or die affair. To contest in an election, unless it is not free and fair, losing is the second option and if that happens, life must go on and keeping malice and enmity is undesirable. 

Therefore, it is my opinion that Gideon Jock has passed the test in the examination of How To Lose An Election.