10 things any aspiring Nigerian politician must expect – Ex-senator

A former Nigerian senator, Shehu Sani, has released a list of 10 things he says any Nigerian who wants to go into politics must expect.

The list, some of which could appear weird to a non-Nigerian, reveal the idiosyncrasies of Nigerian politics which deter many Nigerians from getting involved.

Mr Sani, who lost reelection in 2019, said the list was an advice to a man who sought his advice on what to expect if he joins politics.

The ex-senator published the post on his Facebook page.

See the full post below.

A man who was fed up with the failures of Our leaders wants to join politics, he asked me to tell him TEN things he should expect:

1. Enough money to spend on party Exco to get the party ticket and still no certainty they will vote for you.
2. Answer every call and honour every public invitation and still no certainty you will be their favoured choice.
3. Party thugs in your home, offices and wherever you go and you must endure their irresponsible and immoral behaviour.
4. Discomfort and no time for yourself and your family as you are always meeting with people, going to people or running away from people.
5. You will have to learn to endure insults and campaign of calumny and all-out war against your person and character by political adversaries and their sponsored men on Radio, on Tv and Online.
6. Your political opponents will dig into your past and that of your parents and bring them out to the public and if there is no dirt, they will invent a dirty past for you and sell it to the public. If you are a woman be ready to hear the names of the men you know and the ones you never know as people who once ‘slept with you’. If you are a man, your commitment to your faith and the origin of your grandparents will all be scrutinized and possibly distorted to make a “good bad story”. They will reach out to all the schools you attended in search of any evidence of forgery or misconduct in the past. If you had any history of sickness or divorce or criminal issues in your life or career all will be made public.
7. Be ready to be betrayed or backstabbed by people you like, you believed in, you supported, you helped or you nurtured as they can switch side at any moment of their convenience.
8. Be ready to go into debt in order to oil your political machine and be ready to sell your properties, assets or shares that you spent most part of your life trying to acquire, all to ensure you have steady supply of money as you move on.
9. Be ready to hear that the man who promised to support you in the day is meeting with your opponents in the night. Be ready to pretend to believe a man even if he or she is lying.
10. Be ready to stress your heart, your brain and your body system beyond their limits. Be ready to receive daily stories of plots against you, mischief against you and threats to your life and that of your family every day.
11. Be ready for the rough and tough road.

WHEN YOU SEE POLITICIANS, THIS HAS BEEN THEIR LIFE AND STORY.