The Campaign Trail

Chapter Fourteen

75 Chapter Fourteen rior to this day, the prevailing hysteria could have made one believe that this would be a special day, unlike any others. It could be imagined that on such a day, the sun might turn red or green or any other colour. Would it be like the apocalyptic biblical day of total confusion when the dead and the living would both walk the streets? No, this was far from it. The morning of Election Day was quite a normal one. Chopli the bird played its normal timekeeping role, announcing the daybreak as did the cock. All domestic life went about busily in its routine manner. Shopkeepers opened their stores early to do some fast business before the injunction hour of 8a.m required them to shut their stalls. Fervent Christians went to church for Sunday worship. The slight difference was that bidding prayers centred on the need for peace in the country. The church service on this day was earlier than usual to permit people to come out early. The difference was that campaigning was over and people were not crowding together like before. There was a sort of reverential silence and low peak in all conversations. People were heeding the instructions from the Head of Administration that no gathering should be found anywhere on this day, lest it be treated as a disturbance of the public peace. The army and police had been mobilised in all the corners of the republic to ensure that order prevailed. Everything was in place for the election. Ballot boxes had been dispatched to all the polling stations well ahead of time. In enclave areas, militants had been paid to carry them on their heads and trek the long distances. Wherever these boxes went, security officers accompanied them. The opposition P 76 also took nothing for granted. They sent their representative to ascertain that all was well in their favour At the Ndindi polling station, where Jampassdie had to cast his vote, the ballot box was displayed in the open yard of the market square. The Great Ruling Party did this to show the world that this country was a model in transparency. All the parties were represented in the various commissions. Despite the injunction order against gatherings, some of Jampassdie’s thugs decided to loiter around the main entrance into the polling stations. Their aim was to pinch the illiterate voters and remind them of the colour of their ballot papers. Some of the militants, despite every good faith, had difficulty learning their lessons. Though this colour had been explained to them over and over during campaign rallies, there was still much ignorance of the procedure. This was the case with Nini Fukun. The thug did the rehearsal exercise with her several times, but when she had to do a little test she kept failing. “You will be given three cards, one is red, one is white, and one is green. Choose only the green one which is as fresh as a cocoyam leaf. You will find a bag hanging down on the wall to your right. This is a waste paper bag meant for dirty things. This is where you will throw away the other two dirty and useless ballot papers which both belong to the party in power. They belong to the selfish politicians who have caused us a lot of suffering and frustration. Take only that nice green one, that of the party of hope, that of Comrade Jampassdie, and put it gently into the envelope in your hand. Then move outside calmly and proudly to drop it into the ballot box, in plain sight of everybody. If you do just what I have told you, Mama, then you will shoot down the dictator because that green ballot paper has more power than a gun. Have you understood me, Mama?” 77 “Yes, my son,” she answered. “If yes, can you repeat all that I have explained to you, so that I can be sure that you will follow the instructions correctly?” the thug asked. “I think you have said that I should put some papers that I will be given into an envelope. Then I will put all of them into a dirty bag and walk out as proudly as one who has caught an elephant. Is this not in short the long story you have been singing into my ears?” Mama replied with confidence...