scandals the invincible hands that kill Political Careers -Odunze Reginald C

Pictures credited to Wikipedia.

In his daily book ministration, titled “Daily manna” Dr Chris Kwakpovwe noted that in life, one should endeavor to avoid the “3 great F that can finish a man or woman prematurely 1. Females (women) 2. Fame (inordinate ambition or desire for greatness and pursuits of titles instead of God and 3. Fortune (love of money and inordinate desire to be rich”

This is in partial agreement with James Schwartz in his book “The magic of getting what you want” Schwartz noted that there are three most important things in life, Women, Money and Religion, he went on saying that with women, you create life, with money, you maintain the life you created and with religion you still have hope that you are going to have life after death.  He went on to say that these three derivatives have been responsible for the rise and fall of men from ages past.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has signal the commencement of electoral campaign across the nation. By this directive, political parties and political office seekers are now free to campaign for the 2015 election in to respective political offices in the federation.

But one thing that always happens during political campaign is the issue of scandals, we cannot forget in hurry, the Watergate scandal, the willow gate scandal and other numerous scandals that engulf political office seekers throughout the globe.

A classic example is the case of Senator Gary Hart, In the 1987, a bright young man, a senator, an American diplomat, politician, lawyer, author, professor and commentator was positioned to be the next American President. According to Tom Fiedler “Gary Hart, 50, announced his quest for the presidency April 13 at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with a promise as lofty as the backdrop: “All of us must try to hold ourselves to the very highest standards of integrity and ethics, and soundness of judgment... ”

According to Wikipedia “ In late April, 1987, an anonymous informant contacted The Miami Herald and told the paper that Hart was having an affair, provided details about the affair, and told the Herald that Hart was going to meet his lover at his Washington DC townhouse the next Friday, May 1. As a result, a team of Herald reporters staked out the townhouse that evening and the next Saturday, and observed a young woman and Gary Hart together. The Herald reporters confronted Hart on Saturday evening in an alley; he denied that he was having an affair. That woman was later identified as Dona Rice. That ended Gary Hart’s presidential ambition paving way for George W Bush who later became the president and political jargon came in “The sin of the Gary Hart”

Back here in Nigeria, we all know how the glorious career of CP Fidelis Oyakhilomi ended because of his affair with Jennifer Madike and the in glorious release of a drug baron when he was the chairman of Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA. And in the political circle, the Salisu Buhari Gate and Ete Gate are still fresh in our minds.

The late Elder statesman, Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo noted that he owed his success in life through three things, the grace of God, a Spartan self discipline and a good wife, continuing in his Path to Wisdom, he stated that for you to survive in life and be a successful man, you must eschew over eating, alcoholic and drug indulgence and stay clearly away from the sin of womanizing.

In an article captioned “How Gary Hart’s Downfall Forever Changed American Politics” which appeared in the New York Times of September 18, 2014, Matt Bai noted that “Hardly a modern scandal passed, whether it involved a politician or an athlete or an entertainer, that didn’t evoke inevitable comparisons to Hart among reflective commentators. In popular culture, Gary Hart would forever be that archetypal antihero of presidential politics: the iconic adulterer.”

In an article by Vanity Fair titled Find out What Became of These 16 Sex-Scandal Survivors! Jennifer Wright stated that   “Today Donna Rice Hughes serves as president and C.E.O. of Enough Is Enough, anti-porn nonprofit that works to make the Internet more wholesome.” But to me she ended the political career of the finest president America will ever have.

Remember the scandal of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky   and reacting to Clinton scandal Dona Rice opined that “My heart really goes out to Monica Lewinsky or anyone who gets caught in an international scandal,” Hughes said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Beast.

As political office seekers grapple with the electioneering campaign, they should bear in mind that they are now public figures and as such their movements are closely monitored by their political opponents. They are under public scrutiny and as such this is the time to make integrity, their watch word not like Gary Hart who stated that   “All of us must try to hold ourselves to the very highest standards of integrity and ethics, and soundness of judgment... ” But he failed in all of them, his failure signaled a jargon  known as “monkey business” coined from the name of the yatch he was seen with Dona Rice.

From this little presentation, it can be seen that what Chris Kwakpovwe and James Schwartz noted above has been the greatest  killer of political aspirations right from the Biblical time, as Judge like Sampson also failed due to the power behind the thighs of women.

Many commentators have noted, there are only two things that can kill a man, women and money. So as you make that political move, bear in mind that you are a product of your party, they have invested heavily on you, the success of your party purely depends on you, their product, you are like a brand. When you fail, due to scandal, it may create a serious political loss and the signal of a political doom.

Culled from reginaldodunze.blogspot.com