By FR. GERALD NWAFOR
Historically, we know that lies can change the course of events and even shape the way people understand their time, but lies do not last forever.I remember my primary school days when we were told, with absolute certainty, that you could not subtract four from two. Then we went to secondary school, where our teachers taught us otherwise.
We discovered that mathematics is more nuanced than the simple rule we had been given in primary school. What we were once told was impossible was, under the proper mathematical framework, perfectly possible.Going further, we were also taught in primary school that there were nine planets in our solar system.
Then, in 2006, the language and classification of our solar system changed significantly. Many people now say there are eight planets, while others include the recognized dwarf planets, such as Pluto, in the broader discussion. These examples may seem insignificant, but they remind us of something important: what people confidently tell us today is not necessarily the complete truth.
Truth has a way of correcting falsehood with time.Some days ago, someone claimed that Mrs. Margaret Obi, the wife of Mr. Peter Obi, was carrying a handbag worth £136,000. He reportedly presented this as one of the reasons for his decision to stop campaigning for Mr. Obi and to say that he would not vote for him in the 2027 presidential election.Within 24 hours, however, people familiar with the handbag, its designer, and its market value challenged that claim, saying that the bag was worth approximately $28,000 and could be purchased for less through certain retailers.
I do not want to challenge anyone’s decision not to vote for Mr. Peter Obi. Every citizen has the right to make his or her own political decision. But why make an inaccurate claim about something as trivial as a handbag? Mrs. Margaret Obi is a successful businesswoman by all reasonable accounts, and the price of her handbag does not, by itself, establish the character or policies of either her or her husband.“No lie can live forever” is not my original saying. It is a wisdom I learned from an Igbo elder who understood the enduring power of truth. Every lie, he said, has an expiration date. When asked why he insisted on speaking the truth in season and out of season, his answer was simple: falsehood may survive for a while, but it cannot survive forever.I sometimes wonder whether the political actors of our time understand this dictum, which has the force of an enduring truth.Recently, I have also heard claims that Mr. Peter Obi left office in 2014 with a large debt. I have watched some of the people making such claims struggle to explain and defend them. We do not need endless arguments. If there is a documented debt, let us see the documents. Show us the agreement, the borrowing instrument, the amount borrowed, the purpose of the borrowing, and the terms under which the money was obtained. Evidence should settle the matter.
The people of Eastern Nigeria are widely known for placing a high value on education. I sometimes jokingly say that it is difficult to find a family in Eastern Nigeria without at least two graduates—although, of course, even that statement should not be treated as a statistical fact without evidence.This is why I find it difficult to understand why claims about debts allegedly connected to a government that ended more than a decade ago continue to dominate political discussions. If such a debt exists, let the records speak.Another troubling aspect of these claims is that the amount said to be owed seems to change depending on who is making the argument and when the argument is being made. That inconsistency raises a simple question: What is the actual amount, and where is the evidence?I have also watched people attempt to defend Mr. Obi by comparing the money he reportedly left behind with the debts some people claim he left behind. If the state had money in its accounts and also had legitimate outstanding obligations, then the proper response is not political argument but financial accounting. Let the records show the income, expenditure, assets, liabilities, and obligations of the government at the point of transition.
I remember Mr. Obi making the argument that a thief would not ordinarily leave behind what he had the opportunity to steal. Whether one agrees with that argument or not, the appropriate way to examine it is through evidence rather than political rhetoric.There have been claims that money was left in various bank accounts, including accounts denominated in local and foreign currencies. If those claims are disputed, the answer should be simple: produce the official financial records and let the facts speak for themselves.Truth does not need propaganda to defend it. There were also many competing narratives during the Nigerian-Biafran War. Some of those narratives have remained deeply embedded in the memories of the people who experienced the war and their descendants.
Decades later, books, memoirs, archival materials, and historical research continue to challenge, confirm, or add context to some of those earlier accounts.This is how history works. What one generation accepts as unquestionable can be examined by another generation through documents and evidence.There are also competing claims about the international interests involved in the Nigerian Civil War, including the role of oil and foreign governments.
Such claims deserve serious historical examination rather than political slogans. The more evidence becomes available, the better we can understand what actually happened.An old Igbo wisdom says, in essence, that the person who betrays his brother should not assume that the person to whom he delivered his brother will necessarily trust him with his own life.Politics should not destroy relationships, communities, or the possibility of reconciliation.
The government has repeatedly said that political campaigns should be about issues. Yet, over the past several years, I have watched political arguments increasingly focus on personalities, accusations, counter-accusations, and attempts to discredit political opponents. If an accusation is true, provide the evidence. If it is false, withdraw it.
That should be the standard.I have seen this kind of political movie before. But what concerns me now is that people who come from the same region, and sometimes people who should understand one another better, are increasingly attacking one another publicly. We must ask ourselves: Where does this leave us after the election? Politics is temporary. Relationships, communities, and history remain.Finally, I say this: stand with the truth, no matter what the problem is. The person who stands with the truth is never truly alone. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” He also identified himself as the Son of God and, in the Gospel of John, as the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That is a little theology and semantics, but let us return to the basic issue.Our political elders and leaders should not be fighting one another as though politics were a war from which there is no return.
In recent weeks, I have read statements that I wish had never been made publicly. I have read what Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said about one of our own, and I have read what Nasir El-Rufai wrote about another person from our region. Whatever the political disagreements may be, public discourse should preserve a measure of civility and respect.I am less interested in the distribution of political positions and the sharing of the national cake than I am in the character of our political discourse and the way our political class treats one another. Those who see politics as a do-or-die affair should remember that there is life after politics.Tomorrow will come.
Some of the people who are attacking one another today may need one another tomorrow. Some may even return to the people they are criticizing today and ask for their votes. But words spoken today may remain in the memory of the people tomorrow.Our culture teaches us wisdom even in conflict: while fighting, preserve some strength for reconciliation. If we spend all our energy destroying one another, we may leave ourselves with no pathway back to peace.
Therefore, please, do not lie against one another simply for political gain. Do not destroy another person’s reputation because you disagree with his politics. Do not turn political disagreement into personal hatred. Bring evidence. Speak the truth. Allow the people to decide. Because, in the end, every lie has an expiration date.
