It was six months into the students’ union parliamentary year at Wayfield College, and caucuses had begun to form in anticipation of the next year's parliament. Politicking, consultations, and permutations gradually started among the student union senators for the next election scheduled to come up in four months’ time. However, in my faculty, there was a vacant position to be filled as the former occupant had just been withdrawn from the institution on account of poor academic performance. Only a few people in the faculty knew about the vacant position, and a second-year student thus approached me for consideration.
Being in my penultimate year, one of the legacies I could leave behind was to groom vibrant student leaders into positions of authority.
"Senator Pankshap, I would appreciate it if I were considered for the vacant position of the student union senate council representing our faculty." Plangkat pleaded.
He had waited for me to come by the faculty cafeteria before approaching me just after eating. I looked hard at him, indecisive of what to do. He was blessed with a strong body physique witha composure of maturity that emanated an aura of visionary leadership. Here was a twenty-three-year-old young, vibrant man in 200L who coincidentally happened to be from my tribe, showing interest in beginning his leadership career at the students union; however, the vacant position needed to be declared open for the faculty.
"What experience do you have, and why the interest at this early stage?" I asked, probing to know a little about him.
"I was the class representative in my freshman year of college, and it has always been my desire to serve the students through unionism." Plangkat replied solemnly.
I knew what he was asking of me was difficult, but not impossible. He wanted me to manipulate his entry into the student union senate council. I was not heavily built but i had the love amd loyalty of my constituency. My influence could buy him a smooth ride into the Senate Council (SC) without raising much dust, and he was my tribesman (I have always had a preference for my tribesmen whenever opportunities arose).
"Alright, I will see what I can come up with. Give me some time to make some consultations." I responded, dismissing him off with the humble appreciations he threw at me. The faculty executive president and speaker were my classmates and friends, and they would not deny me any request I brought before them. As expected, a letter was written with the faculty name, and I convinced the faculty executive president and speaker to sign the letter nominating Plangkat to the exalted students’ union senate parliament, which was due to dissolve in a couple of months.
Soon, Plangkat was sworn in to the Senate Council (SC) after my letter was delivered to the Senate President on the floor of the house. Plangkat soon began attending sittings as a SC member; however, he sat some distance away from my caucus, which I was indifferent about. Plangkat soon began to gain relevance among the other fifty-three SC members, and I must admit, he was a great orator who could sweet-talk anybody. Perhaps this was politics—the game of convincing. He, however, began to trash some requests we raised with the SC, claiming that the requests were trivial and he would handle them. This earned him the admiration of other SC members in other faculties; however, unknown to them, not a single one of those items was eventually provided.
About three months later, when the drums of election rolled gently within the institution, declarations of interests began to fly and the politicking got frenzy. I reiterated my interest in becoming the deputy senate president to my co-senate council members, and this was well received. However, I initially heard and quickly dismissed a rumor that Senator Plangkat had declared his interest in returning to the next session of the Senate and contesting for the position of Senate President. Not too long after, however, the news had become real, and it was rumored that my faculty was divided against itself. I sent for Sen. Plangkat, but he would not oblige. Eventually, I caught up with him after one of his lectures.
"I sent for you, but you did not oblige. I have heard of your intention to vie for the post of Senate president. I’m sure you know about my interest already. I have considered the odds; our faculty is not ripe yet for the post of Senate President, and the permutations will not favor us if you or any other person contests for that post right now." I said to him:
"My amiable distinguished senator, sir, there is nothing stopping us from having that mandate right now. Give me this opportunity; I have ambition for the exalted student union president itself and ultimately the chairman of the Nigerian Association of Plateau State Students (NAPSS). I will need your support by stepping down and championing my course." Sen. Plangkat replied.
"I admire your ambitions. Like I said earlier, the odds will be against us if we vie for Senate president as a faculty. I do not mind stepping down from my ambition of deputy senate president for you. I will gladly support you and mobilize support for you. I’m certain it will be a floorless win for us." I said this in an attempt to convince him otherwise.
"Respected leader, I will not contest for anything less than the Senate president!" He replied sternly.
"If that is the case, senator, I will not step down either to lose this opportunity for the faculty to be represented among the principal officers of the Senate." I equally affirm
"To the race, then senator, let the better candidate emerge." Plangkat replied, turned, and walked out.
I stood there, confused and betrayed. In the subsequent days that followed, especially when the screening days got close, Plangkat sought me out to convince me to step down for him, but I did not give in. He used false propaganda and threatened to use his influence with the vice chancellor of the college to win the race. All these while, my efforts were geared towards ensuring my position of influence with outgoing senators and those that aspired to be senators was secured and probably accentuated. At a point in time, he made a statement that shocked me to my marrow: "Everybody has a skeleton in their wardrobe, and for those that do not have one, one can always be created."This was the height of desperation, as I realized he was willing to go to any length to secure that position.
Some loyal students of mine in my faculty, even among his classmates, began to raise concerns and allegations against him. Petitions were raised against him, and it was then that I discovered he had misappropriated some funds while he served as class captain of the freshman year students, among other allegations. Eventually, on the screening day, Senator Plangkat was screened out for reasons unknown, but I deduced that the petitions and some powerful influences who wanted the Senate President position for another faculty member on campus had a hand in it. I got to know that he went back to his hostel and wept for being disqualified.
And you can guess right: I had a floorless win to become the deputy senate president. Plangkat kept avoiding me during the remaining one year I had in school and as a principal officer, and occasionally, when we met by coincidence, he would not oblige my greeting. Two years after my tenure and graduation, our faculty won the post of students’ union president. I got to know Plangkat was withdrawn from the school for not being able to meet academic demands after he found his way to the position of chairman of NAKSS with allegations of financial misappropriation.