What God Cannot Do: Spiritual Bypassing and the February Elections

In different countries, the weather is an effective conversation starter. In Nigeria, however, nothing opens and sustains a conversation better than the term “Buhari.” Once tossed into the air, it blooms, swells with new life, and bursts into a heated debate. On this sweltering February afternoon, Buhari was again the center of discussion on our rickety bus.

The consensus?

Everyone was tired. February 25th, 2023 couldn’t come any faster. A new president was needed. Then, the pregnant coconut was broken: Are you going to vote?

“Vote, ke?” one man asked, “So they’ll shoot me dead on that day? My firstborn still dey SS1 biko.”

“Nna, thank you! I don collect voter’s card. I dey use am as ID. Person no dey comot my house that election day. Make them no use us as sacrifice for this nonsense country.”

“This election will be hot. But God pass them. PO go win. God go hear our cry.”

Everyone agreed. They would not vote, but PO will win. This interaction reminded me of a story whispered on my primary school playground. A childhood fable of sorts. The story of a boy who did not study but still ended up getting an A in his exams.