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Election Day...
Seun stood in front of the ballot box and thought hard. Of the three candidates contesting for the presidency, he couldn't think of one who was more qualified than the others.
Chuks was a brilliant young chap, and he had an easy going character. But the same could be said of Ade and Juliet. They were both brilliant, young, and an argument could be made that they were easy going as well.
Ade was a more popular figure however, primarily because his dad once headed the University Alumni association. The name Balogun alone, which was his family name, could pull a lot of votes in his favour. Seun flipped this knowledge over in his head... It could be said that Ade had a comparative edge...
His thoughts moved to Juliet. What did she have going for her? She was the only female candidate, yes, but that didn't necessarily put her at a disadvantage, or an advantage for that matter. Maybe it was a slight positive, he admitted, as the feminist inclined associations had seemed to stand behind her during the electoral debates. He stirred the thought over in his mind... If she didn't win, he concluded, it would definitely not be from a lack of support.
But Chuks... Chuks was the most likely to lose among all the candidates. He was as qualified as the other two, no doubt, but he really had nothing going for him. No social pull, no family name, just vibes and a good name.
The more Seun thought about it, the more he felt pity for Chuks. He was a brilliant student who was, admittedly just like the others, tailor made for the post. But his only flaw was his lack of a unique edge.
Seun sighed and casted his ballot...
Results...
It was a cold evening. The elections had taken most of the day, and most of the students had retired to their quarters to refresh before the results were announced. Now finally, it was time.
Seun stood close to the podium where the electoral officers were positioned. He had in his hands a small mug from which he sipped hot coffee, an attempt to keep the cold away. The voice of the announcing officer bellowed from the speakers..
"A total of twelve thousand, four hundred and sixty two votes were cast. Of those votes, the valid votes amounted to seven hundred and..."
Seun thought back to his decision. He wondered if he had done the right thing. Maybe he could have used his vote better, maybe not... It was not something he could change now anyway...
"and with four thousand, six hundred and sixty six votes, Adebayo Balogun..."
Seun suddenly came alive. No, it couldn't be. He held his mug half way to his mouth, with his lips slightly parted, as he held his breath... Then it came...
"and with a total of six thousand, two hundred and twenty four votes, the winner, and new President of the Student Union Government, Chuks Emeka Samuel."
Seun could not believe it. The underdog! He had stood at that ballot box and he had thought, one vote... one vote just so Chuks would not lose with a ridiculous record at the end...
But the same thought had crossed the mind of six thousand other voters... apparently...
For against the odds... Chuks would be sworn-in tomorrow...
THE END
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