A Man of the People

Cars are a status symbol that hint at success. Nanga has a limousine that, when borrowed by Odili, grants him access to places that might otherwise have been off-limits, such as the hospital. Odili’s father wants him to become a civil servant so that he can get a car. When Odili was young he wanted a car, and he finally gets one as the C.P.C. candidate, though it is destroyed by the Nangavanga, thugs that support Chief Nanga. Odili’s own bodyguards want an extra twenty-five pounds from him so that they can hire someone to destroy Nanga’s limo.

During the course of his campaign against Nanga, Odili sees—and even collects—signs declaring him a traitor. The signs, sanctioned by Nanga, disappear after Odili mentions them. Odili is upset by this because for him, the signs suggested that Nanga feared him. Their subsequent removal privately strengthens Nanga’s position because this action is akin to Nanga asserting that he is not afraid of Odili. 

The bodyguards are a symbol of corruption, not only because corrupt politicians have them, but because they are necessary in order to survive amidst corruption. Odili needs bodyguards in order to safely move about the area campaigning.