INSIDE LASUSU — THE GAME: PART 3 (CHESS)
The final part to the INSIDE LASUSU trilogy. An expose on the inner politics behind the student union.
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The Ban has been lifted and by now, you’ve probably started to see the pattern which proves that this isn’t just politics, it’s gameplay. And no, we’re no longer talking about the quick calculations of Tic Tac Toe or the aggressive buying and selling of Monopoly.
We’ve moved to the most strategic, deceptive, and power-driven game of them all Chess.
Chess is a game of intention. Every move matters. Every step is planned. And in LASUSU politics, this is where the game truly begins; not in the open debates or manifesto reading event, but behind the scenes, in private meetings, hushed conversations, and silent endorsements. This is where the real players move in silence.
In Chess, every piece has a purpose.
The pawns are easily replaceable, they’re useful early on but often sacrificed to protect more valuable pieces. They are candidates with not enough political backings who hope they can run for office.
First, they start with their banners and flyers. Hopeful and optimistic that they would run and win but in the end their names slowly fade and their campaign materials long forgotten just like their dreams.
Then there are the rooks and bishops, who have strength but limited direction. They start off strong and seem more powerful than the pawns but due to their limitations in simple things, for an example, their tribe which is beyond their control, they sometimes are eventually kicked out of the game.
The knights? They’re unpredictable, jumping into situations from angles no one expects. They show up late to the party like they never planned to come but they cause a ruse and change the trajectory of the entire game.
The queen moves fast and wide, powerful, visible, everywhere. She is loud, she appears as the strongest, others bow to her. They think she holds the power, they want to be aligned with her.
But at the center of it all is the king; slow, fragile, but heavily protected. The King sometimes is never seen, never known and never recognised but still the most important in the game. The King doesn't have to do much but still wins and get the glory.
Now take a look around LASU. Some aspirants are pawns, brought into the race not to win, but to divide votes, distract the opposition, or test the waters for the real candidate. Others are queens, carrying the campaign on their back, making noise, attending every event, doing the hard work. And then there are the kings, the ones being positioned silently, with everyone around them moving just to protect their seat.
The sad part is, many of these aspirants don’t even realize what piece they are, until they’re sacrificed.
In LASUSU, does anything really ever happen by chance?
'Last-minute endorsements,' or 'Sudden withdrawals' aren’t just coincidences, they’re calculated moves. Like in Chess, real power lies in planning several moves ahead. A candidate may be pushed forward publicly only to be sidelined later for another 'agreed' choice.
You let some people feel powerful but it’s all about the trap you didn’t see coming — Checkmate when you least expect.
Now, the final twist? In Chess, it’s not the king making the moves. It’s the player behind the board, the one controlling every piece. That’s exactly how godfatherism works in LASUSU politics. While candidates post flyers and shout slogans, someone else is whispering in certain ears, picking candidates and deciding which faculty gets what.
These are the faceless people who claim to have left but never really leave the stage. They just choose who stands in for them next.
This is a game of sacrifice, silence, and survival, and the truth is, most students aren’t even playing, we’re just watching. Another campaign season, another new name, but the same board, the same system, and the same hands pulling strings.
Welcome to the LASUSU GAMES. May the Odds be ever in your favor.
📝: Ayo Oladiran, Deputy Editor, LASULife Newsletter ✈️
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