01x03 - An Old Friend

[bunniefuu]

Bolo!

[in Pidgin]

What are you doing?

- The match starts soon!

- [Bolo groans]

[muffled] Leave me alone

so I can focus on what I'm doing.

[laughs] But why would you eat

spaghetti and egusi together?

Just use air freshener, please!

[Bolo groans] Your mama!

[chuckles]

[phone ringing]

[in English]

Hello?

Who is this?

[man] Did you get my new package?

I hope it A*DS your

Salami investigation sufficiently.

Bolo! Did someone drop

something for me?

- [in Pidgin] What is it now, Dapo?

- Guy, it's important now!

Check the chair at the work desk.

[in English]

Hello?

Are you there?

And by the way, there's much more info

where that came from.

Much more.

[hesitates]

"King of…"

[scoffs] Look, I'm sorry,

but I can't print this.

I need some form

of direct corroboration.

Get Nurudeen Gobir to talk.

Gobir?

Okay, fine!

But at least, can we meet in person?

Hello?

[Bolo in Pidgin] Oh, boy!

That spaghetti and egusi combo

nearly wrecked my guts.

Look how light I feel now.

[chuckles]

- [exclaims] What package is this?

- It's from work.

[laughs nervously]

It's work,

I'll tell you about it in the office.

Guy, drink your beer.

[exclaims]

The match hasn't even started,

and you were stressing me.

- I hope you didn't bet.

- Hm?

- You didn't bet anything, right?

- No.

[fans cheering on TV]

[phone ringing]

- Justina?

- Ma?

- Pass me my phone, please.

- Yes, Ma.

[ringing continues]

- Seun?

- Good evening, Ma.

I apologize for calling so late.

But I just got my hand on something

I think might be of interest to you.

I've sent Silas up with it.

Oh?

It's an advance copy

of The Conscience Newspaper

due out tomorrow morning.

Look at the front page, Ma.

Seun, is this real?

Very real, Ma. That's an actual copy.

[scoffs]

And it's coming out tomorrow?

First thing.

- [Eniola] No sugar, please.

- Okay, Ma.

[Ifeanyi] Thank you, Doris.

That'll be all.

- Alhaja.

- Yes?

Please accept our humble hospitality.

I know you are used to

more sophisticated choices.

[laughing]

[Eniola] I was surprised

when I got your invitation.

Why?

Why?

[chuckles]

Since the recent publication…

not a lot of people

want to be associated with me…

talk less to be seen with me.

Alhaja Salami, I thought

you knew me better than that.

I believe everybody

is a child of God.

Including the ones that think that

He has turned His face away from them.

Plus, I don't believe everything

I read in the papers.

[laughing] Huh?

You should.

[Eniola chuckles]

I read about your visit…

to the governor's residence.

- Should I assume--

- No need for any assumptions, Alhaja.

Hmm.

I was merely honoring a lunch invitation

by my governor and nothing more.

Oh, my reverend, please,

you don't owe me any explanation.

[chuckling] Mm-mm.

- Wow.

- Um…

So, Alhaja…

Um,

have you been able to find any peace

since our last conversation?

Hm…

Peace.

I don't think…

I have ever felt that

in my life.

Not even in my sleep.

[in Yoruba]

All I know

is to k*ll

and destroy.

To avenge.

To fight.

That's all I know.

Hmm…

[in English]

Alhaja Salami.

Reverend.

God can give you that peace, Alhaja.

And He has told me to guide you

to that peace.

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

When one

wants to change…

and their enemies

will not let them…

In my heart…

I want to be a better person.

But in reality…

All my life…

[gulps]

I have had to take care of myself…

all by myself.

I have all these people

around me…

yet,

I still look over my shoulders.

What you don't know about me

is…

any time

I take my eyes

off the target…

I become the target.

[sniffs]

Hm, I am old.

I am tired!

[voice breaks]

I am tired of everything!

I am tired of it all!

Alhaja,

then let God…

Mm?

Let God carry your burden for you.

He's waiting

on the other side for you

to give you rest,

to give you the peace

that you desire.

No matter what

I might have done in the past?

He doesn't care for none of that.

Reverend.

[sobbing]

What do I give…

to get this peace?

Alhaja, don't you get it?

God doesn't bargain with His love.

He gives it out freely.

Well,

He recognizes

those who support the work

in the house of God.

Ah-ha!

So, Reverend…

God's peace

is not entirely free.

[sighs]

[Mr. Fashina] Can somebody,

anybody,

tell me how we are going to stop

this bleeding from this bloody hack?

And find a way to get more visibility

and funding for this damn campaign!

- Yes, sir--

- [shouts] What?

Um,

sir, we've been working on

new strategies to

ramp up momentum

for the campaign--

- And?

- Um…

- So, right now, Alhaja Salami--

- [Eniola] Yes?

Madam.

Madam!

Wh… What a lovely surprise.

I was just about to come see you

right after this meeting, Ma.

Then I saved you the transport fare.

[forced laughter]

Well, I came to see

what you're spending my money on.

Oh, of course!

Go, go. Sorry, sorry.

Oh, sorry.

Oh…

Sorry, please sit down, Ma. Sit down.

[laughs nervously]

- Thank you very much.

- Yes, Ma!

[chuckling]

[exclaims]

[in Yoruba] Why's everyone looking

at me like a television?

[Mr. Fashina laughs hysterically]

"Like television."

Bisola here was just about to share

with us some new and exciting ideas

that she had for this campaign

to… to make it spark. [chuckles]

Um… [clears throat]

So, um,

up until now, the campaign has solely

targeted people below the line.

What we need to do now

is to direct some of our marketing

to include the one percent

that have both the power to leverage

and the money

to donate to our campaign.

We are thinking

front covers of all

the glossy magazines,

Genevieve, TW, This Day Style--

- It's done! We'll get it done!

- [Bisola] Yes.

We've been pushing for

a major endorsement for Madam Salami.

It's proving quite difficult,

but we're optimistic!

We've been courting

Reverend Ifeanyi especially. Yes.

[clears throat] Getting him

to support Madam Salami

as his candidate will push

her stock right up the polls.

We're still working on him

and very soon, our fingers crossed,

we will get him on our side.

[laughing] Wow, wow.

So far so good. That sounds so good!

Go on!

Um, yes,

we would also leak to the press

that, um, Madam Salami

is engaged to be married.

Um…

Yes, we want people

to feel like she… she's settled.

Settled?

As what?

[laughs nervously] Madam,

I think what Bisola here is trying--

Let her speak for herself.

Settled?

As what?

[in Yoruba]

You have no antidote for nausea,

yet you swallowed a c*ck.

[in English]

Your mouth started a journey,

but your liver cannot finish.

Will you sit down?

You're talking nonsense over there.

I want you all to listen to me…

and listen very good.

After the untimely death

of my husband…

[prays in Yoruba]

I, Eniola Salami,

chose never to remarry.

And I did not die.

- [in Yoruba] Did I die? This is me.

- [in English] No, Ma.

I have built numerous businesses

on my own,

taking care of myself and my family

with no man holding my hand.

And today,

you're all sitting here

telling me that is not good enough.

Why?

Because I'm a single woman…

with no children.

People will find it difficult

to see me

as the next governor of Lagos State.

[exclaims]

[in Yoruba]

What a shame!

[in English]

This is sad.

Would we be discussing this

if I were a male candidate?

[in Yoruba]

Sister…

[in English]

What's your name?

I, Eniola Salami, will not marry.

Or pretend getting married

because of one stupid vote.

Anyone

who finds it

uncomfortable because

I do not have a man I'm answering to

should kiss that thing behind me…

[in Yoruba]

that's seldom exposed to light.

[Mr. Fashina] Madam.

[chuckles]

[in English]

It's not…

We're not trying to do that.

We… I want you to think of it as

packaging.

Yes, that's what PR is about,

packaging.

We're just going to create

this glossy box image of you,

and then we can get people

to start to support.

We can get rid of all this bad press

we've been getting,

and get people to start donating.

- Mr. Fashina.

- Ma?

I'll tell you what my father

used to say when I was a girl.

[in Yoruba]

A goat…

[in English]

is still a goat.

You're still saying the same thing.

[Mr. Fashina exclaims] Madam…

All of you, leave the room.

Now!

Madam.

Yes?

- Please listen to me.

- Okay.

As a small independent party,

we've done great so far.

I mean, the traction

that we've gotten is incredible!

We don't have the funding

or the backing to take

this campaign to the next level

to make the kind

of impact that we need to.

Because people are not donating,

and that's a big problem!

I know.

I'm still waiting on the government

to unfreeze--

Madam, I'm sorry,

but waiting is no longer an option.

I'm talking.

I'm still waiting on the government

to unfreeze the rest of my accounts.

Madam! And I'm still saying

that waiting is not an option.

We're grossly underfunded.

We don't have any visibility.

[sighs]

Look. Don't get me wrong,

I'm not trying to underestimate

the amount of money at your disposal,

but no one runs a sustainable

campaign with their own funds.

Madam, we need some heavy-hitter names

and the backing of their hefty accounts.

But nobody wants to associate

with us.

Look, we need a major face-lift

and the backing

of a very powerful ally,

so we can fend off all this

negative press that we've been getting.

Um, Madam,

if we go on the way we are now,

we won't be around in the next three

months, and that's the honest truth.

What if one of the major parties

took me as their candidate?

I mean… [sighs]

that would definitely solve

a lot of our problems.

But Madam,

isn't that a pipe dream?

I mean, which party?

DPP?

They have their incumbent,

Governor Randle.

I mean,

our only chance

at another major would be the NCP,

but they already have

Commodore Adebisi Ajose

as their candidate.

So, what do we do?

What about the president's party?

[sighs]

Madam, the CMP is still largely

a fringe party,

even with their incredible win

at the elections.

Plus, Lagos State

is not their stronghold.

Look, I know that with the

president's backing and support,

a lot of key players

will be stimulated to donate to us,

just to get on his good side,

but, Madam, even that, as we know,

they've already selected their candidate

and he's been campaigning for months.

So you see, Ma…

[sighs]

[sirens wailing]

[on radio] President Mumusa is currently

in Lagos to commission various projects

built during his first tenure,

including several under construction.

He was received today

on the tarmac

by Lagos State Governor Tunde Randle,

who expressed his gratitude

to the president for his timely visit

and conveyed his excitement

to show the presidency

how far along the projects have come.

[sirens wailing]

[dramatic music playing]

[no audible dialogue]

[phone ringing]

[man] Evening, sir.

Sultan Dauda Aziki

to see the president.

Yes, we're expecting him.

- Send him up.

- Okay.

[indistinct radio chatter]

- [knocking]

- [on TV] …well, now, it can.

Because you have access.

Access to the bank with the largest

number of customers in Africa.

Access to our global branch network.

Our robust…

[upbeat music playing]

[in Pidgin]

Wait, you have to chill a little.

Unless you wanna wake

the dragon down there. [laughs]

[breathless]

Wait a minute, I need to take a piss.

But when I get back,

I'm gonna wear you out. [laughs]

[yells]

I'll be back!

Don't go anywhere, okay?

Don't go anywhere!

[laughs]

Guys!

[mumbling]

Whoa.

[slurred] Guys…

[fly unzipping]

[urinating]

[sigh of relief]

[grunts]

[grunting]

[groans]

[music stops]

[Eniola] Good morning, Mr. President.

[sighs]

I have sent numerous messages

asking to see you.

Madam, you seem to forget

who you're speaking to.

[scoffs] How can I?

When I'm the one who put you there.

Or have you forgotten?

I know you're extremely busy,

and I'm not going to waste my time.

I want to be

the official gubernatorial candidate

of Lagos State

under your party.

And in return,

I'll do what you want.

It seems as if you've started using

those drugs that you're selling.

Tread carefully, sir.

Never forget who you're speaking to.

[scoffs] Well,

what you're asking for is impossible.

In case you have not noticed, Alhaja,

we already have a candidate,

a publicly announced candidate

who has been campaigning

for almost a year

under our party.

Tell me,

under what blind audacity

do you think this is a possibility?

Then you lose your seat

in the next election.

You cannot do that. We have a deal!

Deal?

Oh, yes, we had a deal.

My obligation

has been fully

fulfilled.

Aren't you the president?

Now tell me

your obligations to me.

Did you fulfill your promise?

[exclaims] Oh!

So you thought

you could slap me in the face,

and I would turn the other cheek?

[in Yoruba]

Uh-uh. They say,

"Only once can a dishonorable man

lure an innocent lady for sex."

Okay, um…

Let's do it like this,

why don't you start with a position

in the House of Reps for now,

or even as a senator?

I can make that happen

with my eyes closed.

That makes better sense.

But what you're asking for

is impossible.

You know I can only be beneficial

to you if I remain in power.

Benefit?

Where was this benefit

three years ago?

We had a deal!

- And you cheated me!

- No.

That is not true!

Your case was intricate,

and you know that.

There was no way I could rush the

process without raising suspicions.

A deal is a deal, Mr. President!

You were supposed

to bring me back home

once you became the president.

Instead,

you left me

waiting like a dog!

For three good years.

Now…

a second term

is knocking.

[yells]

You suddenly remembered

your old friends.

Alhaja Salami.

- President.

- [chuckles]

We don't have to quarrel

or argue over this.

[dismissive] Argue…

I am far from that.

I am not arguing with you.

Mm-mm.

I have said my own.

You and your party

back me as the governor

of Lagos State

or else…

[snickers]

I will use every resource

I have

and make sure…

Retired Admiral Peterside

is president in eight months,

just to spite you.

Let me talk to the elders of the party

and then see what we can do.

[laughs]

That is my president talking.

You see,

[in Yoruba]

"The tongue and mouth sometimes fight,

but no one outside knows

when they reconcile." Mm?

[laughing]

[in English] If I'm able to convince

my people to make this happen…

Mm.

…you better keep your nose clean.

The party is not going

to suffer any blowback

because of your ill*gal activities.

Okay, I get you!

It's only when I work for you

that I can get my nose dirty.

Fair enough!

Thank you very much.

[Eniola cackles]

Oh…

Before I forget,

President,

I want all my accounts unfrozen

and access to all my properties.

[in Yoruba]

Coming and going like a pauper

[in English]

is not good for me at all.

Alhaja Salami,

be careful not to turn

the few good friends you have left

to enemies.

[shouts] President!

[laughs maliciously]

[sighs]

[whispering] Nnamdi.

Are you sleeping?

- [exclaims] Oh, let me sleep!

- Shh!

I want to go see the dog.

- How will you find it?

- Shh.

I tied it at the back.

[in Igbo] Daddy told you to leave that

dog alone before you catch a disease.

Shh!

[huffs]

[in English]

If you don't want to come, don't come!

Just don't tell Daddy.

Don't tell Daddy.

Don't tell Daddy!

[snoring]

[Nnamdi] Where is it?

It was here, I tied it here.

- Where?

- Here!

[huffs]

- With this thing?

- Yes!

[in Igbo]

Even my hair is stronger than this.

[in English]

Sometimes, I don't understand you.

Nnamdi, drop the rope

and let's look for it!

[exclaiming] Oh, Chiji, I'm tired!

[tuts]

[in Pidgin]

You guys don't know what you've done.

You've crossed the line.

I swear, you're all dead!

Do you know who's got our back?

[shouting] The boss

Odogwu Malay is our family!

[screams, groans]

[whimpers]

You didn't need to go that far.

Take it easy!

Guys, what's going on?

If it's about money, that's nothing.

We could make that happen.

What's all this about?

We really don't need to do this!

Think about it.

If it's money, just say the word.

How much?

Guys, talk to us.

We're all from the hood,

let's figure this out.

Come. Let's reason together.

Little disagreement, and you hit me.

Didn't even insult you.

Why are you talking like that?

[gasps]

[gasps]

[exclaims]

[man chuckles]

- Boss Maka?

- [gasps]

But how?

[th*gs exclaiming]

[thug] Boss, please!

It wasn't us, I swear.

It was Boss Odogwu!