The English proverb about cats and nine lives has been around for hundreds of years. The details are murky surrounding the origin of the nine lives myth. Many believe the popular saying originated in myth that go back to ancient Egypt. People supporting this view relate feline lore all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who revered and even worshipped cats. Most sources simply cite an old English proverb:
“A cat has nine lives. For three he plays, for three he strays, and for the last three he stays.”
On the other hand, many people point to Shakespeare as planting the notion in the minds of modern society—namely through his time-honored play Romeo and Juliet. In Act 3 Scene 1,
Tybalt asks: “What wouldst thou have with me?” and
Mercutio replies: “Good king of cats, nothing but one of your nine lives.
Concerning the exact meaning of the proverb, opinions differ and ideas clash. Taking the idea literally, there are cultures and traditions that link the nine lives to some sort of mystical powers about the feline. In ancient Egypt, cats were sacred animals that were worshipped as gods. The Egyptians believed that cats were divine creatures with psychic or supernatural powers.
The idea that they could have multiple lives fit right in with the view of cats. A common creation myth says that the Egyptian sun god ‘Ra’, who took the shape of a cat during his visits to the underworld, gave birth to eight other gods—thus representing nine lives in one.
In ancient Greece the number nine referred to the trinity of all trinities and a supernatural number that invokes tradition and religion.
The number nine also has mystical significance in many cultures and religions. In both Christianity and Hinduism, it symbolizes divine completeness. Others believe the number may have come from China, where nine is a lucky number. In Norse mythology, the universe is divided into nine worlds; and in Greek mythology, there are nine muses.
There are also people who feel that the nine-lives-legend of the cat simply relates to the dexterity and agility of the feline to survive extremely precarious situations that would consume other animals. Over time, people witnessed cats survive in situations that surely would have killed or severely injured other animals. This made them to believe that cats must have multiple lives.
However, and whichever way one wants to come into this myth, the central message is clear: the cat whether by some sort of magical powers or due to its anatomy and intelligence is tough, rugged and specially prepared for difficult terrains where other animals will not dare venture into.
Soludo the Cat
So much for the cat and its nine lives; let’s go back to Soludo. Anyone who knows the history of Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, especially in the context of the ongoing controversy in APGA concerning the forthcoming Anambra governorship election will know that we are all watching the story of the nine-lived legendary cat unfolding before us.
The attempts to undercut Soludo’s candidacy, starting from the very day he declared his intention to run for 2021 governorship under the umbrella of APGA, has been focused, determined and relentless. The initial effort was to deny him the opportunity for the primary. Gang-ups and factions from nowhere materialized in APGA, and there was the question of whether he would run or not. Soludo survived! He was running. When it became clear that he can’t be stopped from contesting the primary, the detractors resulted to campaign of calumny. Accusations of perjury and money laundering were lodged in courts and many claimed he would be indicted and would not be able to continue the race. But contrary to these odds and expectations, Soludo survived. Then the main APGA primary was conducted. Before the big event, some persons believed Soludo would fail.
“There was a great gang-up within APGA against him, the Governor, Willie Obiano was just deceiving him and so on and so forth” but again, he contested the primary and won. Soludo the cat!
However, Umeoji emerged from a parallel APGA primary that held the same day and then court cases began. As President Trump would say, “[Soludo] won and won and … he kept winning and got tired of winning.” If the outcome of the court ruling in Owerri and the inclusion of Soludo as the authentic APGA candidate for the governorship election by INEC, were anything to go by, then Soludo, the legendary cat with nine lives has yet again survived.
This is not to say that Umeoji and his faction have lost the battle. A good fighter and the real cat is known by the number of oppositions and hurdles he is able to overcome. Umeoji is a great fighter. He fought so long and so hard and his fighting skills are commendable. Also, his presence in the ring has shown what a great fighter Soludo posses.
Posterity will treat both Soludo and Umeoji kindly for making the 2021 APGA Anambra governorship primaries a worthwhile experience. That is how election should. It should be a battle of the titans. Above all, history will be particularly kind to Umeoji if he accepts the olive branch APGA and Soludo are offering him to withdraw all outstanding court cases, return to the fold to give the party a better chance of victory on Nov. 6th 2021.
