NIGERIANS will be out to elect House of Representatives members, Senators and a President this Saturday, 25th February, 2023. Governors and State Legislators elections are slated for March 11. Nigeria should not only be the Giant of Africa but a global power respected and leading the way into the future of humanity. All Nigerians, except perhaps those who for selfish interest have brought her down to a nonentity in the comity of nations, are perplexed that this is not so; rather, Nigeria is close to a pariah in global reckoning as Nigerians groan under unremitted misery and tribulations.
These realities have led to widespread individualism, wanton religiosity without piety, and retreat into primordial ethnic cuddle as well as self-help enterprises in violent criminality as survival/prosperity ventures for those not running away from the country as a bat would run out of hell. Most depressingly, it has occasioned resignation into messianic mentality; that saviours in persons of certain governors and a president will one day come to their rescue. Therefore, elections of governors and president have become a much expected event that they frantically look towards for deliverance, making the ruling elites, who care less about people, play them as pawns in the desperate scramble to be in control of oil money; thereby turning election into a game of death.
Eight years ago, the sound of “Change” rented the air and made possible the defeat of an incumbent party and president for the first time in Nigeria’s history, ushering in a Buhari messiah. Four years went by and “Next Level” became the chant after not witnessing all the anticipated changes. Almost eight years now, four major candidates are selling varieties of fresh illusions to the masses that are themselves disturbed by poverty, ignorance and an a grossly distorted understanding of life.
There are several prayers and wishes for us as a people, and a few words for those who have ears to hear and heart to assimilate wisdom, without which “my people perish.”
One, as tense as the social environment is (no thanks to fuel and naira scarcity), we pray that the elections come and go peacefully. We must all, as common people, back this prayer with work, correct attitude and good conduct to avoid the needless disturbances and casualties that characterise all previous elections. Clearly, we should have realised by now (based on the Buhari experience) that no messiah is coming with any plan to resolve the problems of the country: that the masses will have to struggle by themselves to obtain the best from any government in power, which is their duty after every election.
Two, as much as bad leadership is a problem in Nigeria, the real problem of Nigeria is not bad leadership but structural. It is this woeful structure that nothing good can be built on that even allows bad leaders to outnumber and overwhelm the few good ones. The bad leaders then produce bad governance – and so on. Accordingly, no change of personnel at the presidency or governorship level can ever produce anything good, SO LONG AS NIGERIA IS NOT RETURNED TO A GENUINE FEDERAL REPUBLIC. After the election, irrespective of who are the new personnel in charge, our duty as the common masses, the majority in this democracy, is to struggle and challenge the powers for a restructuring of the country. Otherwise, in four years, we will be worse off, disappointed and searching for new Messiahs!
Finally, having realised the fact that elections and change of captains are good democratic routines meaningful only when the structure of any country is right, we should all be unwilling as ordinary people (even for the money and material gains anyone is targeting from the election) to allow ourselves be used as tools of electoral violence of any sort. The masses should concentrate all their energy in seeking deeper knowledge of why changes upon changes through election only make their lives worse. After knowledge comes organisation and struggle to right all the wrongs, no matter which party or individuals emerge after the election. It is after the election that the people have responsibilities to demand from the powers-that-be the kind of country they want. Nothing will ever change until that is done.
