The Nigeria electorate would welcome in 2019

IIP photo

By

Ogunniyi Abayomi

“Democracy asserts the fact that masses are now raised to higher intelligence than formerly” – Henry Adam (Democracy)

The Nigerian election will commence on February 16, 2019, the masses anticipating another day, time and moment to choose their leaders by the democratic autonomy of their votes. Campaigns are ongoing across different states of the federation; political parties and their aspirants move to different towns and villages across Nigeria, convincing the electorate to support their ideas and ideologies.

The political circle in Nigeria has been engaged in several controversies, relevant to the 2019 general election. It was observed that the electoral act was annulled by President Buhari despite several consultations by members of the National Assembly. The exclusion of imploring the card reader amidst several controversial decisions prompted the masses to criticize the administration and its lackluster performance. However, the masses cannot place their confidence in an administration that has not performed or lived up to its expectations. The tide did not change, nor did the crisis subside within every state and region of the country yet we believe that the current administration is working.

Expectations from the political affiliate are not strange in the eyes of the electorate; it is the same promises of previous campaigns such as a good road network, quality education, creation of jobs, good health care system, restructuring, tackling insecurity across the country and the fight against corrupt practices across the country. Shola, a roadside mechanic was not impressed with the repetitive campaign manifesto because none have been fulfilled by the administration he voted for. Aishat lost her confidence towards Nigerian political personae because of their gimmicks and deceitful approach to the masses, disregarding their affairs when they attain political office.

Nigeria is widely acclaimed as the giant of Africa; the social and economic potential are immense likewise beneficial to its development across Africa. Nigeria consists of 36 states, 774 local government and six geo-political zones within its territory. It is located in the western region of Africa; Nigerian is a Sub-Saharan state that possess the human and natural resources that are capable of sustaining the nation towards economic and growth.

Our society is occupied by individual of different languages, ethnic groups, culture and religions across each geographical zone. Nigeria possesses fertile farmlands, natural and human resources that would enhance job creation, food production, inequality reduction and human capital development, enabling the country to compete with developed countries. The numerical strength within the black continent is huge, it attracts global attention for the international community fostering a diplomatic relationship towards economic growth and development.

Despite the economic and capital potential our human and natural resources provide, we have not been able to solve the problem of inequality and poverty. Youth unemployment has not reduced; we earn little despite the hard effort to survive in a harsh economic condition in our society.

Tolu is a Banking and Finance graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; the job she got after completing her youth service in Calabar could not afford her a place and comfort of her own. The monopoly and opportunistic effort of knowing someone in a large firm was not on her side hereby she had to accept a job with little salary attached to it.

The sad narrative of our educational system is the loss of intellectuals to Europe and America because we lack the facilities and standard required to enable them to work comfortably. Our problem of poor educational standards and lack of facilities enhances the poor reading culture, poor learning and cognitive ability amongst Nigerian graduates. There are no materials for students, the ASUU strike and protests endanger the system hereby teachers and lecturers are poorly paid by the Federal Government yet churn out huge amounts of money over oblivious projects and activities.

Terrorism across the north eastern region of Nigeria has not been tamed and tackled properly; Armed forces and indigenes have been the major victim of this act within the region. Herdsmen carnage has wrecked properties, rendering several homeless across the middle belt, Eastern and western, yet the silence of our leader towards these issues is a clear indication of a poor state of leadership we have endured for the past 16 years of embracing democracy.

The problems persist yet no solution has been proffered; we live and practice illusionary politics with an attached belief that everything is fine under our sun. It is squarely a failure of leadership as the late Professor Chinua Achebe has described the situation in his books An Image of Africa and The Trouble with Nigeria. The unwillingness or inability of our leaders to rise to the challenges persists from one generation to another. History has proved it yet they approach our doorstep with a bag of rice and little token, luring the electorates to support them and help enhance their political parties for further misappropriation and poor performance within the cabinet.

We are looking forward to another cabinet, another political character within the recycled administration we have always seen for the past 16 years of enacting a political vision known as democracy. The Not Too Young to rule bill was activated into law for formal approval, a tactic implored to win the hearts of the masses towards 2019 just like the ruling party promised to restructure the federal system yet failed to fulfill its promise when they assumed their political office.

It is safe to say we have endured rather than conclude that we have always protested and disagreed with the political decision. Home is a place where you pay tax and reap the benefits but we cannot ascribe the same phrase to Nigeria where you pay electricity tariffs monthly and are sleeping and waking up without the supply of power you are paying for. It would be an anomaly to say we are not suffering and smiling like the late Afro-Beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti described the Nigerian situation in his classics but must this awkward proverb persist as citizens?

Do we expect a better performance from a new administration or will we keep hovering around the same issue, enduring the shame and incompetence of the Nigerian political circle? Is it our permanent voter card to answer the question or the absentia rigging across each electoral poll?

As we prepare for the 2019 election enduring the same problem and challenges, the political indecisiveness and dramatic plenary of the senate we observed on national television, do we remain mocked by these issues or rise for a revolution, real change or effective action to a progressive policy?

It is no political campaign but a satire to expose the comedy of errors that exposes and ridicules our identity. Do we look them in the eye and say it’s enough, the drama is over and let us face our problem squarely? This is the Nigeria the masses must strive to see, questioning our leaders and enforcing our powers on them to do the right thing.

Ogunniyi Abayomi

Ogunniyi Abayomi was born July 11, 1991 in the city of Lagos, where he resides. A poet and essayist whose works have been published in various journals.