The decisions made by our elected officials at all levels, no doubt, affects the social, political and economic dynamics of our beloved country, Nigeria. Why then would a true Nigerian, in the name of politics, hijack the electorates’ votes by unscrupulous means instead of seeking a genuine mandate?
How then would a true Nigerian sell his or her will and vote to give mandate to a politician whose electioneering campaign promises seem too good to be true? Have we not learned from the lessons and rhetoric of the past? Are we as Nigerians not yet tired of seeing Nigeria listed on the top of the list of most corrupt nations by Transparency International?
We might be of the view that being listed as one of the top corrupt nations of the world is primarily as a result of the so many international 419’s we have produced. But this is an erroneous impression because our too many 419’s are just part of the parameter. Also put in consideration is the number of government functionaries from Nigeria who maintain undisclosed overseas bank accounts while still in power, which contradicts international standards for good governance and as such constitute corrupt practice. Leaders, political or non-political, are agents of change, and it requires genuine leadership to help alleviate the effects of corruption on our society and to help better the lives of Nigerians. But unfortunately, we are seeing more rhetoric than action in the present political dispensation.
Driven by selfishness and insensitivity to the plight of an average Nigerian, many political power-players have choreographed a system of electioneering strategy where threats on oppositions’ lives and gangster-like group loyalty have displaced a collective agenda of fairness and freeness in elections. This has been evident at all levels of the government and in virtually every past election conducted in recent memory, and it is poised to continue come 2007.
There is no doubt that there is an air of competing ideologies in Nigerian politics, which in itself is not unhealthy in a true democracy; but whether one is inclined to the progressive left wing or the conservative right wing is not what an average Nigerian cares about. An average Nigerian cares about where his or her next meal will come from; where the house rent will come from, and how he or she can survive on a daily basis in a society that does not have any form of social security to lean on.
An average Nigerian cares about true leadership that would help him or her escape the hunt of poverty and despair. An average Nigerian cares about genuine leadership – a leadership that truly represents the aspirations of the masses. This type of leadership cannot be achieved by violently hijacking the votes of the electorate or by buying the minds of the people with money or threats.
A good example of allowing the mandate of the people to prevail was evident in the November 2, 2004 election between incumbent U.S president George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry. In spite of the pressure on both sides of the political isle to vote either way, American people, in the most publicized and costliest election in U.S history, sent George W. Bush back to the White House amid claims that he is a unilateralist president – evidently because he went to Iraq even after the majority of U.S citizens, allies and United Nations supported diplomacy and not war in dealing with the deposed Saddam Hussein.
This mandate is what Nigeria needs in the 2007 presidential election and all other local, state and national elections. Let the will of the people prevail over bigotry, tribal and linguistic differences. No one is oblivious of the fact that the 2007 elections might make or break Nigeria, but we have to realize that nationalistically speaking, there is no Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa, etc, but there is a “One Nigeria,” where every qualified Nigerian citizen interested in any political office should be accorded the opportunity irrespective of political or tribal affiliations, or worst still economic clout.
This does not, however, mean that this article espouses the recycling of tested but ineffective leaders with “old school” ideologies and insulation to change. In the January/February 2005 edition of Foreign Policy, a world-respected, award-winning international magazine published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace based in Washington DC, it is predicted that “International Strategic Analysis envisions unrest in Nigeria that will pit Muslims against Christians and regional groups against the central government. The war will destabilize much of West Africa and cause civil unrest from Liberia to the Ivory Coast.” As the saying goes, “forewarned is forearmed,” and we as Nigerians cannot afford to gamble with the future of our national unity.
I have tried to keep abreast of the political and socio-economic climate of Nigeria from the Diaspora, and it is evident that even after the culprits steal the elections, they resort to rhetoric and political witch-hunt that oversteps the bounds of contemporary propriety-all in a bid to silence any form of opposition. Assassinations, name-calling, congressional punch-throwing and character assassination of the opposition, in a way that makes their intellect a political caricature, seem to have become a revered way of life.
We can no longer afford to trump the power of the people; we have to look beyond the politics of tribes and sub-nationalities, bitterness and rancor; and we have to give the younger generation an increasing political opportunity, instead of continually recycling 20th century politicians who have no greater agenda than to enrich themselves and silence any opposition that emerges. I am cautiously optimistic in a politically improved Nigeria, but a lot of work has to be done if we are to reclaim the dignity and honor that the world’s most populous black nation has been stripped of. As an informed observer and a victim of Nigeria’s military oppression of the 80s and 90s, I believe that in this 21st century, the younger generation of Nigerians – male and female – need to rise up to the challenges of our time and be ready to take over the mantle of leadership, and the challenges of making our country a better place for all of us. But the current leaders have the responsibility to create the enabling environment, including pursuing healthy economic policies, infrastructural development and maintenance culture that assure qualitative education and job creation.
We as Nigerians should learn from our political past: what succeeded, what failed and what lessons we have learned to be able to make informed political decisions in 2007 and beyond? Political actors, no doubt, have different messages to sell, but unless we buy those messages, they become irrelevant.
For everything Nigeria has gone through in the hands of the military, it would be a wild exaggeration to expect a spontaneous emergence of true liberal democracy. Liberal democracy in Nigeria would require a long trek with imposition of reforms and the rule of law, especially as most of our current leaders are recycled soldiers. Although political and economic reforms may take time to materialize, it is, however, not a license for negligence of public opinion or deliberate looting of public coffers into personal overseas accounts. Arbitrariness and gross disrespect for the rule of law is very evident in the ruling community, but that will only drive reform-minded Nigerians to intensify their efforts in resisting this form of “militarized democracy.”
We need leaders who would be obedient to the rule of law, help strengthen our democracy, and espouse transparency and accountability at all levels of government. We need leaders who would be resolved to putting in place national socio-political and economic policies that reflect the aspiration of an average Nigerian. We need leaders who would be resolved to creating an enabling environment for economic stability, freedom of people and the press, security, and pursuit of justice, and not those who would support extra-judicial killings, executive prosecutorial amnesty and corruption.
Contemporary realities dictate new priorities, and it is high time aspirants of political offices abandoned self-enrichment and focus on programs and policies that are Nigeria-friendly.
We need selfless leadership not selfishness. We need leaders who would be committed to the advancement of our democracy and Human Rights, including the rights of the vulnerable population-women, children and minorities. We need leaders who would embrace socio-political and economic equality and not discrimination. We need leaders who would help institute child welfare policies and programs that are functional and realistic. We need leaders who would carry their fellow Nigerians along – helping them strive to achieve their greatest human potential, including rebuilding lives, restoring hopes, and realizing dreams.
We need leaders who have demonstrated their determination to embrace difficult issues, reform and adapt to the challenges and imperatives of the 21st century, more importantly poverty alleviation and improved public health. We need leaders who would be determined to combat the brain drain by establishing systems of fairness in employment and remuneration, and by promoting a viable and conducive working environment for working-age Nigerian professionals and others who have migrated or fled overseas.
The challenges facing Nigeria – both social, political and economic – are imminent, real and urgent, and we cannot afford to turn the hands of time to the decades of military oppression characterized by egregious violation of Human Rights and failed economic and political policies. We no longer need traditionalist leaders; we need transformative leaders who understand better the realities of the 21st century Nigeria.
Let Nigeria be Nigeria again. One may think that 2007 elections are far from us, but in reality, it is closer than some may envisage. I, therefore urge all Nigerians of voting age not to back down from the political process, but to intensify their efforts and strive to exercise the constitutional franchise bestowed on them by virtue of their citizenship.
Writing in the November 2004 issue of Time Magazine, Ken Keaton emphasizes: “The right to vote is the very core of democracy. We cannot allow public apathy and political manipulation to undermine it.” Although Keaton’s targeted audience was the United States readers prior to the November 2004 presidential election, it is indeed applicable to all democracies around the world. However, it is imperative to support candidates who would support the hopes and aspirations of ordinary Nigerians. As the popular maxim goes, “Once beaten twice shy,” and we as Nigerians have to realize that “falling is not the problem, but being unable to stand up after we fall is the real problem.” Collectively, we can make Nigeria a better place for all of us.
« return.