While politicians say they ‘have fulfilled their campaign promises, the citizens talk about bad roads, dilapidated educational and health infrastructures, increasing levels of crime and insecurity, hunger, poverty and a highly indisciplined and corrupt public system. The political class is always in denial of the obvious.

A Two Horse Race

And in spite of the citizen’s dissatisfaction with their political leaders, they continually emerge into public offices at every election, year in, year out. Since the emergence of APC as a mega political party, it is either one or the other. Cases of APGA and Labour party occupying government houses are far in between. No matter how good a candidate is, the truth is with a political system where the highest bidder is the winner (at the party primaries and actual election), you either have a deep pocket or a god-father with a deep pocket.

The End of Mass Rigging…Welcome Vote Buying

It has always existed since 2007 at the least. But with the extreme difficulty in rigging elections - the likes we have seen in years past, we officially welcome Vote Buying in the Ekiti State gubernatorial election. Now tested and trusted, we expect an even more large scale deployment in Osun state gubernatorial election in September. I have heard people name calling those who collected cash to vote. Say anything, in the face of poverty and hunger, what is the value of your power and right to vote your choice candidate/party.

The Present is Good, The Future is Bright

The political elite is happy that people can collect cash to vote. Same for politicians who gather people to distribute N200 and and 2 bowls of rice in their houses and in the streets. The existence of people in that bracket of society(usually the non-literate, down-trodden and economically unproductive) helps perpetuate the class of political leaders that continually put their interests forward rather than that of the country. It is the same reason why they continue to pay lip service to education and job creation. The political elite knows that education is light and that education is an emancipator on its own. A fairly educated citizenry cannot be massly bribed into voting(check out the bracket of people being offered cash for votes). For them, it is good that there is ignorance, hunger and poverty in the land. It is their ticket to perpetuation.

Simply Wickedness

They visit to countries with great infrastructures but return to their county to give their people shit. And you wonder, is it difficult to replicate US’s and Europe’s and Asia's development here? Not really. The political elite enjoys class differentiation-when people surround them in public to sing their praises rather than engaging them productively for a dole out of N200.
A former Senate President while in office once remarked in a private conversation with an European who came to UCH in Nigeria to undergo an eye surgery which was only available in the country and another in 1978 that if there is development in Nigeria, there won't be a distinction between first class and second class.

Putting It Together

I acknowledged that had we enjoyed democracy in those years of military rule, we would most likely be better off than we are now, we would have fallen, risen and fallen and risen again. The political elite can only have it so long like this. As democracy continues to grow in years, citizens will continue to equally grow in the awareness of their role to actively participate in the political process. Name it what you can, a time comes when discussions will move from homes and offices into the streets. It is a part of the evolution of a nation. For Nigeria, it will either break her or make her. In the world over, people in power seldom move to create changes that put their positions at a disadvantage. It is the people who always rise to resist injustice and inequality.