Nigeria; a fertile ground
for political shenanigans!!!
By Emmanuel Oyebade
Nigeria we hail thee, that’s what came out
of my mouth when I heard of the shift in the date of the presidential elections
and the house of assembly elections expected to be executed successfully by the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Immediately
the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made the announcement at the early
hours of the Election Day morning (February 16, 2019) many stake holders started
releasing statements in condemnation of the action of the electoral body.
So many individuals
criticized the chairman for announcing the postponement rather late when virtually
all electoral logistics have been mobilized for the election. Some even said, it
has some political undertone, going by the time the announcement was made.
In all the under
listed reasons for the postponement, as well as the criticisms that followed
the bold step, what could only be picked is that Nigeria is only but a unique
political sphere where anything can happen and nothing will happen.
It is
shocking to think some Nigerians will be surprised by what happened. Prior to
this elections, many international observers have predicted that the election
will not be as easy as most think it will, aside from the pungent articles
written concerning the outcome of the elections, not even the analysis of
political pundits can absolutely capture the what to expect in a typical Nigeria
political space.
Nigeria is
a country where someone will be convicted for financial crimes and the electorates
would still clamour for such a person as their choice of leader. This is a
country where the source of your money matters less in comparison to how much
you are willing to throw around during electioneering process.
Politics in
Nigeria seem to be so unique that it has no comparisons across board. Where a
potential convict goes to court with over seventy (70) Senior Advocates and
threatens the judge with statements like; “you are too small to adjudicate my
judgment.”
A country
where the chairman of a party mistakenly reveals that only those who are ready
to bear the pain of rigging that should participate in an election, a place
where what should have been the last hope of the common man (court) has turned
to a place where only the wealthy wins.
Someone once
asked; “how did we get here?” the answer is not farfetched. As most of the persons who rule in Nigeria are
persons who have one thing or the other they hide and keeps covering their
tracks with the stolen money in government.
The problem
isn’t leadership, because most of us look at those up there as the problems,
but in reality we are the problems. This is why I said this:
All those
up there never for once carry out any of their mischief themselves; they
contract those below the ladder to do their dirty jobs for them only for stipends
which cannot take us out of the woods. But the system has birth in us the
average Nigerian mentality which tries to look for present solution to problems.
To salvage
the situation in Nigeria, each one of must decide beyond any material accumulations,
beyond any pecuniary rewards to do what is right and what is right alone irrespective
how we feel per time.
I know it
is almost an impossible task as the poverty level in the country ranks number
one in the world. Things are hard, yes we all know things are, but the reality
is that, these politicians only try to provide us the solution we need at the
moment which only last till they are need of your service again.
To live
above all these challenges, we all need to decide to say no to vices in the
name of getting peanuts from party cronies. Nigeria will soar once again if
only one person can say no to helping another person perpetuate evil.
In summary,
in all you find yourself to do, do it well and say no to anything that contradicts
morals, by this, the good will soon phase out the bad and the ills in our society
will soon be reduced to the barest minimum.