By

 Christopher Odetunde, Ph.D

Sometimes in life, the most efficient way to become a millionaire without working for it, resuscitate a comatose nation like Nigeria without being attacked by destructive forces or making immediate positive changes without facing dragon-breathing fire from those that created hopelessness and maintenance of status quo is through dreams. Such is the case with the present political situation in Nigeria in which one can only dream of what Nigeria ought to be. It is with a dreaming thought and wishful thinking that I hope that one day Nigeria’s historical account would start with "Once upon a time there was this most corrupt nation with spirit-dead citizens, country of easy money without work where nightmarish governance was a standard..." and ending up with "at last, the true messiahs, astute political parties made up of patriotic and invigorated Nigerians came upon the scene and changed her positively in such a manner that the collective will of Nigerians became supreme." What a good story it would be and what a good day that would be.

This is the story Nigerians must hope to tell the next generation in the very near future when agents of destruction, the me-group, and foreign stogies must have been swept out of our political lives. Is it possible? Can citizens demand this utopic dream of political state where they hold sway in election, where jobs are plentiful, where they are not harassed by police sent by so-called greedy big men, where their embassy serve them instead of serving a few and their children, where fuel is plentiful, where deregulation would be based on universally accepted standards and not arbitrary standards of enrichment brought about be a few greedy men, where there would be functional hospitals for all citizens, where citizens can stroll out at 1:00 AM without fear of men of the underworld and armed robbers, where there would exist only one exchange rate instead of two: one serving the poor and the other serving the politicians, where Naira would be the true country’s currency and hold its own in the international market, and where concerns for good of the people would outweigh personal aspiration? This can only happen if Nigerians stop their masochistic tendencies and noise making, restructure their body polity and tell politicians that "business as usual" is a thing of the past. These are matters arising between Nigeria and the electorates/citizens.

Never in the life of any nation has there been so much disillusion, feeling of abandonment and inability to make contributions without having lots of, I mean lorry load of Naira. At last, it seems Nigerians of all cadre are feeling the brightness of the day and looking for divine intervention. Age-based solution to political, electoral, economic, social changes in Nigeria is ludicrous to say the least and must be rejected out rightly. Those that have seen the goodness of Nigeria, old and young are the stakeholders that must nurse Nigeria back to health. What Nigeria needs are electorates that can show courage and moral rectitude by taking their constitutional responsibilities as custodians of the nation’s sovereignty, true guardian of respect for constitution and the sacredness of the democratic process serious. Noteworthy among these responsibilities is the need for citizens to take their constitutional rights very seriously. This is another matter arising between Nigeria and the electorates/citizens.

The immature democratic process in which votes are bought and sold to highest bidder become a nagging issue that must be resolved by all patriotic citizens. Further implicit to this democratic equation is that Nigeria’s democratic process is still in its infancy and cannot stand the test of time because citizens/electorates are very shortsighted, they sell their votes for crumbs and they complain thereafter. Electorates need continued vigilance in order to cultivate a culture of order and peace. For instance, many that sold their votes then are now the very people complaining that Nigeria is unsafe, their children are unemployed, their infrastructure is dilapidated, the universities are glorified secondary schools, the roads are un-passable, and that their children are prostituting due to lack funds and morals. Did they not envisage this to happen when they sold their votes? Interestingly, the folks that bought the votes are sleeping in their cozy N5,000,000 beds (from furniture graft) peacefully because they have state security Nigerians paid for looking after them, they have the latest fleet of cars, they have diesel fuel to run their generators, they always have petrol for their cars, they have siren to blast their way through crowded roadways, they have the best healthcare money can buy (travel abroad) and they are not eager to make laws that would guarantee citizens’ political participation, political equality for all, ensure rule of law and order, free and fair election.

Citizens’ complaints are rueful self-admission to the sorry state the selling of votes has left the nation. It is interesting to note that our collective actions or inactions have multiplying effect. Avarice, greed, selfishness, failure to contribute to the development of the nation when it mattered are all serious matters arising between Nigeria and the citizens/electorates. It is time for citizens, as electorates, to know that our democracy should be to promote, protect, encourage citizens maximum participation, preserve human rights, liberty, freedom, and pursuit of happiness while guiding against injustice of any kind.

Along the issue of matters arising between Nigeria and the citizens/electorates, one of the senators suggested that since few ignorant sycophants rejoiced when an illegal military group abridged the tenure of another illegitimate government, Nigerians subscribed to the illegality. The Senator presented a very asinine position and the thinking of the governments he served under and, hopefully, not of the government he is presently serving under. The blaming of Nigerians for the mistake of a few and asking Nigerians to accept an illegal operation as legal is a rude awakening and a compelling reason for putting a search light on politicians. It can also be likened to pouring pepper on an open sore of a nation. At this stage, Nigerians ought to tell those whose reasoning is along this line that their promotion was political, illegal and their retirement packages are illegal and may be under review by the very nation they insulted. The senators have conclusively shown that electorates should not complain if they refuse to participate in, relegate their responsibilities to agents of destruction, or sell their votes to the highest bidder. This singular manifestation of perverted human thinking exhibited by the Senators shows categorically the enigmatic state of the citizens to free and fair political election.

These are truly trying times that need unusual solution in Nigeria. The current political parties endeared by the military will not serve the current and future interest of Nigerian. There may well exist many well-meaning Nigerians within the present political party setup to maintain the status quo but such political parties are incapable of accomplishing the greatness of the Nigerian nations. All the matters arising provided above show the quid pro quo for a rethinking of what a political party should be. Any political party new or modified must find the right modus vivendi that can deliver the most quality of life to the majority of citizens, if not all citizens, no matter their station in life and be able to deliver promised positive agenda to citizens when rubber meets the road. Nigerians need a country where the finality of an outcome of a free and fair election will be guaranteed without resulting to carnage and where the victor and the vanquished would accept the result gracefully. For this to happen, the best prescription for the present Nigeria’s political quagmire will be knowledgeable citizens/electorates. Now, Nigerians must recognize that that which unites them is greater than that which divides them as a people (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and the minority group). It is time for us as a nation to seek a governing political party that is capable of:

1) Leading by example;

 

2) Working assiduously to make all Nigerians rather than a few Nigerians its constituent. This will foster good relationship between the leaders and the people;

 

3) Collaborating with all arms of government in order to maintain the checks and balance expressed in the constitution, and discourage partisan politics which must yield to patriotism. Nigeria surely does not need an all-knowing, all powerful federal government;

 

4) Improving the quality of life of citizens by providing employment through encouragement of small businesses, improving infrastructure, rebuilding secondary and University education, rebuilding the morals of university lecturers and administrators by making university autonomous and encouraging technological grow;

 

5) Moving Nigeria from consumer to producing nation through policies that favor business growth, policies that grows the gross national product, improve productivity, and policies that support all the standard economic indicators;

 

6) Improving nation’s depleted psyche by engaging functions that build the nation, by going after 419 either small or big fish, by demanding that Nigerian embassies be value adding in order to positively influence lives of citizens that are outside the shores of the nation, actively protect Nigeria’s interests nationally and internationally, and embark on international policies that is fair, equitable, one that respects African and Nigerian cultural heritage in true Pan-Africanist spirit;

 

7) Making concerted efforts to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor by eliminating the nation’s pernicious policies. I so doing, a new government can help citizens who need their burdens lifted and barriers removed, embark on progressive, forward looking, and emancipate policies that can reduce the suffering of the masses, and intensify reduction in acts that can reduce impending perilous danger;

 

8) Articulating and properly placing Nigeria on records for acts that support her survivability and engender patriotism in citizens and ensure that citizens will serve the nation instead of duping her;

 

9) Providing good training for our teachers both at primary and Secondary levels because they are our first line of providing good education and we must compensate them adequately;

 

10) Moving Nigeria toward new federalism in order to keep power as close to the local level as possible so that they too can smell, taste, and know that power belongs to them. Politics is an act in resource control by making the dividend of resources to be enjoyed by majority. In such a case, local and state governments may be able to control resources better than federal with federal having an overall oversight responsibility;

 

11) Fighting hard when the stakes are high, close ranks and come together when the contest is over, and not embark on a do-or-die political strategy that encourages vote purchasing.

 

12) Discouraging self-succession of ineffective leaders within the party by promising God/Allah that a leader within such political party would only go for one term but pray that a stellar performance would let citizens ask for a second term;

 

13) Fighting for disadvantaged citizens. Other citizens had fought hard in order for the so-called leaders within the party to have chances to lead in light of the myriad of their social, educational, economic, and family circumstances;

 

14) Fighting to enhance interstate commerce by discouraging the use of religious, tribal, regional, and social circumstances as destabilization tools but encouraging unity in diversity. In other words, re-engineer Nigeria in such a way that so every child is educated, has the keys to realize his/her dreams in a nation that is united in diversity and shared values with a philosophy that is larger than race, religion, region or party;

 

15) Create wealth for the nation through which measurable employment would be obvious, citizens’ entrepreneurial spirit would skyrocket, encourage technology transfer through all projects awarded to citizens and foreign firms, and reduce unemployment in order to reduce crime;

 

16) Protect our mothers, mature and young Nigerian women through progressive and enabling African culturally related and internationally accepted women policies; and

 

17) Become the wind beneath the wings of citizens by encouraging and rejoicing in their successes, and lament in their failure only to become the cheerleader of their future successes.

 

A political party that can meet most of or the entire requirement above deserves a chance to lead a nation that is crying for help. As Nigerians, we must be bold enough to positively change the course of our history from apathy to hope yet tender enough to make such changes relevant and work for all Nigerians, not just a few change agents. The resulting canvassed changes are departure from the changes the despots gave to the nation and which they used for their cohesive and destructive governance. Nigerian electorates must now choose whether to sell their votes or embark on a new journey toward a better future or make themselves and future generation a slave to the new world order and the global economies that pervade the horizon.

Nigeria is not yet ready for money-bag politics for so many reasons. First, the electorates are not sophisticated, educated or politically savvy enough to know what they want. Secondly, money-bag political strategy is often used in advanced countries by indigenous corporations to assure themselves that they can make money and also create wealth for the very citizens whose hands they twist for votes. Thirdly, money-bag political strategy is directed toward rich individuals who may need change in some business or social policies in order to profit maximally. When money-bag political strategy is used on poor electorates, the percentage is low compared to those in Nigeria. Nigerians must rethink their political affiliation that is current symbiotic in nature. Are Nigerians looking for parties that dissociates with electorates after election is over or one that stands by electorates even after the game is over? The 2003 election would show how far and how mature Nigerian electorates have come and how serious their yawning for a peaceful electoral revolution is. Examples of the so-called third countries that chose the right path to healthy political situation are abound. The story of such countries started as in the first paragraph above but ended well. These are the true matters arising between nation Nigeria and her citizens/electorates. It is time for citizens to behold that which is true and just, a political party that is compassionately conservative, one that all Nigerians can feel to be a part of, a party that is in true spirit of Pan-Africanism, may be a political party that meets our future, the future of generations to come, and one that redeems our nation’s survival fighting spirit.