WE ARE ALL DRINKING ALCOHOL

The country is in chaos. Universities have been on strike for over 7 months now. Other sectors are also threatening to strike. The economy is collapsing. Inflation is skyrocketing. The issue of security is out of hand. To continue stating the issues facing the nation causes me pain. For many Nigerians, the current administration is perhaps the worst democratic government they’ve experienced, therefore it is not surprising that the dear citizens of our noble country are in dire need for a change. The upcoming general election seems to be an opportunity to turn things around. Advocacy for people to get their PVCs has really been strong and people have done their best in this area. We are all ready to cast our votes for the candidate of our choice who we believe can herald a new dawn. But, let’s take a minute to ask ourselves a question. Do our PVCs give the guaranteed power with which we can change the course of our nation? Let’s travel 8 years back in time to answer this question.
Though with increasing interest, I am not someone with a strong political awareness, but I can vividly remember how things were a few months before the presidential election in 2015. People were in need of a change, just like now, and were in need of a savior. A lot of people I know were enthusiastically supporting our current president, who was a candidate then. I remember my dad enthusiastically waiting for election day. Many other Nigerians were also in firm support of the current president. Perhaps these Nigerians were not political or economic professors and couldn’t discern the right leader but I am sure a lot of these professionals were also in stout support of the current president. I remember clearly after the winner of the election had been declared, it rained heavily where I stayed. A cleric told me the rain was a sign that God’s blessing had descended upon the country. I believed him. Whether this administration has been a blessing or otherwise, nobody needs help to answer. From this we could answer the question I asked earlier. Our PVCs aren’t a guaranteed way to change the situation of our country.
The whole of life is a paradox and it moves in circles. As we approach the next general election, the same frenzy I can remember happening in support of our current president is being directed to another candidate, especially among youths. Will history repeat itself? I’m not God, and I don’t know. Let me say something before moving on. I do not mean to taint the image of any presidential candidate or raise that of another, so do not get emotional and judge me. Follow me and you’ll see what I intend on making you see. If our PVCs don’t guarantee a change, for me that makes voting like a "required gamble". I want you to really think about this question. Can a man of our choice really transcend over the problems of this country? It’s understandable that we are in serious need of a savior and we believe our choice can serve this purpose, but is it guaranteed?
Nigeria has become a theater for farcical plays. Though, to use this comparison seems like a lack of respect for people who are victims of the tragic plays, but I want to talk about the farcical plays. Recently, I came across news about budget padding of an amount of 300 billion naira. I got really worked up as did the newspaper reviewers on TV. Isn’t it farcical that the same administration that brought in whistle blowing is involved in budget padding? We’ve seen hundreds of these kinds of farce, perhaps thousands will be an exaggeration, but we all know how it all ends. It just disappears. This morning it is scorching hot water that burns us deeply, and we all rant on TV, radio, and social media platforms but the next morning the water feels normal.
If, I mean only if, like it has happened in the last 8 years, the administration of the candidate of our choice turns out to be the same farce, would we just sit around and rant curses on Twitter or yell how bad the country is on radio? I’ve been thinking about this question and another question crept into my mind. Is Nigeria poor today because of bad governance? Let me tell you what I think. Yes, Nigeria is poor, like many other African countries, because of bad governance but will remain poor because the society is broken and will not unite to take radical steps towards trumping the bad government. She’ll remain poor because we keep doing the same thing -voting- and expecting a different result. She’ll remain poor because we ourselves can’t transcend over our differences for the sake of our country. I read recently about how political elites of Britain in the 17th century curbed the power of the monarchy in the book, "Why Nations Fail" by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. Interestingly, these political elites didn’t do this for the people. They wanted the power for themselves. The book said something like this as I can’t remember clearly and can’t find the page, 'the British political elite didn’t wish to share power but the British people took it from them.' History is filled with stories of people taking radical steps to ensure they trump their corrupt government and they didn’t wait for 8 years or yell their complaints to a TV or radio presenter. Even at the loss of several fellow citizens, they transcended over their differences and had a single goal - a better government.
I do not believe our support for a candidate will change the course of this nation. Governing a country isn’t a one-legged race. The presidency is just a part of the system of governance. Let me ask you more questions. We’ve always voted for the candidate of our choice and where has that gotten us? Ohhh wait, he’s successfully ruled a state and several agencies. He’s experienced and is a person of goodwill. Ohh, he’s also not from the usual political parties. But are we sure he can transform the nation? Is experience enough? He’s never been president and will only know how it feels to be president until he resumes office? What if the problem rises above his power? The country is several times bigger and more complex than a state or agency. Is goodwill enough? I’m sure we’ve had several well-meaning politicians. I could guess our current vice president was good-willed. He probably wouldn’t have imagined the current situation of the country 8 years ago. But here we are. What if your candidate doesn’t even win the election? We know what the current government in power is capable of. Scary as it might seem, what if he wins and can’t complete his tenure? A man once believed he could save this nation in 1993, we all know how he ended up. In a country with politics deeply rooted in "god-fatherism" and "money politics", what if his goodwill can’t transcend above them? I guess we’ll yell and wait for another presidential election. These are all "ifs’' and you might want to bluff it off like many would have done 8 years ago. However, I’d like to bring to your awareness that the odds of these "ifs" are not zero and in my opinion the chances are substantial. We should keep in mind, the greater our expectations, the more bitter disappointment will taste.
Perhaps I’m too pessimistic. Let’s believe the future is bright for a moment. He comes into office and spends 8 years doing great work. Unless he finds his way into the constitution, he’ll have to leave office after 8 years. What happens after that? Is 8 years enough to remove the persistent bad policies that have defined our government for decades? How sure are we that somebody will continue his good job? Will all his work be in shambles? I do not wish to focus on the negatives, but also I do not wish to see the country continue its move in a vicious circle; not because of who we choose but because of who we are.
A man who is afraid of his future but runs away to alcohol instead of facing it, will wake up the next day with his problem not only bigger but scarier to overcome. Attempting to pack the heat of this country under a man seems to me like running to alcohol, as we are not really facing our problems. The saddest part is that our sleep doesn’t last a night but 4 or 8 years. We can all imagine how much our problems would’ve compounded by then.
Rather than drinking alcohol, we might as well come together to face our problems. Our constitution is a proven failure, perhaps we could move to put it in our past. Corrupt politicians go unpunished, perhaps we could do more than yell on the radio. Our democracy is criminally expensive, maybe we can move against that. Instead of hoping our votes bring us a saviour, perhaps we should save ourselves everyday and not every 4 or 8 years. But I believe all that is possible only in an organised society, not a broken one like ours. Discussing the problems of this nation is another day’s agenda; our current discussion ends here.

*** Though I made no mention of any politician's name and left it up to your imagination to fill in the gaps, I find it necessary to reiterate that I do not intend to tarnish or raise the image of any candidate of the upcoming election.

Peace …..