Since the return to democracy in May 1999, politics in Nigeria has been purely run by a few elites who can be termed as ‘godfathers’.
The Nigerian elites are typically not politicians, and even when they hold high government office or run for office, they often prefer to be called technocrats rather than politicians.
While many of them are content with foreign and local media accolades, international awards or donations, as well as social media celebrations or rants, some elites are vocal critics mainly to get government attention for appointments and largesse.
In Nigeria, if politics is a game, it cannot be described as a decent one because the intrigues, variegated interests, ethnoreligious sentiments and the newfound principle of zoning elective offices have all rendered the water murkier than anticipated.
It is ridiculous to pontificate that only the elites play the game of politics, the downtrodden masses do not even have the opportunity to meander through the murky waters, for if they venture, they automatically sink into the billows of the ocean.
It is hard to believe that Nigeria has been rendered a rogue state by the political elites. It is even more contentious as to whether or not Nigeria is a failed state. One thing is sure, even though the nation is being harassed by banditry, insurgency, religious extremism and socio-economic insecurity, we are yet to cede our basic responsibilities as a sovereign state like Somalia did some years back.
To a large extent, Nigeria bears all the characteristics of a failed state. Nigeria is incapable of providing basic amenities such as health, education and law enforcement. This is the only explanation why the mindless Owo massacre of June 5, 2022, can only end in newspaper damnation.
The embarrassing poverty the masses are subjected to and the regime of crime and interminable violence, kidnapping for ransom, and the well-orchestrated assault on the collective sensibility of the masses show that the collective security of the nation is vanishing.
The nation has totally lost the crusade against corruption, and the decay in infrastructure and its overall damaging effect on investment is equally troubling. Judicial tyranny walks tall on four legs, making even the elites ponder whether the judiciary is really a purveyor of the rule of law and an indispensable pillar of democracy.
In February and March 2023, Nigeria’s Presidential, Gubernatorial, and Legislature elections would be held for suitable and eligible candidates. Do well to be part of the electioneering process.
ThankGod E. Airiohuodion (Awake Nigeria)
