As the 2027 election cycle approaches, the political landscape is once again filling with “gladiators” vying for the hearts of the electorate. While their strategies are elaborate, a sobering reality remains: many of these maneuvers are designed to win an office, not to develop a community. Behind the choreographed smiles lies a recurring pattern of false hope, lack of structural planning, and naked ambition.
As citizens, we must exercise our right to move beyond the rhetoric. We must ask: “What was your impact before you ask for our vote?” The silence in response is often deafening.
History in Nigeria has shown a widening gap between campaign promises and governance outcomes. We have grown accustomed to the “seasonal humility” of aspirants—those who suddenly find it comfortable to plait hair in the market, eat on the streets, or share the beds of the common man. These are not acts of empathy; they are tools of seduction. Once the ballot is cast, the “people” are relegated to the background, and the promises of health facilities, security, and empowerment vanish into the corridors of power.
The tragedy of this cycle is best exemplified by my own community, Ajobi Onicha Igo in Ofu LGA. For generations, we have existed in total darkness. In an era where the world is powered by technology and digital economies, our people are left behind, shackled by a lack of basic electricity. Every four years, aspirants arrive with glowing promises of electrification, only to disappear once the victory lap begins. This “vicious cycle” of abandonment has lasted from time immemorial, stunting our economic growth and dimming the potential of our youth.
Service is a prerequisite for leadership, not a post-election afterthought. Community development should be the baseline of any aspirant’s social responsibility, not a carrot dangled during election cycles. The ongoing blackout in Ajobi Onicha Igo is a glaring indictment of failed promises. Without light, there is no safety; without power, there is no healthcare; and without infrastructure, there is no path to prosperity for our people.
To the people of Ofu LGA and beyond: The power is in your hands. We must refuse to be the stage on which these gladiators perform their 4-year dramas. If a candidate has not served the community as a private citizen, they have no business leading it as a public official. We must vet their track records, interrogate their manifestos, and hold them to a standard of “Development or Disqualification.”
We are done with actors; we need architects of development. We will no longer trade our future for a few weeks of “seasonal humility.” Every neglected community in this nation deserve more than a promise—they deserve a plan that is implemented with integrity and urgency.
– Dr. Apeh Monday
Coordinator, APEH Health Talk Show.
presidentapehmonday@gmail.com
