As another eventful electioneering period draws closer, the political dissonance will soon be reawaken by all political actors and political parties and I believe it will be worst in the few months to come. I believe that our minds and ears will soon be full after listening to the mouth watering promises of people who are desperately aspiring to capture political power.
I have my personal feelings of apprehension, especially concerning the way we play our politics in this part of Africa. We cannot move an inch in this country if we don’t change our attitude. Political Power should not be desperately hunted like an antelope in a deep forest without recourse to our fundamentally democratic and cultural values which include; respect, tolerance, honesty, peace loving among others.
Indeed, I feel sad when politicians use this season to cause panic and fear among the ordinary citizenry who have no other place to go should there be any mayhem.
At this point in time, I expect that, manifestos of the various political parties should have been out. It is rather unfortunate that political parties usually present their policy outlines so late in the electioneering year such that intellects would not be able to review, dissect and digest them before making an informed choice. Is it the case that political parties want to smuggle their policies unexamined? the answer is YES, I believe they want us to know that what they present are simply the usual rhetoric and empty political words?
It is unfathomable how Nigeria, a developing country that has enjoyed democratic independence for over 20 years is still been oblivious of pertinent democratic ethics. All the political parties do is, ask their representatives to blow the airwaves with vulgar and abusive language that has the propensity of sparking off political genocide in this country. We shamelessly insult one another with impunity. I keep asking myself this question whether our laws do not work during election years. The political discourse is adulterated with insanity and that speaks ugly of our cherished democracy. I have said this times without number that democracy is competition of ideas and not competition of insults, but the same cannot be spoken of our unfortunate situation.
We must understand that, PEACE is a collective responsibility and not that of government or the security agencies. It is our responsibility to contribute solidly to consolidate our democratic gains by ensuring peace and encouraging responsible leadership. What is the essence of democracy if it does not guarantee peace and unity, tolerance and consensus building?
Interestingly, power has become our national goal yet we claim to be a star of democracy in Africa. I think we are selling the pride of our country for power and not for the interest of its citizenry. People shamelessly discredit our nation internationally for reasons best known to them yet they claim to have solutions to our myriad developmental impediments.
Very laughable indeed.
Is this not hypocrisy, parochialism and selfishness ? Honestly speaking, our style of partisanship is as bad as faeces. Are we leaving under curse or we want to experiment a civil war in this country? If you have ever seen war and its dire consequences, you will never pray, your enemy fall a prey.
More sacrosanctly, elections should never be considered a do or die affairs because it is rather about the choice of the people. The mandate can never be bought and neither can it be conquered in a war. Political parties must concentrate on selling their policies and not selling their ignorance and needless penchants to capture political power by hook and sinker.
Policy credibility and feasibility are what discerning Kogites and Nigerians generally should be interested in and not the usual wanton deception. I have keenly observed how some politicians turn to have solutions to all problems during election years. Perhaps the political leadership spirit comes once in every four years.
I urge all and sundry particularly the Youths to avoid been used by unscrupulous individuals to cause any crime or violence in Kogi state and the country at large.
God bless us all.
It’s your brother,
– Godwin Jibrin Bakwo
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