ThursdayRapAround: Nigeria’s ‘Delegated’ Democracy

By Michael Ayotunde

To every discerning mind, Nigeria is definitely going through a phase.

This is one fact that can’t be faulted in any way.

What can however be contested is – whether this phase will lead us to a desired destination or not.

Nigeria is known for one thing – a nation where fantastic ideas, sound policy are easily formulated and ultimately projected.
Read Also:PDP Delegate Donates N13m From National Convention Cash Haul To Orphans
But when it comes to execution and or implementation, it is totally a different ball game.

Year in, year out, tax payers’ monies are unashamedly been wasted on an endless, highly defective and innately controversial Electoral Laws (as amended or by whatever name it is called); in the midst of this, the main issues that naturally beg for attention are deliberately overlooked – to give undue allowance for their ulterior motives.

If not, why shouldn’t there be a caveat or a more potent and effective provisions in place to guide against unwholesome, wilful abuse of electoral process?

The very people tasked with the responsibilities to make our dear nation Nigeria governable and be the best place to be on earth, have however gone hay wire, and instead are busy perpetuating themselves in power – yet with no meaningful impact other than their selfish interests.

How else do you justify a lawmaker, for instance, scheming to return for the fifth, sixth term?

This brings to fore the calibre of people we have as ‘Delegates’ who eventually vote to select our so-called preferred ‘candidates’.

A nation, they often say, deserves the type of leadership it gets. But under this scenario in Nigeria of today as painted above, the very type of leadership in key positions in Nigeria cannot in any way be said to reflect the actual dictate of the people.

Put succinctly, the processes involved in the selection of candidates have been so corrupted and bastardised that no meaningful, responsive representation can emanate therefrom.

Do people still wonder why the likes of Mr. Peter Obi opted to walk away from the PDP? The reasons are clearly visible.

No doubt, the game of politics cannot run successfully without money. But a situation where money is placed above every other indices is not normal. This is clearly a descend to plutocracy, where instrument of power is in the hands of the rich class in the society.

Monetisation of politics is not just happening; this has been the usual practice since the return to democratic system. Instead of politics of ideas, political gladiators have indulge in politics of money. This, among other characteristics, has bedevilled our polity and has led us to where we are today: corruption everywhere, violence, poverty, insecurity, political instability and under-development.

It is, therefore, not surprising to that governance has practically collapsed barely one-year to the general elections; nothing seems to be working – just because the political gladiators are all-out to outsmart one another – all at our collective expense.

The economy is down; owners of genuine businesses cannot access FX to run their businesses but Nigeria’s ‘delegated politicians’ are smiling to the banks with hard currencies.