With so much glee and euphoria coupled with no iota of in-depth thought and modicum of desire to effect change to the status quo, majority of electorate meticulously and unanimously approach the polls with the sole intent of wrecking havoc on/to the society/association in which at first, they were anticipated to be the game changer, but which at the end, either lament and bite their finger in regret or curse the day they made the mistake of voting for that very executive members that have failed to deliver on their campaign promises.
As the new day unfolds, it is expected that every homosapiens try to be a better featherless biped than he/she was the day before. Alas, such is not always the case for as the new phase or set or newbie comes in, the more we accelerate towards the not so right direction and always wanting to break from the norm negatively. We have, made for ourselves a fait accompli that things can’t be better but rather gets worse, thereby forcing us to be suffering and smiling, silent even when our fortune is being robbed by those we chose to safeguard it for us.
Just as it is in video games, the higher the level, the tougher the game and just as it is that the older a tree grows crooked, the harder or impossible it is to make it straight, so has been the administration of people by people for the people become over the years in Nigeria after independence. Every arms of the government is neither just nor condign in their dealings which reminds one of the long years of hardship and slavery in the Niger-area country under the colonial masters.
Having spent more than twenty years in the Giant of Africa’s country, Nigeria, and the commercial and capital cities of the country, it has been and is still being a nothing to write home about with respect to the disposition of elected officials at various levels of government. From the era of PDP regime to that of the APC administration, it has been a case of one malady to another argy-bargy, from one imbroglio to another scandal, and, from one misdemeanor to another gross misconduct. The sojourn thus far has not proven to be an odyssey but one held back by an avalanche of quagmires. Neither of the past two had and the current one has had a opprobrium free administration.
Apparently, neither of the aforesaid undesirable experience is unconnected to the electorate. They are the ones relegating their ultimate power to nothing by voting wrongly, unjustly and/or sentimentally during election. Although it is still impact-less in the nation at large, yet enough have been said nationally to put a stop the upsurge of bad governance stemming from voting badly and not based on competence and feasibility of plans.
As we are in the epoch of general elections, it is imperative that we learn from our past mistakes and rather than let it weigh in our voting choice, it should fortify us to make the best choice at the polls. Remember not to sell or buy votes as that will further plunge the nation into further deterioration after consuming the ephemeral take home given by politicians. The time is now to get it right or further get it wrong.
OLUWATOYIN ‘Betterdays’ Ibrahim is a campus journalist and the Editor-in-chief of Assesa Press Organization in University of Ibadan. He can be reached via 07010124528 or betterdaysahead191660@gmail.com
