As Nigeria barely survived about one and half decades of democracy, the polity tenses up ahead of another history-making chance for transformation. Regrettably, the democratic principles and practice are paddled at a very tardy pace relative to the heightened political consciousness among the citizenry nation wide. Also, the dividends of democracy keep trickling in small measures compared with the copious outlay of both mental, financial and material resources plunged into a Nigerian brand of American Presidential system of highly prohibitive cost. There is no gain saying that Nigerian Presidential System of government although copied from the American standard is being operated at a very expensive cost to the detriment of a fragile economy that is practically mono-product and import dependent in nature. In my own estimation, nearly over fifty percent of proceeds from the crude oil sales which accounts for about 80% of Nigeria’s foreign earning goes into the sustenance of an expensive Presidential System” of government. Meanwhile, the infrastructure decay problem still hangs on so high in the face of a soporific somnambulist approach towards the development of science and technology. As at the moment of this write up, Nigeria cannot boast of a virile culture of science and technology when the rest of the world with special reference to the upcoming economies of the Asian Tigers which include; Japan, China, South Korea and others are fast exploring natural resources exploitatively to improve human lots. Shamefully, Nigeria like most African counterparts still depends on the exportation of raw materials in exchange of huge importation of finished products from the industrialized nations. Hence, we grope under the weight of interminable trade imbalance. Even our connection to the grid of the new world order, the modern democracy typifies noting short of a parody.
The long and short of it all being that the Nigerian brand of modern democracy remains ever fledgling because it is devoid of essential ingredients that accounts for good governance with positive impact on the citizens as reflected in an enhanced standard of living. This is not denying the fact that Nigerians have not been availed of any dividends of democracy at all since the inception of the present dispensation. At variance with the grid lock in progress experienced during the era of many years of military dictatorship, tremendous stride has been made in area of human rights record. For instance, Nigerians have been enjoying freedoms of association, information, and appurtenances. Thank God for that alone But, how far have we come and gone? Reckoning by the extent of improved democratic institutions it appears that we are no where yet, but the political awareness is appreciably developing such that the people now know the relevance of their power of choice in the essence of enfranchisement. To a great extent, the electorates have realized the sterling quality of the voter’s power as encapsulated in their voter’s cards. This has repositioned the electorate to take over the field of political maneuvering while tending towards the idealistic destiny of the dictatorate of the electorates. Hence, the public speculatively rummage through a labyrinth of available political equations seeking for solutions to unanswered political questions that often times entails a change. It is this desired change that actually ignites the anxiety for an opportunity to either repudiate any existing government in power or retain it. Evidently, 2011 has come and gone with the political players already engaged for more than the half time. In the field of soccer and other sports h f time is significant in several ways. The half time period affords the ample opportunity for performance evaluation. It gives rivalries the chance to dialogue especially between coaches and players.
Interestingly, in the political field of play, the voters (i.e. the electorates) must of need dictate the pace in an environment that is ideal (where the votes count). And we know that the end result of the match for games like football, handball or basket ball is chiefly dependent on the coach’s ability to reassess the ailing situations in the first-half. In fact the instructions dished out by the coaches and team managers usually determine the result that will be obtained in the second half. Definitely, the coaches dictate on what should be expected and assumes responsibility. This column believes that
the first reason for the much noise in the air about 2015 is that the electorates (voters) are already taking stock of the individual performances of the elected officers in various political designations
So, the elected officers are better alerted to change the game plan for more effectiveness or eventually be on their tod. In effect, any non-performing elected officer ought to brace up and re-align to ensure a next turn by simply putting his best for result in the second half. The projections of 2015 look ahead of time due to the prevailing circumstances. Hence political calculations kick off with preambles prior to the main political permutation within the given political calculus. At the federal level, the political equation deserve to change and the Northern states are up against any resistance that will deter their resolve to re – capture power in the centre even at all costs. Could that be the latent reason adduced for social uprising emanating from he North since the insurgence of the dreaded Boko Haram that trailed the President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime of government? It is still conjectural. The hiking political tension over 2015 focuses an Important era of transformation where the fears of many grow over what becomes· the propensity a continued peaceful co-existence of the components of the Nigeria project, considering the various expression of discontentment from many quarters. Another factor is the reminiscence of the compact establishing the status of the Nigeria Nation state which began with the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates in 1914 by Lord Lugard and expires by 2014 the (i.e. 100 years after amalgamation). It is imperative that a platform for dialogue be utilized by then to re-establish an agreement to proceed as one United Nation. Essentially, the gamut of the political history of Nigeria unfolds an admixture of resplendent gloom and despondency. Unarguably, Nigeria history is chequered for which reason her peculiarity and uniqueness as a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious country. This explains the intermittent sectarian crisis and violence witnessed across t e Nation especially the volatile Northern states. Besides the amalgamation that is bound to elapse 2014, the masses being apprehensive, place 2015 in forecast as a political period that will be a decider on the way forward for Nigeria. Recall that America did predict a doom for Nigeria by 2015. Please, put me right wherever wrong. The political fever ahead of 2015 equally becomes caught by the people’s projections at the state levels. Everybody involved in party politics is gearing up for another contest in a general election to either usher in a new government or up-hold the existing ones for various reasons prominent among which is performance basis not withstanding selfish interests. It is political consciousness that drives people to commence an early preparation to express their wishes. From the other angle, the People’s Democratic Party (POP) has been dominating the political affairs of Nigeria for over 14 years period and opposition parities are scheming to instigate their exit to create room for another party to takeover the reigns of powers especially at the federal level. Hence, pressure is mounting up in the forms of strategies, counter-strategies and political ambushes ahead of 2015. The political class is gingered, warming up, gathering resources, amassing wealth and garnering momentum to dissipate enough political energy to clinch political powers which is the ultimate of all powers. The hullabaloo about 2015 is therefore not unconnected with the recent trend in the Nigerian factor where it has become the public perception that politics is a risky business where of course the winner takes all. So, intended political aspirants are scampering to form political groups for bargaining purposes ahead of the time before the lifting of ban on campaign. The schism in the Nigeria project is so obvious that if you do not belong to a clique with enough clouts to grab the mantle of leadership grief awaits the loser till further notice. The much noise about 2015 is ominous of something spectacularly imminent because of the parlous nature of Nigerian politics. The economy is so precarious that the gap between the rich and poor widens everyday. But those that are in the grip of political powers swim in the pool of excess wealth along with their allies and cronies. This tendency for cupidity and cronyism enthroned nepotism. So, anyone with nobody in power can go to hell whereas the man-know-man bandwagon endears people to partisan politics as the only lee way for economic emancipation. Consequently, a representative democracy in the Nigeria case diminishes to the dreaded despotism with pure oligarchic tentacles.
Democracy in the Nigerian context took a redefinition as the government of the people, by a few people for the few people in lieu of the actual government of the people, for the people and by the people. The politics of the pocket took over the entire political atmosphere there by enticing more people to the game of politics with its trappings. With 2015 kept in view from now it is expected that a lot of monies will change hands because Nigeria plays the money bag politics. The most intriguing aspect of the high expectation is the final resolution of the teething issue of the zonal irredentism. As 2015 draws near, political parties should be getting ready for party congresses to elect their party officers. The crime world is emerging to be more definitively hydra-headed orchestrated by a staggering high unemployment rate and paucity of job. The influx into the lucrative game of politics presents the alternative outlet where the disenchanted poor masses off-load pressure and probably eke out a living. The high-point of it is that 2015 like other historical years will spring its own surprises. Then, President Goodluck Jonathan having put up abysmally low performance will definitely be shown the way out of Aso Rock. Here in Imo State, His Excellency, the Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha given his approximately good performance so far is bound to improve and stand the chance of taking another shot at Douglas House except if his unconventional approach to governance gives him away to the contrary. There is a reason to make much ado about 2015 politics in this country. Check that out.
