Editorial: 2023 GENERAL ELECTION: THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF NIGERIA

Editorial: 2023 GENERAL ELECTION: THE STRUGGLE FOR THE SOUL OF NIGERIA - Ikenna Oodo 

Ikenna Oodo 

2023 is upon us, election and preparations for transition is here again. It is that periodic time of the year when we come together as a people and decide our fates by choosing through the ballots who spearheads the organized affairs of the rest of us for the next 4 years. Expectedly, the atmosphere is astir with electioneering campaigns, politicians are about with their usual fake promises of doing this and that with a glowing public display of feigned humility and sudden show of concern to the deliberately neglected plights of the masses, not forgetting the anomie that is characterising and has been a hallmark of elections in Nigeria. 

A shrewd man defined politics as the act of leading people by deceiving them. As somehow as the thoughts seems, the set of political leaders in Nigeria have proved the sage right with their repeated patterns of deceiving Nigerians with deceptive moves every election period. One would wonder how long we Nigerians shall allow ourselves to be deceived before we learn to say in words and actions: "enough is enough" 

Disturbing is the honest addition of Niccolo Machiavelli that one who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived. But before you allow yourself to be deceived again this time, add 8 years to your current age and then decide if you can afford to waste another 8 years of your life because of bad government and failed leadership. 

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The problem of Nigeria is solely and squarely bad government and failed leadership. Bad governments are elected by good citizens who do not vote, failed leaderships are reinforced by people who do not participate in elections. Nobody is pleased with the way things are in Nigeria except those responsible and benefiting from it, aside these persons, the rest of us are crying foul and desperate for good governance. This 2023 general election, we must be very ruthless and conscious in our choice of voting out all the leaders who have plunged this nation into hardships and brought us tears and pains. This can only be achieved if we come out en masse to perform our civic responsibility. Remember, in the words of Keith Ellison "not voting is not a protest. It is a surrender"

The last 8 years has been a trying time for Nigerians, President Buhari's APC led government carefully plunged the nation into overall mess and disaster, insecurity situations, record inflation and unemployment, unaccountable intimidating accumulated debts, avoidable socioeconomic hardships, devaluation of naira and weak economy, recurrent ASUU strikes and proclivities for bandits and non state actors, fuel scarcity, hunger and starvation, fragrant violation of Federal Character principle and contempt of the court, budget padding and general maladministration to mention but few. If we fail to vote the right person this time, things will get worst and the wailing continues. Who is the right person? 

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was in pages 31-32 of MY WATCH Volume 2 written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo described as a fantastically corrupt character and one who sacrifices morality, integrity, propriety truth and national interest for self and selfish interest. "What I did not know, which came out glaringly later, was his parental background which was somewhat shadowy, his propensity to corruption, his tendency to disloyalty, his inability to say and stick to the truth all the time, a propensity for poor judgment, his belief and reliance on marabouts, his lack of transparency, his trust in money to buy his way out on all issues and his readiness to sacrifice morality, integrity, propriety truth and national interest for self and selfish interest". He said. 

Having now heard from the horse's mouth, whether Atiku will go for the rescue or not is left for the populace to decide but it is most likely that Nigerians do not want to jump from fry pan to fire.

Tinubu who is another of the front runners in the presidential election under All Progressive Congress (APC), is, however, despite his incoherent and failing health conditions caused by senility, is allegedly involved in drug deals. As a matter of fact, USA Court released Certified True Copy of judgment for the forfeiture of $460,000 belonging to him for narcotics trafficking and money laundering. On November 7th, 2022, Prnigeria, reported: “it is no longer news that on October 4, 1993, Bola Ahmed Tinubu forfeited $460,000 to the United States Government for his involvement in narcotics trafficking and financial transactions in violation of the U.S laws". Has he chances of leading the country of over 200 million heathy persons with ailing health, shall only be determined by the masses. Fortunately, these masses are already aware that a man who sells his monkey in place for a dog, still has something that squats in home. Nigerians, will not use their two legs to test the depth of a River again after the Buhari experience. 

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Peter Obi who is the Presidential flagbearer of Labour Party (LP) has zero records of criminal cases, no report of profligacy of public resources and breach of public trust and other illicit involvements characteristics of other candidates and has overtime proven to possess the magic wands to make Nigeria a country we will be proud to call our own. Whether he will be entrusted these mandates and responsibilities is left to be decided by the people in the ballot. 

However, it is most certain that Nigerians will choose decency and production over any other this time as APC government has in the past years shaved everyone of us completely without wetting it, and in this general election, Nigerians will choose good drinking water for everybody over bottles of champagne for few.  

Ikenna Oodo

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Ikennapeteroodo@gmail.com