2023 general elections and the need for enlightened political participation
That another general election in Nigeria is slated for 2023 is becoming ‘no more news,’ as preparations towards the election within the political landscape is gradually mounting up to generate awareness and attention towards this end. However, the subjects that surround the perspectives towards this end remain deep seated. Among such subjects of potent concerns is the definitions of political culture in the Country. While it is known that with the evolution of democratic government in Nigeria, the subject of election is not alien to the populace, it is however noteworthy that beyond mere casting of ballots, there are depths of realities that give expression to meaningful election as one strong tenet of democracy. The place of political culture of the people therefore comes to bear in this regard.
The present socio-economic and political conditions in the Country have left Nigerians at the juncture of questioning the prevailing order with dissatisfaction over the performance of the Government to actualise the desideratum for socio-economic development which was what necessitated a change in government in 2015, with the coming in of a new political party into power. With the drumbeats of preparation towards the 2023 general election, it is now ‘no news’ that Nigerians once again would be back at the polls. While Nigerians have been doing same for over two decades since the commencement of the fourth republic, and for a handful occasions in the preceding republics, it is not arguable that the process has always been enmeshed, to a larger extent, with frailties that leave the process itself unsatisfactory and the outcome unsavoury to the populace. The performance of the administration when coming on board has been a subject of concern which has left the phenomenon of apathy growing in the Country.
As dynamics begin to colour the upcoming general elections, which to many at the local level may be roughly far away, the need for citizens’ preparation towards the process is paramount. Such preparation is paramount to awaken them to commence engagement with realities on how best to make their selections. This is sacrosanct for critical decision making to weigh, by strong perusal, those potential aspirants who by competence merit the various seats which would be contested, particularly those at the Federal level and the gubernatorial seats, which hold strong bearings to key decision making organs of the Country. Lack of preparation in the past, has seen Nigerians lamenting their choice at the polls in the face of shattered expectations upon commencement of governance by their administration of choice.
In his comments recently on the political landscape of the Country, founding Secretary-General of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and former member House Of Representatives, Dr. Usman Bugaje, had attributed the problem of the Country to defaults in the character of leadership selection in the Country.
At the declaration of a new force in preparation towards the 2023 election, he was quoted: “We have been unable to exit the leadership conundrum precisely because the leadership recruitment mechanism in our political parties is so flawed that, except for accidents, they are incapable of producing competent leaders with the requisite knowledge, discipline and commitment to make a difference. We are living with, or better still, groaning under the consequences of this folly.
“What this means is that any attempt to rescue this country from its troubles must first rescue it from the current leadership recruitment mechanism that seems to leverage on money and connection or ethnic sentiments and no premium on knowledge or competence. The challenge is how to introduce a set of criteria or better still re-calibrate the recruitment mechanism in our political parties to prioritise knowledge, competence and character. The deepening crises in the political parties is all the more reason this re-calibration is necessary.
“We must change the conversation about leadership. The first thing we should want to know about our President is not which part of country he or she comes from, rather how competent is he or she? What is the content of his policy document? What is his team made up of? We also seek to ensure a seismic shift from the politics of big men to the politics of big ideas. The empty politics of big men have not taken us anywhere but down the drain. We simply can’t continue this way.”
The need for Nigerians to quicken their political consciousness with enlightened approach, inspired by acquainting themselves with the mood and composition of the political landscape as time goes by is paramount to prepare themselves ahead of the elections. This remains sacrosanct to fortify their choice patterns as the election approaches. While dynamics such as the formations of new political alignments and forces continue to take course, the need for Nigerians to awaken their consciousness to these dynamics to guide against being caught unawares remains sacrosanct. Hence, beyond administrative subjects of voting procedures, the need for Nigerians to become lively to the obligations of enlightened participation in the political system, driven by robust political culture as obligations demanded of them in a sane democratic climate is paramount.
