Elections and Political Opportunism in Nigeria

In Nigeria, people are in chains surrounded by military baracks and road blocks. 'Voters are not blessed with choice'. Election is about political opportunism influenced by the political elites, limiting the scope of participation and successful elections. Anyone who thinks otherwise is termed a 'saboteur', betraying the country.

 It's very imperative people are well informed about our electoral democracy, political parties and voting systems to enable them make better decisions. Sadly, there is high level of illiteracy,and sycophancy; majority don't know what they're voting for and why they're voting. Some are used as political thugs to perpetrate violence.

There is nothing to expect come 2019 elections, given the current composition of INEC, and the status-quo.
 We can only think of a credible election if the election body is truly independent without political interference. The present political structure is designed to forestall credible elections, a grand design to extend authoritarian rule with little weight attached to the democractic process, political parties and independence of the electoral body.

Sadly the political elites who benefit from the way things are compromise intergrity for personal gains, legitmising non-democratic proceedures.

Reforms and restructuring are mere political jargons to deceieve the electorates and win votes.
 A genuine attempt by the Goodluck Jonathan's administration for political reforms was frustrated. So what's the point of election every four years when the political elites are not willing to restructure the country to facilitate inclusivenness and greater economic development.

 As they prepare for another election come 2019, voters should vote for educated leaders and political parties that guarantee them autonomy to free up national resources for greater productivity and freedom.
The truth is the the future of jobs is under threat from automation and there seems to be no adequate preparations for the challenges and opportunites it presents. In few years a lot of jobs will be wiped out.

Voters should seek for educated leaders who will invest in digital economy and new opportunities for modern life.
In Nigeria, people are not equipped with digital skills, young people and women have lesss digital access and majority have no income to pay for epileptic electricity and unavailable broadband.

Furthermore, voters should look for educated leaders willing to hold the government to account by checking the authoritarian tendencies of the executive which is the main reason for political instability. The current national assembly leadership have really done their best given the sad conditions and the volatility of the situation.

Look around your present conditions, your LGAs, States, unaccountable constituency funds, to access performance as they seek your votes come 2019. The system simply assumes that what the people need is food- rice, beans, and small change to survive the next day.

The current corruption war is biased; a political strategy to enable one political party to gain unfair advantage over opponents. A trumatised judiciary is helpless, electoral laws are circumvented to benefit a certain group of people without any penalty.

 According to Lord Peter Mandelson: "so what's the election about? What's the point of an election when voters are not given a genuine choice?".

We will continue to educate ordinary people about the disreputable politics of the few who approach you to seek your votes every four years to continue business as usual, OBJ said it's Chop 'I' Chop.
 To be completed soon.

Uche Okeke.