It’s a New Year peeps; a match to the much awaited election
year come 2015! 2013 did not go without a lot of political intrigues, the
highlight was the attempt to form a formidable opposition to the ruling PDP in
Nigeria. For me such political happenings are positives consequences of
democracy. We are gradually going past those days when elections were almost
concluded at PDP primaries; once you obtained the PDP ticket for most elections
in many parts of the country, you could only but go home and rest for victory
is certain! That situation encouraged allegiance to delegates and god fathers
rather than Nigerians themselves.
This time around it’s going to be a different ball game. Go
win your primaries and come and convince Nigerians, telling them what you have
to offer. Perhaps you might just be garnering votes in that way that would
ensure your victory at the general elections. For this reason, we the
electorates shall be prepared to reap enormous dividends from democracy. In
economics, it is called a perfect competition situation. This also means that
as MTN, GLO, ETISALAT and Airtel fight to grab more users through promos and
innovations, only we the end users stand to gain at the end of the day.
On our part as electorates, we ought to get ready with our
writing materials - paper and pen, tablets, Ipads, phones and other recording
devices. Information is necessary, so we have to record all their promises upon
which we shall judge them as time goes on.
My friend who is also a classmate and is contesting the
gubernatorial elections in Benue State had confided me in me that he ought to
prove a point to the youths in Nigeria. He said to me, it is high time the
youths realized that they too can sit on seats of administration and governance
rather than being hired as thugs for election rigging and odd jobs. Our time is
now and we have to begin to use it wisely.
Who says these recycling contemporary political leaders are
not recycling their old ideas and a new wave of younger reasoning ought to
start taking over? With the saying, “the youths are the future of tomorrow in
Nigeria”, it behoves on us to seize this opportunity by force (violent taketh heaven by force) else,
our greedy parents will keep ruling a pretty younger generation until there
shall be no future for us no more.
At this point we urge all the youths in Nigeria to shun the
fold arms and watch syndrome. We can do more in instilling a new order in
democratic governance in Nigeria. We are the internet generation, full of ideas
that must not be allowed to erode or become obsolete just because we didn’t act
when we had to. We alone can work assiduously towards bridging the gaps that
our society presents in religion, tribe, etc.
As we meditate on the way forward, let us realize that
folding your arms and forming ignorance is also a policy statement, however,
how far the results of such actions would portend, remains the conclusion as to
what nature and history will judge you and tell about you when the time comes.
Happy New Year from Save Our Democracy Group!
