One of my new year resolutions is to actively participate in political party primaries and help in the selection of the best candidates across all levels in my state.
Yes, I don’t carry the membership card of any political party but that isn’t enough reason for me to fold hands and watch while me, my siblings and my girlfriend suffer bad governance. So, although I wouldn’t be directly electing candidates or throwing my hat in the ring, I’ll get involved since I know competent politicians who have never stolen from our commonwealth.
Oh yes, I have my reasons if you care to know them, Party primaries for elective offices in Nigeria have been nothing but a bidding process won by the richest politician who may be the worst candidate. Personal capacity is never ever considered.
Politicians bribe party delegates to get nominated regardless of the method of primaries employed, and If they happen to be errand boys lacking oodles of bribe money and vying for local council or state assembly, their paymasters pay the bills and in return they serve their bosses instead of poor citizens when they get elected.
So, for these reasons and more, abstaining from party primaries seem treasonous to me. I believe It’s a no brainer to come out en masse to vote on general elections and sit at home to watch party primaries on TV, since you’re more likely to find honest politicians at party primaries than general elections.
I agree, all of us cannot be politicians, but my society faces great danger when the political scene is dominated by deceitful semi-illiterates who not only determine my future but those of my siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews simply because they are politicians who make policies and enact laws while I’m an engineer – a nobody, just like the orange seller, hotelier, teachers, farmers, and nurses who are not politicians.
I ask, are we really fair to poor Nigerians if we allow selfish politicians to force them into making a choice between a thief and a imbecilic bigot on general elections? Don’t you feel cheated when someone who can barely read and write steal your entire states’ payroll and deprive helpless civil servants their salaries? Answer that and make your decision.
But on my own part, I’ll join like minds to help in the emergence of patriotic candidates with no records of stealing and consign shameless thieves and heartless politicians to the dustbin of history so my society can progress. I wish us a happy new year and urge us all to get involved in the electioneering process starting from primary elections coming up some few months ahead because Nigeria belongs to all of us, not just politicians.
Abba Jalo, an Engineer writes this from Yola, Adamawa state
