2023 Elections: Will “Stomach Infrastructure” still be voted for? 

By Andrew A. Erakhrumen

The 2023 elections are here! This February 25, (barring any necessary/unnecessary rescheduling), Nigerian electorate will, again, be at the polls to elect ‘new’ president/vice president and national assembly members. Scheduled next to these electoral activities, a fortnight after, will be those for the gubernatorial and state houses of assembly. Understandably, we are unhappy with the snail’s pace vis-à-vis Nigeria’s positive political developments; however, the fact that more Nigerians, especially the youths, appear interested in participating, in political processes, is a thing to be happy about; even with the several encumbrances still being encountered. Here and now, we are consoled by an age-long popular saying, claimed to have emanated from a Chinese proverb, that “…..a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…..” Not just any step but a well-focused positive one! We, all, must acknowledge this and firmly sustain better steps onward! Nigerians must unwearyingly counter the seemingly concealed devious antics of those intending to move and keep them in the mediaeval era. These ‘feudal lords’ are in government, at all levels, today; but their days are numbered if Nigerians take proper action(s) on information dished out through awareness sensitisation efforts concerning the strategies of these crooks.

We will be stating the obvious that the major strategy in the hands of the aforementioned swindlers is the deliberately-reinforced economic impoverishment of the people. This strategy has been a time-tested reliable one for them. We need not elaborate on this; since, even, primary school pupils have been able to come to this realisation! However, Nigerians must keep on talking about it so that they can ensure massive departure from actions that can, again, mislead them to getting ensnared further in the poverty trap they are – already. This trap is constantly ‘repackaged’ for those demanding foodstuff and devalued Naira notes for their votes! These are parts of the whole, collectively described and hyped as “stomach infrastructure”. As we have said earlier “…..people should know, or made to know, that any politician that pays them for votes is their enemy! Simple! Such a politician will never deliver the public good that is being yearned for…..” There is no doubt that pervasive economic hardship exists in Nigeria but token handouts from those politicians are not meant to solve the problem of poverty! Rather, they are ‘good and reliable’ precursors for more impoverishment! These politicians deliver these tokens with their left hand, and with the right, retrieve them, in multiples, from the common patrimony! Alas, what an effective trap!

ALSO READ: Nigeria: Is a peaceful poll realistic?

Many youths appear to be stuck in this trap! Youths should be reminded that the only kind of governance structure that can result from this kind of politics is the one that will perpetually impoverish them! That is the default setting! Youths, with their population, resourcefulness and energy, can make the difference! After all, many of those keeping us in the dungeon we currently find ourselves were in their youthful days in 1966 and shortly after! They have been handing power over to themselves (and their proxies), one way or the other, and are still in power, today, delivering nothing but misery! Do not get us wrong! This is not to suggest that there are no old persons, alive, today, with unrealised positive vision for Nigeria! There are! They may not have earlier been allowed to be part of ‘nation-building’ but we want them to speak up while they are still alive in order to assist in flushing out the vermins currently behind the maladies being experienced in our socio-political milieu! All societies, to the best of our knowledge, were built by the young and old; inexperienced and experienced; well-focused brain and brawn. Yes, we mean everybody!

Definitely, positive development can, and does, result from well-intentioned collaborations among all societal strata. This has worked, and is still working, in other parts of the world; Nigeria should not be an exception! We agree that it takes two to tango concerning the massive negative inputs of followers to the rot being currently experienced in the country! Of course, many Nigerians, really, do not want to be this disorderly and degenerative; but what does one sincerely expect with the kind of irresponsible leadership foisted on them? This is a leadership cadre that thinks and acts like colonialists whose main interest is solely to extract from the colony to their home country. Do not make the mistake of believing that the pretender Nigerian ‘leaders’ including many contesting for the various political positions in the oncoming elections are actually ‘Nigerians’ in their mentality! They are not! Please, try to do a background check and you may not find any of them without a foreign international passport! Having these passports is not the evil but the intention(s) behind having them! Ask them where their children reside, now, then you will understand, better, what we are talking about here. They are not patriots! They are fraud! They are scam!

The quality of leadership is an important determining factor in nation-building and developmental quests – anywhere. This is why we, all, must contribute to efforts at strengthening participatory civil governance process in the form of democracy. This democratic process, particularly the Nigeria’s presidential system of government, can be very expensive. Worse still, the country’s version has been hijacked by moneybags with questionable source of wealth and former coupists who have committed heinous crime against the Nigerian state by forcibly seizing power from democratically constituted authorities in the past! These are the questionable characters, currently, in charge of our ‘democratic’ journey! No wonder they are unenthusiastic about efforts that will lead to ‘restructuring’ including bringing about a ‘people-centred’ constitution! Whatever ‘restructuring’ is interpreted to mean by different people, its fundamental essence is, and should continue to be, that there must be inclusivity of all. It has relevance as long as it welcomes all the stakeholders’ representatives, to sit at a round table, to chart a way forward on how they want to coexist. It is important for those that will be ‘elected’ in the fast-approaching elections to bear it in mind that this is a good route towards obtaining genuine security, peace, harmony and tranquillity – in Nigeria!

*Andrew A. Erakhrumen currently teaches at the Department of Forest Resources and Wildlife Management, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.