DESTITUTENESS IN SUPERFLUOUSNESS

Dispassionateness is nigh impossible in matters of national consciousness and human misery, which is why it's salutary no end to debate, without caterwauling, the best course for a nation to take in times of peril. It is not without precedent that diverse views emerge in the process of mapping out the best way forward but what is detrimental to an honest and frank debate is resorting to name-calling and decrying opposing viewpoints. Salient arguments are drowned out amidst the cacophony of sequacious ranting and raving of impertinence, and nugacities come to the fore. Most of us Nigerians, myself included, have been guilty of such despicable acts, but isn't it about time we outgrew such infantilities and come together as one people with inseparable destinies?

The success of Nigeria is a success of all and we must shy away from political players who seek to divide and rule purely for their own benefits and those of their circle of influence. How many of us political e-warriors have benefited from the largesse of oil wells being shared among them? How many can afford to give their offsprings a decent education or adequate medical care? Pointedly speaking, how many diasporic Nigerians can afford to repatriate and contribute to the upliftment of our country? These are the considerations that should be concentrating the minds, and we shouldn't let the cunning distractions of the political players deflect our focus. We, thankfully, have a relatively high degree of personal freedom (of choice and of speech) in Nigeria but are we using this to good and efficient effect? Are we directing our ire at the appropriate quarters? We need to begin to resist the temptation to tear ourselves apart while those actively seeking to abrogate the very freedom we're taking for granted get away with murder. When it fully registers in our national consciousness that most of these political players are nothing but disseminators of egregious falsities and disreputable dissemblers, we would begin to chart our way back out of the abyss that we as a people have sleepwalked into.

This inevitably brings me to the rather thorny issue of the 2019 elections. While each and every Nigerian has the absolute right to determine who to vote for , or which policies to get behind, we should not blind ourselves to the real possibility that such choices could be made out of loyalty (either borne out of consanguineous relationships, religious affiliations, friendships, or suchlike). The point I'm trying to make is that such considerations should be the least of our worries, and that the cause for the common good is far greater than any superficial relationships. No reason to vote for one or the other is invalid, but some reasons are infinitely more valid than others. The main problem with our psyche these days is that most of us hardly think of the 'other'; it is always me, myself and I. When we begin to think in terms of 'us' rather than 'me', we would see our weltanshauung reshaped and refocused for the common good, and our politics would begin to reflect such. For our politics to change, our views and attitudes have to change, and the reasons for voting in people into positions of authority would move away from the archaic and uninformed considerations of the past.

All political parties are littered with indecorous and venal bilks. However, among the rubble of sordid characters are those with enough amour-propre to merit being considered for election to positions of authority. Our expectations are, unfortunately, limited due to the dearth of worthy candidates, but the pool of perspicacious candidates would start to widen if sanity is brought back into governance. The malaise bedevilling Nigeria is one of destituteness in superfluousness. A country endowed with so much having to make do with so little, with a huge swathe of the population eking out a living. Nigeria in a suspended state of perversion!

In light of all of the above, I make no bones nailing my colours to the mast of Buhari. Is Buhari an angel? Hell, no! Is Buhari of unimpeachable character? I'd say to a high degree, yes. Love him or loathe him, he's the only one of the two with good prospects of winning that I can say, with a hand to my heart, that Nigeria stands a better chance with. Atiku comes with so much garbage that it would take a millennium for a garbage truck to be rid of it. Is Atiku the kind of person to lead Nigeria to sanity? Absolutely not! Coupled with Saraki, the ship of State would run aground before one can say 'Hi'. I say this with no malice, but with a conviction of purpose. Many may disagree and they are entitled to, and I would defend their entitlement no end. This is exactly why I do not begrudge Obasanjo for declaring his support for Atiku, but I sincerely wish the man could just melt away from the political scene; the damage he's caused Nigeria is incalculable. 

If Nigeria is to move on from the Dark Ages of opportunistic pilfering of our commonwealth, we need to be mindful of the fact that 2019 could be a major turning point for good, or for ill. So, we need to use our votes wisely and conscientiously, not for the immediate rewards of today, but for the accruable benefits of tomorrow. The small gains made to date must not be frittered away by the illusion of nirvana or Fata Morgana under an Atiku presidency.

May peace and sanity reign in the land.