By this time next year, the citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be lining up in queues under the blazing sun or the shower of rain to exercise their franchise, their right to determine their destiny and future by choice of who they want to lead them; to vote for the next set of politicians whom will occupy the political offices for the next four (more like eight years). It's election time once again. The political landscape is at a frenzy, with a fervour of activities going on here and there. These are things that the average Nigerian is used to and even expect on the year preceding and election year and the election year itself.

Nigeria is supposedly a federal republic which by default practices democracy, but like everything in Nigeria, there's one thing on paper and there's the opposite in practice. While Nigeria claims to be a republic in the comity of nations, it's anything but a republic on the ground, but hardly has it ever been operated like a republic.

Even today, almost all the powers and money are at the center; the Federal level. We claim to practice democracy, but there are years where it had been run as a monarchy, an oligarchy, aristocracy, totalitarianism, but never has it been ran as a functional democracy. In a democracy, people are allowed to determine their own leaders. It's supposedly a government by the people, for the people, but in Nigeria this "people" is made up of a small elite group who determine everything.

The average Nigerian has political and voter apathy. He believes his vote doesn't count, and that at the end of the day, the decision of who will lead has already been made by 'those that matter' even before the polls opens. He wonders why he should risk his life to go and exercise his 'supposed franchise' at his polling unit where thugs will likely come to disrupt the election and cause harm to innocent voter to the extent of people losing their lives.

Can you really blame the guy for his apathy towards the political framework?? In saner climes, election is about choosing their leaders, here it's more about determining how brave you can be by risking your life for nothing.

You would think that since we the citizenry know these things and there seem to be nothing we can do, these politicians will just go ahead and do them anyways, but no, they don't. They come up to insult our intelligence during election period by being suddenly accessible and popular with the masses. As if by miracle, you see them going to churches, visiting bereaved families, visiting schools, sitting on bare floor with poor families, buying roadside food, mixing mortar and carrying brick at government construction site, selling petrol at petrol stations, even drinking sachet water meant for those at the lower rung of the ladder. You're forced to wonder how it's possible they can find time to do all this.

These are usually the same people who have been in government the past four years and couldn't even find time to visit their constituency, never listened to the pains and suffering of the people, never cared for once, but all of a sudden, they become the friend of the masses, the friend of the poor.

All of this is for their own selfish gain as you must already know. The 'stupid gullible' masses are supposed to now see them as caring and sympathetic to their cause by reason of these actions; oh! What an insult!

There's just no length they won't go to, just to cling to power. As of now, even members of the president's executive council are engaged in a smear campaign against each other and ironically, they are both using the failure of the administration of which they are actively still a part of to smear each other. Is that not as stupid and dirty as it gets?? I'm talking about people in the same party, members of the president's inner circle, member of the most powerful body in this country, the executive council, but they are both calling each other failures and using the failure of this current administration that they have been a part of for almost eight years as examples. You can help but wonder if they are just learning about these failings now or it only just began to matter because they need something for their propaganda.

Another horrid thing going on right now is that former and current office holders are positioning their kind to occupy different offices. These are people with pedigree or experience in governance. Majority of them spent their entire teenage and young adult life outside the shore of Nigeria, but now they are being pushed to occupy political offices, obviously as proxy of their benefactors and sponsors, effectively showing the monarchial traits of our political system.

Infact I rest my case!

Author's Epilogue

The Nigerian political space clearly needs an overhaul, but who will bring it? That's a question we haven't been able to answer for decades. Those in power, those who are in the position to make it happen, are the once benefiting from making it a failed system. This failed political system serves their needs and interest better. As far as they are concerned, the masses can go to h*ll.

Thanks for reading dear friends...

Mhizutty the voice of truth 🎵🎶🎵