Being that political leadership share some characteristics with business partnership where many shareholders come together to own and run a business, politicians especially in the underdeveloped worlds like Nigeria connive with the prominent and respected members of societies for the maximum profitability of their business of maintaining themselves in power for their personal benefits.
Loading ...In Nigeria, politicians use poverty and ignorance as instruments of achieving; loyalty, support and even votes during elections from masses, this is regardless of how they treated these masses while in power or before declaration of interest in political leadership. It’s a belief that “The strong is never strong enough to maintain himself in power unless he utilizes trusted and well-respected members of the of the lower class”.
It’s apparent in Nigeria that, whenever elections draw nearer, politicians recruit trusted members of societies to manipulate people’s beliefs and perceptions about politics, and sadly, this time around the recruited personalities includes; journalists, religious scholars, traditional rulers and even the hungry educated class who teach in higher institutions of learning.
Mass quality education being a core instrument of achieving a progressive Democratic leadership as it gives citizens insight as regards to who is to vote for or not and also empower citizens to say no to anti-people policies of government is neglected and often considered as valueless.
Everyone is aware of how politicians these days inject nonpartisan and impartial journalists who are known for doing justice to their profession of finding out facts and communicating them to public and as well hold politicians accountable into politics by appointing them as; Media aids, members of campaign committees or their social media forums’ handlers.
Religious scholars also, instead of guiding people on how to strengthen their relationship with the Almighty God, they engage in advertising some politicians while criticising others in their public gatherings which is an embezzlement of trust people bestowed to them.
The worse part of it is that, when these politicians get into power, they develop authoritarian and oppressive tactics subjugate and antagonize all and sundry irrespective of whether one supported them during election or not, and even advice, their arrogance will not allow them to even seek not to think of utilizing them from the categories of people that worked for their success.
To conclude, I suggest that, we have knowledge and experience about how these politicians ruled before and their capacities, lets use it as a barometer for choosing who to vote for not on the basis of other people’s opinion.
Zaharaddeen Muhammad Azare writes from Bauchi state and could be reached through zahmuhaza@gmail.com
