2023 Election: A Question of Hope and Uncertainty

Oluwaseun Ojo

Situation Report (Sitrep)

The most popular event in today's Nigeria is the preparation for the 2023 general election. A lot has been set rolling by our dear politicians whose energy for politics and safeguarding their political interests (their greatest assets) never waver. The public, the victim of the chaos parading the unsettling street of our wounded country, who are at the same time the most affected by the 2023 general election result are firmly on their feet, prepared to make a right choice (or a right guess), and are on a lookout anticipating their choice of a best candidate to be right.

Nigerians are posed with the challenges of taking a decisive step in picking who is going hold the steering, driving the rickety vehicle of this nation across the rollercoasterish road ahead for the next four (or eight) years. The competence of whoever emerge has a lot to do with the likely experiences and general safety of the passengers in the vehicle during the journey. So, while struggling to pick from among the available options of drivers, citizens are mildly afraid of what implications their choices could have. They think they really have a choice. They are not beggars.

The Right Or The Next Candidate? 

With the "emilokan" slogan waving around, some citizens are thinking that maybe Nigerian political offices are already allotted and each post assigned to members of a political clan and it's being rotating periodically. Sometimes it seems like there is no actual contest but a mere charade, or a propaganda to ensure that no greedy clan disrupt their rather unconstitutional arrangement or allotment. So, if there should even be a contest, it is just among the recognized clans. And in most cases the next person on the entitlement list who we presume others have known usually has the higher claim, and usually emerge the winner. Here the public has no recognizable claim in the process, for they're like the audience at a football match, theirs is to shout and cheer - actions that have no significant effect on the outcome of the (already fixed) game. 

So, now let's assume that the next candidate (on the entitlement list) eventually emerge as the Nigerian president, the hope of the helpless Nigerians lies in the so-called next person proving himself to be the right person. For the right person would be a savior who will liberate the country from the shackles of problems it's entangled with. Like a dragon from a scene from a Game of Throne TV series, our problems beam fire, it's roasting us, and it's matter of time before it devour what's remains of us. Nigeria needs a leader who can discover her potential and put to best use again, and alleviate her citizens of their adaptive pain. The next person is not just someone who comes to stage because he wants to claim what he believes is his, like osomaalo (an ijesa ancient defiant debt collector who never leaves the debtor's doorstep until his debt is settled). We want to believe that Nigerian Presidential stool is not a collateral.

It's Always Too Early To Know Until it's Late. 

The right person or the wrong person; nobody can actually say who is who until the stool is occupied by which time it will be already late to make another choice. Even then, we can only know the effect of the choice made as regards to the candidate in charge. Whether we are lucky, he's good or the opposite, we won't be able to tell for we won't know what his contender would have done (better or worse) has he being the one occupying the seat. So, when some groups of people are selling a candidate as the best, deep thinking Nigerian would excuse himself to his wiggle room in his mind to think of possibilities, both good and bad, for exhibiting certainty in such situation could only point in two directions;

One, that those persons are not of deep understanding of how life works, especially in this country political terrain, disappointment is part of our politics here, two; are being beclouded by partiality for the love of a candidate or party, in most cases due to benefits in it for them. The second category is of family members of the running candidate, allies, party members, and of course other political hallelujah boys whose heads are use to break some coconut, to cause raucous. 

If a person says someone is capable, one can easily disagree with him with simple illustration of how those who majority of people put their trust in in the past later paid them with disappointment. Although when the fortune of Nigerian politics favours a candidate, it's never too hard to dig reasons for him to appeal to the public about his candidacy. References upon references about his past achievements and contributions to various political careers would be cited. His good deeds would be put at the top of his profile. His political energy would be measured to be adequate for the current situation of the country. But all is a guesswork because things can go wrong. It usually is. The outgoing 'Change administration' can testify to this. 

Let's Assume We (the masses) are the Ones Truly Choosing Our Leaders. 

So far Nigeria is still claiming to be a democratic state, the reasonable step to take is to use the PVC to vote. We tend to ask ourselves that, are we really the choosers? Or we are just being used to display to the global observers our compliance with the democratic procedure? Are we not faded wrappers they use to cover the nakedness of our molested democracy? Or we are just holding up to hope of things getting better? of course 'e go better' is the national mantra. This question is pertinent because, at the end of the day, it would be dawn on many that, the choices we are left to make, is a by-products of some people's choice. What we are doing is an election really, but it seems the selection which actually determine the holders of our political offices happens within the occultistic caucus of the few privileged.  

Isn't Youth Presidency a Myth?

The long list of the future presidents of this country seemed to have been prepared. And the next person know himself. The likelihood of a youth president is therefore very unlikely. I don't believe the not too young to run is a charade as some people have been positioning, it's doesn't forbade them what it promises, running. Or does any section of it guarantees winning? So, youths can run as far as they want, in any direction they choose. They can exhaust their energy and resources provided they have amount required to run on this money sucking track. And when they realize the race is not just about running, it involves some other skills, they will join the caucus, and struggle to have their names on the list, maybe before they pack into grave, when their body become feeble and unstable, they can have a chance, telling the nation to bring the presidency to them, for it's their turns. 

But until then, as my people would say, the political situation of the country is a head of buffalo, thus too heavy for young ones to carry or lift.