SIR: Politics in Nigeria is majorly parochial and highly defined by both deep ethnic and religious sentiments. Every election cycle brings with it these sentiments manifestly in greater frenzied proportions. Politicians win or lose by taking undue advantage of both. Always exploiting the obvious fragile, weak ethnic fault lines and sensibilities of their teeming supporters is the only strategy they often apply to win. Lying more often than not to gain support is prevalent. It is also a north and southern supremacy battle to control the levers of power. One can confidently say that Nigerian politics is anchored on personal or group allocation of power and resources, deficit of ideas and genuine developmental ideals.
Promoting ignorance and weaponising poverty among the electorates is another strategy. People say politics is a dirty game on account of how brutally and unfairly it is played. Many with good intentions knowing what transpires in political realm avoid the game without being told. It is a game of the strongest few and the winner takes it all. That was why Nigeria cannot boast of putting forward her best 11 in every political cycle. Nations known to play politics based on the above factors largely remain in the league of the backward.
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There is no equity or fairness in Nigerian politics. A group of elitist class most often than not sit over a 40-year-old bottle of whisky to decide the fate of the entire country. The system has deliberately polarised the electorates to the point that a few naira notes shared determine where the political pendulum swings. Those who by virtue of their positions and are compelled by the constitution to be nationalistic in behaviour and attitude even do so grudgingly. Most times they even sideline the constitution they swore to uphold.
Those who at every cycle of politicking volunteered to donate time, energy and resources in promoting failed and old politicians, hate and divisive tendencies should as a matter of fact reassess their positions.
They differ when it does not favour them, play ethnic and religious cards to win. They are those who have positioned themselves and their lackeys in institutions that will determine their political, economic and security fates to the detriment of all.
The nation will move forward only when an average Nigerian realises that competency, character and capacity matter in governance. The people should also know that it is their rights to demand for accountability from those they gave their mandate. Voting for politicians is an exchange deserving of commensurate compensation in terms of good living conditions and positive actions from the politicians themselves.
• Sunday Onyemaechi Eze is a media and development communication specialist.
