By Luke Ozoko.
Ahead of 2023 elections, Nigeria is in a horrible season of anomie. Millions are in despair because the two major parties ended up with two old people, who have been part of the political establishment that kept the people in perpetual slavery in their homeland.
It is arguable which of the flagbearers of PDP or APC is alleged to be more corrupt, more senile and more retrogressive. It is instructive that not too long ago, both of them worked hard towards the same goal in the same political party. Now, two of them will be on different ballots for the same election into the same office. We have never had it so bad.
During the Primaries, 767 matured but morally delinquent fathers, mothers, uncles and aunties allegedly collected handsome sums in dollars to sell the PDP ticket to the highest bidder, while 2,322 men and women whose oddities stink to the highest heavens conspired to sentence Nigerians to another bitter economic standstill nay quagmire.
Again, I say, we have never had it so bad.
That 3,089 people (that is, 767 plus 2,322) would sell their lives and futures and those of their children and grandchildren for a morsel of bread, is bad enough but what is more tragic is that many of the same people, whose lives and futures are being toyed with, are busy hailing and promoting these same oppressors because of primordial and tribal interests.
We have never had it so bad. When I talk of Peter Obi, I am reminded that politics is money. Which means a tacit approval for stealing and corruption. For indeed, the dollars shared during the two conventions to delegates are stolen money, money taken away from our commonwealth by hook and crook.
People also say Peter Obi cannot win so they won’t vote for him. Shocking as it is, it shows how some of our reasonings are. If you vote for him and I vote for him, what stops him from winning? Our part is to vote for him, don’t worry about whether or not he will win.
I listened to some of the speeches made during the APC primaries and the speech of Prof Osinbajo was top notch. He said something that caught my attention and made me mourn for this country and he was 100% right.
He said to the delegates: “your vote carries the answer to your prayers”. This is deep.
If you have wished and prayed for a turnaround in Nigeria, the answer is not in heaven, the answer is in your PVC.
If you have hoped to experience steady electricity, the answer to your hope is in your hands, in your PVC.
If you are angry with the status quo, with banditry, herdsmen, Boko Haram, kidnapping, ISWAP etc, if you know that we can be a better nation, the answer is in your hands, in your PVC.
If you want hunger, debts, poverty, and disillusionment to be a thing of the past, stop praying, activate the powers of your PVC.
We cannot continue this way for longer. We have been with PDP and APC for years and both failed woefully beyond redemption. We have tried professional politicians for more than 20 years and they have failed woefully. We have voted à long tribal and religious interests and the result has been petrifying as well as a comatose economy. We cannot continue this way. It’s time for a shift in the paradigm.
We need to make a u- turn. 2023 is such a critical year for Nigerians. If we miss it again, it may take us more than 30 years to get it right. We cannot continue this evil practice of a monetized political system which gives undue advantage to thieves in high places. We cannot continue to kowtow to corrupt policians, who bamboozle us with their ill- gotten wealth.
Peter Obi has come to represent a new generation of politicians who want to enthrone decency in our political climate. Â We cannot continue this way in Nigeria. Something has to happen for a change in paradigm come 2023.
