By Idede Oseyande
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” ~ Edmund Burke
There is a growing number of Nigerians who for one reason or the other have become apolitical. While some ascribe their position to religious inclination and beliefs, others place theirs on the mistrust for politicians seeking public office, others blame their apolitical disposition on the electoral process vis-à-vis, election violence, the ease of casting their votes, the authenticity of the process as to whether the votes count, amongst others. Though these excuses can be described as logical and real, they are, however, surmountable.
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The worst of the apolitical set are those who claim to be apolitical because they want to be politically correct. They are those who would boastfully criticize both sides of the political divide to be seen as morally just. In essence, the electorates slide into political apathy because the dividends of democracy have eluded them despite the initial investments that they made into democracy. Unfortunately, their apathy does not immune democracy and these categories of persons from the effects of the political decisions made by those they only criticize without necessary follow-up remedial actions. Where then is the rightness they envisage? Just like these set of political critics, their twin is those who brag about being politically ignorant. Those who will look you in the eye and with so much confidence tell you they are not interested in politics. Some don’t even know the names and candidates of the political parties let alone the manifestoes. And one begins to wonder if their willful ignorance will insure them from the adverse effects of the decision made by others?
As we look forward to Edo governorship elections, we need to remind ourselves of the wise words of Bertoit Brecht; “the worst illiterate is the political illiterate. He hears nothing, sees nothing, and takes no part in political life. He doesn’t seem to know that the cost of living, the price of beans, of flour, of rent, of medicines, all depend on political decisions. He even prides himself on his political ignorance, sticks out his chest and says he hates politics. He doesn’t know, the imbecile, that from his political non-participation comes the prostitute, the abandoned child, the robber and, worst of all, corrupt officials, the lackeys of exploitative multinational corporations”. As explicit and harsh as the words of Bertoit are on the issue of political illiteracy, many still wear that toga with pride today in Nigeria, and they are not making any effort to change it.
As we approach the polls in a couple of weeks, the vast majority of the apolitical mass must as a matter of urgency start to engage in political processes. Of course, this piece is intended to serve as political awareness and education that will hopefully lead to a sizable increase in the turn out of the electorates come September 19. If many have been disappointed by previous politicians and political parties, there is cause for hope this time around as the All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded and established a track record of performance in her previous stewardship of the state under Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
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The party realised that it needed to maintain the trust and confidence the Edo people have invested in the party. Thus, it selected a new candidate with the requisite credentials, energy, vision and passion for people’s empowerment and community development in the person of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu (POI) as its flagbearer. Interestingly, Edo State will be getting a power couple for the price of one. This is because POI’s wife, Prof. Mrs. Idia Ize-Iyamu is a woman committed to the virtues of family, service and community advancement. Indeed, better days are ahead for Edo State and for this we give God all the glory!
Back to apolitical electorates, it is observed that quite a number of them are officially registered to vote but have made up their mind not to come out on that day to vote. The truth is we will all enjoy the benefits of our good decision if we stand with the right candidate, the same way we will suffer the consequences of our collective decision if for any reason we vote in the wrong candidate. In the last four years, we have seen how fast the emergence of a wrong candidate can ruin the gains of the past.
Under our very eyes, institutions that were once thriving have been shut down or rendered moribund. To mention a few, in the last four years College of Education, Ekiadolor was shut down, leaving the lecturers and students stranded and the community that once thriving economically due to the presence of the school has become a ghost town. The same fate befell College of Education, Agenebode, College of Physical Education, Afuze, College of Agriculture, Iguoriakhi, etc. The host communities where these schools are created have returned to a typical rural setting, far from the urbanization the human traffic the school once generated for them.
Similarly, the use of homegrown technology and manpower which the previous administration initiated to ensure the circulation of wealth and to stimulate the economy of the state has been substituted with the importation of foreigners and the massive exportation of state funds to other states and nations. The ‘light up Benin’ project which saw the nightlife of the ancient city revived had been reversed in the last four years. The power generating sets which were sold with the excuse that the recurring debts in fueling them were too much, where to sold to their cronies at ludicrous amounts; amounts that still wasn’t paid into the government purse. To make matters worse, there was no alternative in place before yanking off what was previously in place.
On the other hand, the whole of Edo South Senatorial district, especially those within the Benin metropolis, have been celebrating the leadership of the newly crowned Omo’N’Oba, Oba Ewuare (II) for abolishing the menace of community development levies and also the proscription of community boys who go about terrorizing land developers. This among other initiatives of the Oba has generated a cause for celebration among both Benin indigenes and strangers residing in the state. Though the royal stool is not determined by electoral polls, I referred to that decision to buttress how the decision of our leaders affects our everyday life, whether we choose to be political or otherwise.
Since we returned to democratic rule in 1999, Edo people saw the benefits of being politically active when they came out en masse to elect Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in 2007. With his human shortcomings, notwithstanding, the masses for once enjoyed the benefits of voting a pro-masses candidate as the governor. This is why the 2012 governorship election still has the largest number of voters turn out in the state. Howbeit in the last four years, the democratic gains have been seriously depleted with a governor who has resorted to self-appraisal and demanding to be automatically reelected based on his self-assessment and judgment. In his bid to frighten the voters from coming out to vote, he has continuously fueled the scare of violence in the state, thereby giving a moral justification to those who hide under the cloak of election violence to shield their apolitical position.
As a people, we must know that freedom is not given, it is demanded, struggled for and won. We must, therefore, take a position to either stand with the SIMPLE Agenda of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu or with the fraudulent, prevaricating and political rhetoric of Godwin Obaseki. In that way, we will not only own the process of electing our leaders, we will also help in deepening and consolidating true democracy in the state. We owe it to ourselves, our family, community and state. Investment in democracy means we must continue to keep faith with it and to always consider and deploy alternatives when we are disappointed as it is the case with the current MoU-governance arrangement that the State is at the moment. Let us agree to forward to a positive and shared change.
Conclusively, as much as political illiteracy is a disservice to democracy, blind followership is not in any way different. We must learn to engage political parties and their candidates on issues as enumerated in their manifestoes and also of our expectation from them. The idea of casting votes based on our primordial sentiments to the campaign of calumny orchestrated against a particular candidate without recourse to what the candidate has to offer, or making political decisions based on some ethnic, tribal or religious agenda, should be jettisoned. In, the end, ethnicity or religious inclinations will not protect you from the perils of electing a bad public officer. So let us take a political stand, and above all take that stand from an informed point of view.
Idede Oseyande, Organising Secretary of Edo Central Conservative Forum, writes from Benin.
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