On free nomination form

Nigerian politicians are boringly copy-cats in their attempt to present their personal ambitions as driven by collective desire of the masses that need them as ‘messiah’ to rescue the nation or their states from present quagmires. But a historical analysis of the approaches adopted by the non-creative political actors shows a combination of one or more of the following: arranged rally to call for a politician to contest; the lie by the politician(s) that it was the people who asked him to contest and ‘serve’ them; the presentation of the sought-out person as sole-messiah; and lately, the purchase of forms for millionaires-in-government by groups, who claimed to be independent of politics, for aspirants to continue the ‘good work’ of governing their states and Nigeria.

And so, groups are trumped up to introduce ‘altruism’ to the ambition of selfish aspirants. They used the name of the vulnerable to purchase the forms: millions of poor Nigerians; the mothers who bear the brunt of bad governance; millions who have lost jobs; those who have been killed due to insecurity, among others. Their sponsors also play their own part of the deal: they shed crocodile tears while receiving the form; they organise wonderful reception and use the opportunity to abuse those who defected from their party as weak and selfish, since it is ‘Nigerians’ who now purchase forms for them.

But among all aspirants, it was the incumbent Muhammadu Buhari who genuinely claimed to have entered politics on rescue mission. At a point when his dream was frustrated, he also cried. But what is so important in purchase of forms which has been designed to convincingly exclude genuine agents of change from running for offices to govern their states and Nigeria? So, I ask so what if forms are purchased for you? The messiahs in the states and Aso rock in the last, four years have been on the throne but do existing data show that things are getting better as they sing in churches? I am afraid not. This is why it does not matter to the suffering Nigerians who purchased forms for whom– and who cried and who did not. They do not care if someone is ruling for four years or eight years or ruling on behalf of a zone or not. What they are interested in is someone who makes their lives better. They are not asking for too much. Are they?

• 2019: Protest greets announcement of consensus candidates list in Ogun

This optimistic revolutionary construction of approaching change of fortunes for the ordinary man is reassuring but only the downtrodden can change the table. Although, lies can run for generations, truth will prevail when the poor realises the power they possess to dismount incompetent leaders at all levels and enthrone, via election, those that will address their concerns and make their life goals become realities. So, the time is here for PVC (Permanent Voter Card) holders among the crying mothers, unemployed youths, scavenging boys and girls and the converted commercial sex-workers to bring sanity to the country.

While the narrative of the poor buying forms for the rich is logically sound for the politicians in their game, this begs the question about the insanity in the land. To turn around the table, only those who know where the present economic crunch has put them can make the turning of the table a reality in 2019 and this is only if they wish to. If the opportunity is missed again in 2019 it will take another four years before the opportunity to turn the table will come again.

Dr Tade Dayo,

[email protected]