What do Nigerians really want post-Buhari?

FEATHERS are being ruffled everywhere in Nigeria now. Politics in the politicking is ruffling feathers in the south of Nigeria while increasing mass killings is ruffling feathers in the north. It is the season of politics, when governance is relegated to the lower division of politicians’ thoughts and actions, and high jinks elevated. Although it is arguable if Nigeria had reasonable governance in a number of years since this administration, it is still safer to accord this government the courtesy of saying that Nigerians would be delivered from this ‘governance’ as it is expected to pack and go in about 12 months.

While the politicking is high in many places, the South East region seems to be among the calmest in the midst of the cascading horse-trading and political demands. Some sons of the region have declared to contest for the presidency. It is their constitutional right and also a privilege conferred on them by their brain and deep pockets. The region has also asked that it be given the presidential slot and cited many reasons, chief of which is equity as a member of the Nigerian federation. But the region, its leaders and people have been told in enough clear terms that “power is not served a la carte.” They know that. They know that the weak does not partake of the gains made at a fight at the crossroads. However, the people still want concessions because the region is ‘marginalised’ in the power equation. Being a member of the federation should be enough consideration as ‘eye wey see deal must chop inside’.

Thus, the South East and its people have been making statements. They have been calling for support to produce a president from among the people of the region. All along, the demands for the presidency could be classified as a whimper. But that has changed with the entry of people like Governor Dave Umahi, Peter Obi, Anyim Pius Anyim, Mao Ohuabunwa, Kingsley Moghalu, Rochas Okorocha among others. Their quest is still at the mercy of the real power brokers and they are tagging along well until the time of decision by the puppeteers.

The South West Region has a different kind of ruffling of feathers. Its own is a household in a family meeting. Familiar faces are making faces and are calling out their brothers and sisters and fathers. The political gladiators from the region who are throwing their hats in the ring are ruffling feathers and there are pointers to a lot of friendly fire in the coming weeks and days, except common sense prevails. The North has remained in the throes of terrorists, who seem to be daily devising and revising their strategies for keeping the region and the country under their perpetual servitude. The terrorists are having a field day and there is no end in sight to their field day.

While the politicians are pulling the strings, tugging at the nerves of the weary populace, the country has continued to wallow in confusion. The rising insecurity and the dying economy are not their concern. These so far have been jettisoned. At best, insecurity and economy are kept in the freezing deck of this traumatised ship. The renewed assault on the sensibilities of Nigerians comes in some brazen disregard of whatever you might feel. Mothers and fathers and children are protesting in Kaduna, crying that the government has kept mute while terrorists keep their loved ones. The issues are so much that getting a grip of it requires so much…

Nigerians do not want so much from these rancid politicians. Nigerians don’t want to be raped viciously any more. They want to be loved with just some basic amenities that make life easier. Esther Perel, a psychotherapist narrated her experience in her line of work. She spoke from the point of view of what the womenfolk tells her in her daily encounter with the women and girls. She said “I hear women say in my office that desire originates much more between the ears than between the legs. For women, there is a need for a plot – hence the romance novel. It is more about the anticipation, how you get there; it is longing that is the fuel for desire.” We desire good things, beginning from the things we hear to the things we see, up to the point of seeing those things that should make our tie with the politicians a fruitful one. In thinking like the psychoanalyst in Perel, we can say we look at those who have explored the tension between the need for security (love, belonging and closeness) and the need for freedom (erotic desire, adventure and distance) in human relationships.

The questions the next president needs to answer are quite a few as far as millions of Nigerians are concerned. Nigerians are not so difficult to please. Of a fact, the country is blessed with hardworking, loving and easygoing people. However, they need answers to questions that are, or revolve around these: How do we secure the country for farmers and travellers to move freely in and around the country? How do we save the country from an inexplicable N4trillion subsidy fund? How are we going to stop perpetual importation of refined petroleum products and refine our crude by ourselves? How do we stop all the cold-blooded killings in the country? How do we make electricity available to help in the sustenance of small scale businesses?

Beginning from 2023, Nigeria needs a government that would assure standards. Standards are dead in the country. Just anything goes in today’s Nigeria and the lawlessness is telling! There are strong, often incontrovertible contentions that you get punished only when you’ve not walked the right path or connected to the right plugs. We should be done with a system in which imports are bereft of quality so much so that old, used (Belgium or Tokunbo) vehicle parts are more expensive than new parts, simply because the new replacement parts won’t last as they are of poor quality.

Those are some of the basic things Nigerians are looking forward to and are praying about. But for now, the country is a burlesque of governance, let alone good governance.