Politicians and desperation for power

Nothing better explains the ongoing desperation among politicians than the fact that in Nigeria, politics has become a game where the winner takes all. Winning political office has been turned to a do-or-die affair. The report that President Goodluck Jonathan has lately been "raining dollars" on monarchs in the South-West to win their hearts is another instance of what the nation's leaders can do with our resources for the sake of getting or retaining power. No wonder, rather than counting our blessings as a nation, political actors have succeeded in leaving us in the wilderness.

An author and political scientist, Vernon Dyke, defined politics as "a struggle among actors pursuing conflicting desires on public issues." But if indeed those aspiring to political offices in this country are doing so "for the greatest good of the greatest number," the present struggle would not have been this severe.

Decorum has been thrown to the winds. I agree with some commentators that politicians on either side of the divide, I mean the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress, have shown this trait. But it is evident that the incumbents have been worse.

Some agents of Mr. President and the PDP have reportedly continued to offend our moral sensibilities. Looking back, even those who handled such dirty jobs for military dictators like Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha, as irritable as they were, did not descend to this level. Many watchers of the political scene have been pissed off. The Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is one of them.

Speaking to an audience while reviewing a book recently, he said, "All of us here have passed through the electoral process furnace before now…and I suspect we would mostly agree that never before have we been subjected to this level of sheer venom, crudity of vulgar abuse of language in such prodigal quantities as in this current political exercise.

"The very gift of communication, considered the distinguishing mark of cultured humanity even in polemical situations, has been debased, affecting even thought processes, I often suspect," Soyinka observed.

Earlier, some kinsmen of the President had threatened fire and brimstone if he did not win. Despite the threat such statements posed to the nation's security, nothing was done to rein in such people.

Election, the world over, has been part and parcel of the democratic order. It has been used to either renew the mandate of a government or vote it out of power. The main beauty of democracy is in the choice it gives the people to do what they like with their voting power. Any group, clique or cabal that threatens such a process will be frowned upon by members of the civilised society.

Reviewing the shenanigans that have so far characterised the ongoing electoral process, one cannot but agree that it has been driven by desperation fuelled by utter contempt for the democratic process.

From excuses that the Independent National Electoral Commission was ill-prepared for the elections and that the military could not guarantee the nation's security during the period , issues have now shifted to card readers, demands for the removal of the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, and alleged moves by the Presidency to probe some key members of the opposition.

Despite assurances that the polls will not be postponed again, the body language of the governing class continues to send bad signals. But over the years, Nigerians have been known to say NO to anti-democratic moves by any government. Nigerians must be allowed to make their choice.