Some people have
accused me of not liking politicians, so let me set the record straight. I
don’t! They have done more harm to our nation than the military (their first
cousins). At no period in our nationhood has the opportunity for reversing the
dehumanising nature of a politically corrupt society like ours been greater.
Every Nigerian who seeks freedom should rethink all temptations to rush to the
polling station on February 14 in an attempt to further entrench corruption
with a transfusion of his or her energies. Let us instead participate in a
peaceful revolution to rescue this country from disintegration and death. It is
better for any society that has been shredded by corruption to undergo a few
headaches, fevers, and stomach upsets in the interim. It is better to rid
Nigeria of her sickness once and for all than continue our habit of suppressing
the symptoms which is exactly what we’ll be doing voting for the same crop of
corrupt politicians in the forthcoming elections.
Over the week, I got tons of emails and phone calls in
response to last weekend’s article asking if I’ll be voting in the coming
elections. No. I won’t be voting. The truth is, I have more constructive things
to do than vote on February 14. For example, I am moving into a new apartment
and the floors need a good scrub. And there’s this couch I have to take the
legs off so I can easily pass it through the door into the living room. To me,
that’s time much better spent. Yes guys, I can come up with so many reasons why
I won’t vote, but at the core of everything is, when my vote has a direct
impact on how much money is stolen from this country, I want nothing to do with
it.
The ruling party in Nigeria and the opposition have nothing
but alphabetical differences. They have the same ideology and mentality. The
same people have been jumping from one ship to another. So what “Change” are
they preaching about? Show me a Nigerian politician who hasn’t sworn allegiance
to “The Broom” of APC and “The Umbrella” of PDP, at different times in their
political careers and I will show you a woman that sells paraga that doesn’t
bleach. Any Nigerian hoping for a redistribution of wealth after February 14 is
wasting his or her time. If I had kids, they won’t see me identifying with this
group of sociopaths, and to vote in the next election would be setting a bad
example for them. Our votes only give these politicians the needed
encouragement to steal more. So on February 14, I’ll be voting for the only one
I can trust: nobody.
I am of the view that politics has destroyed this country.
Let’s not also forget that the same politics has killed thousands of Nigerians
in the north alone. So am I supposed to direct my energies into such a destructive
system? If I say ‘yes,’ which I would do if I voted, then do my principles have
any real meaning to them, or are they simply going to be just amusing ideas to
be talked about, debated, or dispersed? I have been very vocal about Nigerian
pastors encouraging corruption in the country by associating with politicians
and I have received all kinds of insults from their followers. But just this
week, Pastor Adeboye called Nigerian politicians liars and never to be trusted
again. Only God knows what transpired behind the scene to warrant such sudden
outburst from the same man of God who has been blessing corrupt politicians for
many years. The truth is, my participating in this circus called election
doesn’t make it any better for me or even you. It only makes me another clown
in their charade. To simply drop scraps of paper in a box or pull a lever
doesn’t mean I have helped in stirring the country back on track. It simply
means I have acted like a consumer, picking between prepackaged political
items. I haven’t seen a sincere Nigerian politician yet. All we do in every
election is picking from the same rotten bunch. If we are not actively
participating in deciding what should be, then why can’t we unite and throw
rocks through their spider web by sitting at home and refusing to vote? Let us
disrupt the existing pattern of corrupt politicking entrenched in the system.
Don’t get me wrong. Like everyone else, I want the best for
this country. After all, we are all in the same boat and if one end goes down,
we all go down. So not voting in February doesn’t mean I won’t vote in the
future. When the government makes the system more transparent and my vote
counts, I am likely to vote. Those of you who are crazy enough to vote the same
set of people into power because you have been paid to do so or you have been
stupid enough to listen to a rambling billionaire who tells you it is your
civic duty to vote for him or his candidates, you deserve to be screwed by the
system. Since democracy in Nigeria has been turned into a game like any other,
it will be foolish to go out and play, when I know I can’t win.
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