2023 ELECTIONS: NEED TO STRIVE FOR THE REBIRTH OF A NEW NIGERIA
This truth is stark, cold, and might ruffle some feathers, but Nigeria is a long-time dead sexagenarian, lying mindlessly under the sod. Yet every first day of October, we habitually gather in honour of a breathless man, in a completely vain memorial. But thankfully, 2023 offers a new opportunity, to reborn our dear nation, save her from the abyss of obscurity, and exhale upon her a fresh breath of life.
The past seven years have been quite a rough ride, with the country serially bumping into omnifarious challenges. From unemployment and economic meltdown to insecurity and infrastructural decay, millions of Nigeria have been left abandoned like orphans by leaders who seem to be architects of our misfortune. While the masses wail and sing dirges, the ruling class croon hymns for themselves, oblivious of the plight of the people.
The need to change the trajectory of our country cannot be overstated, especially when you consider the depth of the mire we're stuck, and the deeper we might sink if nothing deliberate and decisive is done in the coming months. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 40% of Nigerians are below the poverty line. This fact becomes more depressing knowing that Nigerians are among the most hardworking people in the world, yet eighty-nine million of her population is living below $2 per day. The prospects of a bleaker future looms large, as inflation is on an upward spiral. With a total of 4.86% change in three years, the inflation rate has risen to 16.95%. Nigeria, at this critical point in our history, needs a leader who has the capacity to carry out radical economic reforms to assuage the economic hardship in the country, and we the electorates have the power to make that choice come 2023.
For years, the people of Nigeria have striven under the captivity of an old corrupt political establishment that has reaped the rewards of government while the masses have borne the cost, and there is no better time to take back our fatherland than now. By voting in the right leaders in the 2023 elections, we can set the country on the path of wealth and prosperity, peace and progress.
The bombings and mass abduction that occurred at the Abuja-Kaduna train track as well as that of Gidan rail track are still fresh in the minds of Nigeria as they expose the deplorable state of security in the country. A lamentation about insecurity in the country would simply be incomplete without mention of the recent attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo state, where many were massacred in cold blood. The cries of the innocent victims of these unremitting terrorist attacks is a wake up call to all Nigerians to get their PVC and elect leaders who will prioritize security across the board. Security itself is a constitutional duty imposed on government as section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.
As a people, we must also think human development when we think 2023 general elections. Sectors like education, health, and labour are most crucial to human development and must be elevated to issues of topmost national importance if Nigeria must move forward as a polity. According to the United Nations Development Programme, Nigeria ranked 161st on the human development index making her one of the lowest in the world. While our health sector continues to deteriorate leading to a mass exodus of health care workers out of the country, students remains stuck in a rut, as the protracted ASUU strike lingers on. In the aftermath, we get to contend with poor standard of living, illiteracy and low life expectancy - all key indicators of HDI.
The extremely heightened ethnoreligious tensions that have held sway over the past couple of years cannot be ignored in the discussion of the problems of Nigeria. The brutal killing of Deborah of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, on the 12th day of May 2023 is overwhelming proof that intolerance and religious bigotry has eaten deep into the fabric of our nation and it is time for us to rise above our ethnic and religious sentiments and give humanity a chance. In February 2023, Nigerians must give power to a unifier. A president who can harness the inherent power in our diversity and effectuate our national motto—unity and faith, peace and progress.
Things can only get worse if well-meaning Nigerians do not rise to the occasion and intervene in 2023. The rising trend of increased political participation in the last couple of months is a good marker of the revolution that is set to come and every eligible Nigerian must tap into the momentum and lend their voices come 2023.
However, beyond a political change, Nigeria needs a cultural rebirth. A complete overhaul of the sociocultural sphere is, indeed, crucial for a complete national rebirth. We need to imbibe values like discipline, honesty, integrity, and contentment—which have been long consigned to the scrap heap. Good governance alone can not possibly eradicate moral decadence or compensate for a dearth of a good value system in society. This is important in light of the almost intractable problem of vote buying prevalent in the country. As February 29 draws nigh, we must resolve to be true to our conscience and unwavering in our conviction. By saying no to vote buying and electoral violence, we can collectively set in motion the process for the rebirth of Nigeria.
Change begins with you. Be the change you seek.
God bless Nigeria!
