It appears the Nigerian leadership is full of bad guys because the good guys stay away from politics with the notion that politics in Nigeria is a dirty game not fit for the upright people. They prefer to sit back and watch the bad guys run the nation to destruction, and only run their mouths criticizing the bad guys like what we have on this forum.
If you know you are honest and have what it takes to provide good leadership are you doing any good to this nation if you stay away from Nigerian politics because it's a "dirty game" for the bad guys? Why should you complain of bad leadership if you left politics for the bad guys? Politics is a dirty game in Nigeria simply because the good guys left it for the bad guys to run. If the entire association of the good people of Nigeria throw their hats into the ring of Nigerian politics won't they succeed in making politics a clean game and changing the situation of country?

Blackteeth: It appears the Nigerian leadership is full of bad guys because the good guys stay away from politics with the notion that politics in Nigeria is a dirty game not fit for the upright people. They prefer to sit back and watch the bad guys run the nation to destruction, and only run their mouths criticizing the bad guys like what we have on this forum.
If you know you are honest and have what it takes to provide good leadership are you doing any good to this nation if you stay away from Nigerian politics because it's a "dirty game" for the bad guys? Why should you complain of bad leadership if you left politics for the bad guys? Politics is a dirty game in Nigeria simply because the good guys left it for the bad guys to run. If the entire association of the good people of Nigeria throw their hats into the ring of Nigerian politics won't they succeed in making politics a clean game and changing the situation of country?

Even the good ones who align with politics are labeled guilty by association.

Nigerian politics is an automatic ticket to being labeled as corrupt.

As it is, to effect change (or attempt to anyway) while protecting your image it's just best to go grassroots.

nnenna.1:



Even the good ones who align with politics are labeled guilty by association.

Nigerian politics is an automatic ticket to being labeled as corrupt.

As it is, to effect change (or attempt to anyway) while protecting your image it's just best to go grassroots.

You only rephrased the whole point I made that makes the good ones stay away from politics.
If more worthy people care less about the labelling as being guilty by association and take part in politics, they can eventually rebrand the game with time for good.

Blackteeth:
You only rephrased the whole point I made that makes the good ones stay away from politics.
If more worthy people care less about the labelling as being guilty by association and take part in politics, they can eventually rebrand the game with time for good.

if you are labeled guilty by the people you are as good as dead in your political aspirations.

Politics is all about perception.

nnenna.1:


if you are labeled guilty by the people you are as good as dead in your political aspirations.

Politics is all about perception.

Why would my political aspirations be dead if am labelled guilty? ( without proof). What about the current political office holders? Where they not labelled guilty when they enrolled? But they still succeeded in their aspirations.

If they stay away, they will continue to be ruled by the bad guys.

@OP.

We need to set emotions aside and understand that, for now, we must simply support the lesser devils till the beautiful ones are born. We must learn to move from A to B. pointless being stuck at point A and insisting you belong at Z. 'Saints' cannot thrive in politics because it has been bastardized to be a get-rich-quick scheme for a few. Naturally, that sort of environment will attract crooks, layabouts and desperado while repelling decent men and women.

Given the reality of our politics that you highlight, it is futile to rant and curse all day like mad creatures. What each and everyone of us should do is to first pragmatically accept what Nigerian politics is about currently i.e a congregation of corrupt folks, gangsters, jobbers and opportunists.

The next thing to then identify, among those 'undesirables', are the leaders still delivering or able to deliver progress and development. If we do this then evolution and improving political sophistication will do the rest and we will ultimately begin to see the good guys becoming the mainstay in our politics.

Gbawe: @OP.

We need to set emotions aside and understand that, for now, we must simply support the lesser devils till the beautiful ones are born. We must learn to move from A to B. pointless being stuck at point A and insisting you belong at Z. 'Saints' cannot thrive in politics because it has been bastardized to be a get-rich-quick scheme for a few. Naturally, that sort of environment will attract crooks, layabouts and desperado while repelling decent men and women.

Given the reality of our politics that you highlight, it is futile to rant and curse all day like mad creatures. What each and everyone of us should do is to first pragmatically accept what Nigerian politics is about currently i.e a congregation of corrupt folks, gangsters, jobbers and opportunists.

The next thing to then identify, among those 'undesirables', are the leaders still delivering or able to deliver progress and development. If we do this then evolution and improving political sophistication will do the rest and we will ultimately begin to see the good guys becoming the mainstay in our politics.

Did you see the part in bold? What makes you think that the beautiful ones are not yet born? In my opinion they were born since Nigeria was born. They simply refrained from politics because in your own words; "it is has been bastardized to be a get-rich-quick scheme for a few". If the good folks sit back and watch devils run governance then where would change come from? The good guys need to participate to neutralize the high concentration devils in the political affairs of the country before we start seeing any signs of progress. If you keep adding fresh water to a cup of poison we should expect that eventually the cup would contain fresh water and not the poison anymore.

Blackteeth:
Why would my political aspirations be dead if am labelled guilty? ( without proof). What about the current political office holders? Where they not labelled guilty when they enrolled? But they still succeeded in their aspirations.

We have to define what "politcal aspirations" means in this context. If you are talking about merely advancing or moving up the ranks as an office title holder, then you are right. Being a politician by name will happen for you in Nigeria regardless of whether you are crook by perception or in reality.


If you are a well-meaning person labeled guilty by association, your aspirations for public good HOWEVER will likely be sabotaged by the jaded masses who will distrust your every move, alongside political rivalries who will milk
that distrust for every bit of juice that it can leak.

Even if you are successful in implementing the policies you hold dear your reputation will only be ambiguous or murky at best. Even the effectiveness of your policies will suffer.

But I am digressing.

The problem isn't even that of perception. The main problem in going into politics is that the political industry (yes, it is an industry) is managed and ran by bonafide thieves who have an interest in keeping Nigeria the way it is for personal gain.

A good man in politics is a sheep among wolves and eventually even he becomes a wolf.

Sorry for the pessimism here, but the only way to make a significant difference is by operating in a completely replaced political class.

Or going grassroots.

nnenna.1:


We have to define what "politcal aspirations" means in this context. If you are talking about merely advancing or moving up the ranks as an office title holder, then you are right. Being a politician by name will happen for you in Nigeria regardless of whether you are crook by perception or in reality.


If you are a well-meaning person labeled guilty by association, your aspirations for public good HOWEVER will likely be sabotaged by the jaded masses who will distrust your every move, alongside political rivalries who will milk
that distrust for every bit of juice that it can leak.

Even if you are successful in implementing the policies you hold dear your reputation will only be ambiguous or murky at best. Even the effectiveness of your policies will suffer.

All you stated above is only a temporary problem. With good performance over time people will realize you mean well and give you all the trust.

nnenna.1:
But I am digressing.

The problem isn't even that of perception. The main problem in going into politics is that the political industry (yes, it is an industry) is managed and ran by bonafide thieves who have an interest in keeping Nigeria the way it is for personal gain.

A good man in politics is a sheep among wolves and eventually even he becomes a wolf.

Sorry for the pessimism here, but the only way to make a significant difference is by operating in a completely replaced political class.

Or going grassroots.

We don't need just a good man going into politics to be a lone sheep among a pack of wolfs. We need good MEN in numbers to equate or exceed the number of bad eggs in charge of governance. That would make a difference. Dont you think so?

Blackteeth:

We don't need just a good man going into politics to be a lone sheep among a pack of wolfs. We need good MEN in numbers to equate or exceed the number of bad eggs in charge of governance. That would make a difference. Dont you think so?

How will they exceed the bad eggs when the bad eggs are calling the shots and are regulating the inflow of new faces in the scene?

To a large extent the ruling class today is comprised of corrupt individuals of long ago
and their offshoots.

Revolution is what we need. But who wants to die and fight for Nigeria?

nnenna.1:


How will they exceed the bad eggs when the bad eggs are calling the shots and are regulating the inflow of new faces in the scene?

To a large extent the ruling class today is comprised of corrupt individuals of long ago
and their offshoots.

Revolution is what we need. But who wants to die and fight for Nigeria?

We don't normally know the true intentions of these politicians till the grab power, therefore I think the question of the bad folks filtering out people and deciding who gets in or out based on their ideology cannot be a way to stop the good guys from taking control.
Besides revolution is not the answer. What if a group of the same bad folks leads the revolt for their own selfish interest only for the nation to return to square onel?

Blackteeth:


Did you see the part in bold? What makes you think that the beautiful ones are not yet born? In my opinion they were born since Nigeria was born. They simply refrained from politics because in your own words; "it is has been bastardized to be a get-rich-quick scheme for a few". If the good folks sit back and watch devils run governance then where would change come from? The good guys need to participate to neutralize the high concentration devils in the political affairs of the country before we start seeing any signs of progress. If you keep adding fresh water to a cup of poison we should expect that eventually the cup would contain fresh water and not the poison anymore.

I don't literally mean the beautiful ones are not born because that would imply Nigeria does not currently have decent folks who can do well as political leaders.

My point is that we cannot say the beautiful ones are born if the system cannot accommodate them. We all have a duty of playing our part to help Nigeria evolve the appropriate political system that will accommodate "good guys" as the norm.

If the followers understand the concept of the 'lesser devil' then it will get us out of trouble to help eventually develop a political Arena where the beautiful one will thrive. If we continue to purge our politics by shunning mediocrity and consistently electing proven performers, then we create a self-healing system that will respond to the evolutionary trends most thriving world Nation have gone through. Hankering for ultra-saintly folks to get into our politics is a bit self-defeatist because those entirely married to principles to the point of inflexibility will simply not last in our current Political arena.