Nigerian Politicians are in a class of their own. More often than not, they are thrown up by circumstances -of birth, wealth or association. When a man stumbles on wealth or finds himself in a family setting in which everything is guaranteed, he begins to think of capping it all with political power. At times it is friendship with an individual or membership of a group or society that serves as the springboard for a foray into a career in politics. Our own brand of politics makes nonsense of all theories in political science.


As creatures in a world of their own, our politicians coalesce to form political parties, not on the basis of shared convictions or philosophy but for the purpose of collaborating to appropriate what belongs to the commonwealth. They are in a special class because they can be likened to students conferred with the special privilege of setting their own examination questions. In their respective political parties, they draw up manifestoes encapsulating their principles and policies. The manifestoes prominently highlight their promises of a paradise on earth but diligently conceals their motives of opportunism. This is what explains our paradox of misery in abundance and conspicuous location within the dregs of humanity.


In other places, the manifesto, as a set of targets, represents a covenant with the electorate. The.attainment of these targets and the extent to which they impact on people’s lives determine the popularity and rating of the government. Sitting president Jimmy Carter was worsted by Ronald Reagan, his republican opponent in the 1980 presidential election because the American economy and quality of life had suffered a decline. Elder George Bush for the same reason failed in his second term bid in 1992 when he got walloped by Bill Clinton. Bush’s high acceptance rating during the gulf war one year earlier did not translate into votes for him when it mattered most. The yardstick for the determination of performance in America, Britain, Germany, France etc. is the quality of life which in turn depends on the state of the economy. Any attempt to compare Nigeria with any of these countries cannot but smack of naivety. Since they, however, constitute our paradigm of development and civilisation, we cannot but make occasional references to them while assessing our own state of affairs. Even if they have occasional hitches, the outcomes of their elections reflect their peoples’ choices. The sanctity of the ballot box is not violated as a matter of routine. A government that fails to keep its promise or meet the people’s expectations gets voted out of power because it is the people’s will that prevails. In their own clime and political culture, balloting does not take place before the election day. They do not have specialists in the art of fixing who determine election results before the D-day. What sells the candidate or political party to the electorate is the programme crafted for the improvement of the people’s welfare. It is not the consuming influence or overwhelming might of a political godfather, vested with the power to anoint, that determines electoral success.

What do you think about this poor performances and fake promises?