By Chukwudịmma Aaron-Okonkwọ

First and foremost, it is imperative for me to give credit to the Ikemba of Nnewi on whose book, "Because I am involved" I came across the five words: 'What we have we have' that I have used as a title for this piece. May the bravest soul of the former Biafran warlord continue to rest in peace. Iseee.

Since the past seven years when President Muhammadu Buhari took over the administrative affairs of the nation from HE Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, every social and economic life of our people have continued to take a dramatic change in a retrogressive manner. It is befuddling whether or not we have had it this bad. No! Actually, it is worst. I ask, therefore, have we really had it this worst since Nigeria achieved an independence?

Under the very nose of this current administration, thousands of innocent citizens have been murdered and the perpetrators of the deadly crime are not being apprehended; the price of both perishable and non-perishable items on our markets have skyrocketed to an all time high that our fellow citizens who hitherto could barely afford three square meals a day now stay up to two days without food in their stomachs.

Under the 'unaware' leadership of our former military head of state, businesses both startups and existing ones can barely survive their operations in the country - many businesses have packed up while some others remains at the verge of collapsing; employees salaries are being slashed and our pensioners too cannot access their pensions because the machineries of government have pocketed the funds.

Under the lackadaisical attitude of a government that promises its citizens change, millions of our students across federal universities are sitting idle at home today, yet we see the people who are supposed to bring an end to the prolonged strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU dancing "Awilo" with the future of our tomorrow's leaders.

Instead of instituting a policy that could put a stop to the senseless killings of our fellow citizens, we are inundated with ludicrous message that the President has expressed shock. Rather than encourage our law enforcement agents to embark on investigations that can lead to the arrest of perpetrators who commit the dastardly acts, we are queried to answer "where are the cows?"

Rather than initiate economic policies that could lead to the stoppage of our over-dependent of importation/consumption and encourage exportation/production, we are ridiculed that "corruption is fighting back". Instead of advising that civil servants, workers and pensioners deserve their pay conformably, we are made to see that N75 million naira can be disbursed to compensate victims of a massacre.

Instead of putting an end to the prolonged ASUU strike so that students could resume their academic activities, we are glaringly shown that N100 million naira can be afforded for presidential nomination forms.

By the way, how could an expression of shock bring back the dead to life and or put a lasting solution to the insecurity situation bedevilling our dear nation? How will the 'where are the cows' of a mischievous question put an end to the condemnable activities of the bandits?

Will blaming the past administration automatically adjust our economic quagmire for good? Is it morally and lawfully right for those who are cabinet members of our current government to come forward with N100 million naira and purchase ambition forms while our university students helplessly sit at home?

For how long are we, as a people, going to tolerate such behaviours from our so-called leaders?

For so long a time, we have been yearning for an ideological revolution - an overhaul of Nigerian politics. And now that we are bequeathed with the golden opportunity of this new ideological revolution through the emergence of the former governor of Anambra State, HE Mr Peter Obi, we need to develop a new behavioral pattern that is appropriate to it.

To chart our path in Nigerian politics, we should grab with both hands, the rare opportunity that this ideological revolution is offering us today. Because as we are dodging political isolation that lead to the invention of this ideological revolution, we must do well to avoid defeat. This time we must win!

In the next eight or nine months, you and I will be called upon to make a choice. And our expected duty by that time is clear - to elect leaders. In deciding on such a choice, we have to ensure that we elect at all levels men and women capable of protecting our true interests. We have to return, both at the executive and legislative levels, a man or a woman that can best assist us to secure our best interests.

Politics is an art of numbers, which in our democratic setting, only a candidate with the highest number counts is declared a winner. Would we, dear fellow citizens, therefore continue to allow those who are incapable of protecting our true interests to be declared winners?

For us to ensure that whoever represent us and at what level gets the requisite numbers to emerge victorious in the forthcoming electoral contest, I am urging everyone of us to participate in the voting exercise.

We must all take part in the new political order which, by the emergence of HE Mr Peter Obi as an aspirant and common interest of most Nigerians across ethnicity, has been set up in order to re-engineer our focus of transformational governance. It is the sincerity and cooperation we engage in working for the emergence of a people-oriented leadership that will provide the ultimate proof that we are truly committed to restoring the nation's pride as the 'Giant of Africa'.

We owe it as a duty to not only ourselves, but also to our generations yet unborn to participate fully in Nigeria elections and cast our votes for competent leaders to emerge.

In participating also, we must participate in such a manner as to demonstrate that the power of the common masses is truly greater than the rulers in power; in such a way that truly explains democracy as the supremacy of the masses. We must demonstrate in concrete protest to those old cargoes that we have forever parted with the sentiments of vote-buying and vote rigging. If we fail to perform in this new development, we will continue to be ruled by those who have nothing to offer in advancing our common interests for greater national development.

Developing a new behavioral pattern that is appropriate to this new ideological revolution includes picking our unpicked Permanent Voters Cards, PVC from INEC offices, transferring our PVC to a location near us, persuading and encouraging the stubborn ones to have a change of mind this time around and on the day of the elections, make sure that we drag our whole household that are eligible to vote to the polling booths to cast their votes.

And that vote must not be wasted, but carefully casted for Eze Igbo Gburugburu's last wish: Mr Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate!

Ndi Igbo, Nigerians, in Okwute - HE Peter Obi, we have a leadership that will serve our common interests first. In him, we have a leadership that will ensure fairness and equity to all the ethnicity issues in the country. In the Agulu-born politician, we have a leader who will attract the right kind of foreign investments that shall get us out of the present economic quagmire.

In the former governor of Anambra State, we have a leader who will execute the right kind of beneficial policies that shall better our living conditions. In him we have a leader who must be fanatical for the people's welfare. His administration shall symbolize good government.

Arguably, our dear country seems to have failed. What she needs now, like never ever, are productions and savings and HE Peter Obi was quick to identify these solutions.

But, remember, our success for these solutions depends on you and I. Get your PVC and do the needful.