At the time I was a bachelor, feeling cool with myself and fewer thoughts kept we awake. I had no real commitments as such, except to fuel the car, the generator and a few other things. Although I had since been on my own since age 16, I was at the time OK, if you know what I mean. Somehow, I could relate with my dad’s passion for Nigerian politics; after all, he is a lot older and lived in Nigeria when the going was a lot better. If you were a young lad in the 60’s and 70’s, you will understand my point here
“If you don’t vote now, how then do you expect to complain later?” that was the angry squeal that came from my dad, whom I had paid a visit as I resided not too far away. It was election day 2011. I felt I had voted for the candidate of my choice, General Buhari, and wouldn’t care less about who was trying to be “House of Representatives whatever”. My dad would have none of it, despite the ink-stained thumb, showing I did vote someone at least. He had just arrived home after monitoring polling units. That statement hit me below the belt, as it dawned on me how important the simple act of voting is to a democracy. I then remembered how determined and pensive I was, the morning I went to cast my votes for the Buhari-Bakare ticket of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). It felt like I was doing myself and Nigeria a favour. The rest is history.
At the time I was a bachelor, feeling cool with myself and fewer thoughts kept we awake. I had no real commitments as such, except to fuel the car, the generator and a few other things. Although I had since been on my own since age 16, I was at the time OK, if you know what I mean. Somehow, I could relate with my dad’s passion for Nigerian politics; after all, he is a lot older and lived in Nigeria when the going was a lot better. If you were a young lad in the 60’s and 70’s, you will understand my point here. He would have constantly had to compare both worlds, add to that the challenge of having more commitments at this age and then would not understand how on earth people of my age would take an issue as serious as electioneering so lightly. He has always said it is the only opportunity people have to make the necessary change, all things being equal. Frankly, I was remorseful that day. Also, being a loquacious story-teller, I inferred a lot of socio-political lessons from his stories. Those days were relatively better for Nigerians
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Shortly after, I got married, and had a baby. Then I began to shake body small small. I began to spend Naira more and then realize how easy it is to blow a six-figure sum on basic needs in seconds! I began to use our hospitals more often, began to visit our public offices for this and that. I began to see Nigeria from a whole new perspective and then it dawned on me. Its not like I never knew except that now, I was inside inside gan gan. I was deep in the use of decayed infrastructure and non-existent systems.I once made a comment on that war-front called Facebook that “if you had real commitments and had to pay your own bills without assistance from any Uncle in London; as you tried to make progress regardless of the peculiarities of the Nigerian economy, I doubt you’d be so eager about the continuity of this current regime”
History is about to present another opportunity to us here in Nigeria. It would be deemed atrocious for anyone to decide not to vote come March 28th and April 11th. I am of the opinion that voting should be made mandatory in Nigeria but, that is a story for another day. We have argued extensively, with some arguments being a lot more logical and constructive than most. Social media has been heated for this electioneering. Some people have in fact made enemies as they took it all personally. One good thing is: it proves that we have become more interested in governance as a people and you can sense the realization in the way President Jonathan has tried to do in six weeks what he failed to do in the past six years.
In the early morning of March 28th- the mother of all Saturdays- Nigerians in the quiet of their homes, away from the noise of social media, will ask themselves these questions: ” Am I really happy with how far we have gone as evident in what I can see around me?” again, “Who among the two presidential aspirants, has been more presidential and objective in his comportment alongside his cohorts, in these electioneering?” It is based on the answers from these two questions, they will cast their votes.
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I am eager to exercise my right come March 28th and April 11th, 2015 – eager to make history.
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