Elections across the world hold at periodic intervals for the purposes of expressing interests, preferences and choices among or between alternatives. Groups, associations and nations have made use of elections to determine their national direction, leadership and values.
The era of Military coup de tat, when the will of the people is disregarded and denied is indeed over in many nations across the world. Just yesterday, the people of Ghana went to the polls to choose their new President. The truth is, the choice of the people has been made, with the opposition claiming victory, without any violence reported.
In Nigeria, while the nation is gradually moving away from the times of Military coup, the various states in the country are still at different phases of growth and maturity in their political experiences. Hence, there are yet scattered cases of violence, electoral fraud, candidate impositions, political arrogance and hate speeches.
One thing that quickly comes to mind is, “Why do Politicians go all the way to cause mayhem during and after elections in Nigeria?”; “Are the Politicians truly representing their people or their pockets and bellies?” The truth is, the answer to the first question is rooted in the second question. For while as a nation, we have managed to gain freedom from Military interventions in governance; we are still kept under rule of men and women with greed, impatience and pride. Men and women whose families are safely protected in safe places across the world, but who are willing to kill the children of others. Men and women who have not gained mastery over their emotions and their bodies, who presses every 4 years to gain control over their states and Nigeria as a whole.
The situation in Rivers State is very simple: The Governor wants to win the elections in majority LGAs to protect his tenure and office from the opposition; while the ruling APC Federal Government wants to win the Federal and State legislative seats to protect the economy from saboteurs, who are pressed at destabilizing the Federal Government through pipeline vandalization and other forms of violence in the Delta.
The question is, which party is representing the people of the Niger Delta? Which party is looking for a win for selfish interests? The answer is clear I suppose. I rest my case for now!
