Etcetera To Nigerians: Nobody Should Vote In The Coming Elections!
Some
people have accused me of not liking politicians, so let me set the
record straight. I don’t! They have done more harm to our nation than
the military (their first cousins). At no period in our nationhood has
the opportunity for reversing the dehumanising nature of a politically
corrupt society like ours been greater.
Every Nigerian who seeks freedom
should rethink all temptations to rush to the polling station on February 14
in an attempt to further entrench corruption with a transfusion of his
or her energies. Let us instead participate in a peaceful revolution to
rescue this country from disintegration and death. It is better for any
society that has been shredded by corruption to undergo a few headaches,
fevers, and stomach upsets in the interim. It is better to rid Nigeria
of her sickness once and for all than continue our habit of suppressing
the symptoms which is exactly what we’ll be doing voting for the same
crop of corrupt politicians in the forthcoming elections.
Over
the week, I got tons of emails and phone calls in response to last
weekend’s article asking if I’ll be voting in the coming elections. No. I
won’t be voting. The truth is, I have more constructive things to do
than vote on February 14.
For example, I am moving into a new apartment and the floors need a
good scrub. And there’s this couch I have to take the legs off so I can
easily pass it through the door into the living room. To me, that’s time
much better spent. Yes guys, I can come up with so many reasons why I
won’t vote, but at the core of everything is, when my vote has a direct
impact on how much money is stolen from this country, I want nothing to
do with it.
The
ruling party in Nigeria and the opposition have nothing but
alphabetical differences. They have the same ideology and mentality. The
same people have been jumping from one ship to another. So what
“Change” are they preaching about? Show me a Nigerian politician who
hasn’t sworn allegiance to “The Broom” of APC and “The Umbrella” of PDP,
at different times in their political careers and I will show you a
woman that sells paraga that doesn’t bleach. Any Nigerian hoping for a
redistribution of wealth after February 14
is wasting his or her time. If I had kids, they won’t see me
identifying with this group of sociopaths, and to vote in the next
election would be setting a bad example for them. Our votes only give
these politicians the needed encouragement to steal more. So on February 14, I’ll be voting for the only one I can trust: nobody.
I
am of the view that politics has destroyed this country. Let’s not also
forget that the same politics has killed thousands of Nigerians in the
north alone. So am I supposed to direct my energies into such a
destructive system? If I say ‘yes,’ which I would do if I voted, then do
my principles have any real meaning to them, or are they simply going
to be just amusing ideas to be talked about, debated, or dispersed? I
have been very vocal about Nigerian pastors encouraging corruption in
the country by associating with politicians and I have received all
kinds of insults from their followers. But just this week, Pastor
Adeboye called Nigerian politicians liars and never to be trusted again.
Only God knows what transpired behind the scene to warrant such sudden
outburst from the same man of God who has been blessing corrupt
politicians for many years. The truth is, my participating in this
circus called election doesn’t make it any better for me or even you. It
only makes me another clown in their charade. To simply drop scraps of
paper in a box or pull a lever doesn’t mean I have helped in stirring
the country back on track. It simply means I have acted like a consumer,
picking between prepackaged political items. I haven’t seen a sincere
Nigerian politician yet. All we do in every election is picking from the
same rotten bunch. If we are not actively participating in deciding
what should be, then why can’t we unite and throw rocks through their
spider web by sitting at home and refusing to vote? Let us disrupt the
existing pattern of corrupt politicking entrenched in the system.
Don’t
get me wrong. Like everyone else, I want the best for this country.
After all, we are all in the same boat and if one end goes down, we all
go down. So not voting in February doesn’t mean I won’t vote in the
future. When the government makes the system more transparent and my
vote counts, I am likely to vote. Those of you who are crazy enough to
vote the same set of people into power because you have been paid to do
so or you have been stupid enough to listen to a rambling billionaire
who tells you it is your civic duty to vote for him or his candidates,
you deserve to be screwed by the system. Since democracy in Nigeria has
been turned into a game like any other, it will be foolish to go out and
play, when I know I can’t win.
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