2015 elections and political illiteracy

Nigeria had passed through the parliamentary system of government during the First Republic but is now practicing the presidential system of government. In both alien systems of administrations that we experimented with, one may tend to ask “how politically educated are both our politicians and the electorates in Nigeria?”  Many people, including the international community […]

Nigeria had passed through the parliamentary system of government during the First Republic but is now practicing the presidential system of government. In both alien systems of administrations that we experimented with, one may tend to ask “how politically educated are both our politicians and the electorates in Nigeria?”  Many people, including the international community and observers tend to endorse the last 2015 Nigeria’s election as credible, ignoring the various forms of threats that many ordinary citizens passed through before and during the elections.  It was very much clear that in many parts of the country, if you paste any picture or banner of a given person(s) or of a certain political party your house and the dwellers of the house therein stood the risk of instant attack, destruction, looting or the house being burnt down.
Voters were observed closely to ensure they voted a given political party or they faced negative consequences.  As a young girl, I began to ask myself, “Is this what politics means?” Whether one likes it or not, many were compelled by threats and intimidation to vote for the so called change.  I expect the Nigerian political atmosphere to have matured by now; to allow people’s consciousness guide them at all levels of politicking. Change, through intimidation and threats, is not a genuine change, and has no place in proper democracy. The real change can only occur through the ballot i.e by voting freely according to ones’ conscience either to maintain or change the status quo. I can be in a different political party with my parents but that does not mean I have disrespect for them. It is a matter of ideology and interest. The relationship between parent-child will remain sound. It doesn’t mean anything. These threats and intimidation that characterized the 2015 elections, of which we are trying to ignore, will have dreadful consequences in our society.
Election credibility cannot be established if it’s accompanied by such threats and intimidation before and during the election. The earlier this issue is put on the front burner and widely discussed, the better for our future elections in the country.
Political education should be properly integrated into schools’ curriculum, from primary schools to tertiary institutions. Children should learn the rudiments of politics and acquire the necessary skills for decision making at early level. If you pick a subject of discussion with Nigerian politicians, even those with chains of degrees, you will easily discover that many of them are politically illiterates. Many of our politicians have no principles and the political parties too have no coherent and achievable manifestoes.  The worst is that even political parties’ manifestoes are not even adequately circulated to the electorates to read and comprehend. It should be noted that only a sound democracy can make any nation to survive the contemporary global competition for development. Therefore, grass root mobilization and enlightenment must be put in place to monitor progress at all levels. To follow such category of political illiterates is just like killing the mosquito on your cheek. You might or might not have killed it, but you would end up slapping yourself. May Allah (SWA) bless our country and make the truth known to our leaders to follow. Ameen.
Hadiza Abubakar Aliyu, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina