2019 general elections: A time to pay back

“Politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose “-Mario Matthew Cuomo (the 52nd governor of New York). Cuomo’s assertion means that the poetry of campaigning is very lofty and full of possibilities, a world where all problems are solved. The prose of governing, on the other hand, is “messy” and “maddening”, full of compromises and […]

“Politicians campaign in poetry and govern in prose “-Mario Matthew Cuomo (the 52nd governor of New York).
Cuomo’s assertion means that the poetry of campaigning is very lofty and full of possibilities, a world where all problems are solved. The prose of governing, on the other hand, is “messy” and “maddening”, full of compromises and half-victories that leave a sour taste in one’s mouth.
Virtually all our politicians promise us milk and honey; a promise of heaven on earth. A politician of the Second Republic was once said to have promised to build an airport at the back of every house in the country. Another one was said to have promised to provide a tap from where people could get fura da nono.
The point here is that our politicians promise what they know they can never deliver.
Another election is around the corner and it is time for the electorate to give their verdict. It is time to decide who delivered on his promises and who did not. It is also time to reward those who lived up to expectations.
The electorate must be careful to avoid moving from a bad situation to something worse. They should be wary of old wine in a new bottle. The electorate must think outside the political box.
Let no politician hide under religion or ethnicity to deceive them. No need for promises; each politician who has held office in the past should tell us what he/she has achieved. It is time to separate the rice from the chaff and to take back what rightfully belongs to us. Voters should therefore be very cautious as they are the ones that would suffer for any mistake done in choosing the right candidates.
Nurudeen Dauda wrote from Kaduna and can be reached at: [email protected].