Politicians, don’t rush us into 2027 yet

The economic costs of Nigeria’s discordant political operations are inching higher. Every four years, Nigerians troop out to the polling booths to elect politicians who then take over the driving seats of the nation at all levels. However, what is becoming apparent by the day is that less than halfway down the road, the drivers […]

The economic costs of Nigeria’s discordant political operations are inching higher. Every four years, Nigerians troop out to the polling booths to elect politicians who then take over the driving seats of the nation at all levels. However, what is becoming apparent by the day is that less than halfway down the road, the drivers and their mates begin to plan for their next trips, virtually leaving their current passengers to their fate.

It is a dangerous trend that threatens the country’s social and economic future. Without appropriate controls being put in place to check the trend, the impact of such costs could weigh in too heavily on the economy and the polity itself.

This scenario arises from the fact that the real or effective breadth of Nigeria’s four-year electoral cycle is increasingly shrinking. As a result, the average voter is eluded to the benefits of political processes accruable to the electorate. Even before those elected to office for four years settle in, their eyes and energies are already focused on the second four-year term. As for the current period, it is already a foregone conclusion.

Let me point out that what is happening has nothing to do with strategic thinking or planning, nor with planning for the future, which is a legitimate action in political and economic leadership. The conflict here goes beyond these, and it’s quite worrisome.

This emerging pattern of campaigning for the future while abandoning or neglecting the present has demeaned the quality of political leadership in the country. It has emboldened politicians to take the electorate for a ride, knowing that once they are in, there is probably nothing the people can do about it.

It has also imputed a high cost on the Nigerian electorate, who, for most of the time, cannot reap the full benefits of a particular electoral cycle. Sometimes, it is becoming quite difficult for those we elect into office to “sit down” to do the job for the full period.

The conflict here is quite fundamental, much more than most non-political Nigerians realise. Right now, 2027, just like any other election year in the future, means different things to an ordinary Nigerian and a politician. For the former, 2027 is like any other year ahead of us. Depending on where they stand now concerning the political leadership at the federal or state level, it is a year that some would want a change, while others would root for continuity through an electoral process. Beyond this, 2027 for some Nigerians is just another year, which many would describe as the “year after next year” in our local parlance.

This class of Nigerians wants to get the best out of the journey between now and the next two years. In other words, they want to arrive at 2027 fully satisfied that they have made the most of the four-year electoral cycle preceding it. Today matters for them and their children. They care about the arrival in 2027 and the process by which they arrive at that point. Both are significant to them. They compare it with the concept of growth without development. One illustration of this concept is that of a train that leaves station A destined for station B. Interestingly, the best test for the train service is not necessarily how fast the train arrives at its destination. It should also be of interest to ascertain the state of the riders and how many of them made it to the destination.

It is not so for the political class because their considerations are different. Some may be more interested in just getting to the “all-important” year 2027. For many, the future is more important than the present. It’s just like the game in the marketplace. In the market, all the information known about the present has been factored into the equation of market possibilities. Therefore, such market realities can no longer move the players’ expectations. In the same way, only the future matters in the politicians’ permutations because today is already taken.

This is the point of departure between the politicians and the people who voted for them. Most politicians are already in the next electoral cycle (in 2027). This should be a source of concern for all who care about the quality of political leadership in Nigeria. An undue consideration for the next election now, just about halfway from where we took off, is sure to result in misplaced priorities. Misplaced priorities will ultimately impose costs in the form of lost opportunities.

Projects that should have been executed today but are delayed or abandoned for some exigencies will certainly result in costs. These are just examples of what the rush to the future election cycles could cost Nigeria. Many of them may not be clear right now.