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The general election is barely six months away. Sadly, the quality of the national debate and the rhetoric from the political actors jostling for power are very disappointing, to say the least.
We expect issue-based campaigns, but what we’re getting are still the same old, worn-out clichés around marginalization, the qualifications of candidates, endless defections, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and how these define the outlook of the general election.
This is because the key players in this election are the same people from the 2023 contest, making the current cycle largely a repeat of the last election. As a result, no new ideas are being presented for the electorate to make informed political choices.
At the federal level, the ruling APC is obsessed with projecting the positive impacts of its controversial reforms and how these very harsh economic measures have rescued Nigeria from drifting into a complete collapse. However, there is little the APC leadership is telling us about any realistic timelines it has set to mitigate the negative fallout of the reforms, which continue to inflict horrendous hardship on most Nigerians. The party also seems to be relentlessly maximizing the advantage of attracting disgruntled politicians defecting from the crisis-ridden opposition parties to strengthen its arsenal for the elections ahead.
On the other hand, the opposition parties are largely reacting rather than leading. They are mostly seen whining and screaming in the media over the alleged unfair advantage of federal power that the APC is deploying to stifle their capacity to compete in what is increasingly looking like a one-sided election. While these concerns may not be entirely unfounded, they do little to advance a credible alternative agenda.
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One would expect the opposition to brace up for the challenges by first working towards internal cohesion, building solid nationwide structures, strengthening its competitive edge, and presenting realistic alternative governance choices in the form of sound manifestoes and short-term solutions that could bring immediate relief to the masses. Unfortunately, the opposition parties, already embroiled in internal crises, remain trapped in endless litigation, personality clashes, ego battles, leadership tussles, and other existential challenges that have weakened their capacity to withstand the power of the APC in this election. Their reliance on noisy bloggers and social media platforms to promote their agenda is a poor strategy that is bound to fail abysmally, just as it did in 2023.
Against this backdrop, it is clear that the political class, as it stands, has not offered Nigerians any good, fair, or balanced alternatives in the current election cycle that can engender a credible and positive outcome in 2027.
Ultimately, democracy is not just about swapping leaders; it is about improving lives. Elections should be contests of ideas, competence, character, and vision, not theatres of empty rhetoric, ethnic sentiments, and political survival. Nigerians deserve leaders who can inspire confidence with practical solutions to the nation’s daunting challenges.
As 2027 draws nearer, both the political class and the electorate must rise above the distractions. Politicians must present clear roadmaps for governance, while citizens must resist the temptation of voting along primordial lines or being swayed by propaganda. The future of the country depends not only on the quality of those seeking power but also on the wisdom of those who will eventually entrust that power. The hard choices before us demand sober reflection, not empty rhetoric. History will judge us all by the decisions we make at the ballot box.
• Ladi Ayodeji, marriage counselor, author, media expert and philosopher, can be reached on 09059243004, WhatsApp only.
