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By Remi Adefulu
Unarguably, one of the major drawbacks of our electoral system is lack of trust between the political class and the electorate.
Curiously, both are like Siamese twins, joined together by a system of government that make them inseparable.
This is one of the major reasons Nigerian voters are perhaps the most frustrated globally, as most voters, though tired of voting still exercise their franchise.
While a large percentage vote bearing in mind better leadership, some vote for money, religion or ethnicity. Worse still, the masses are always at the receiving end of bad government policies, mostly induced by corruption and many a time, lack of capacity.
It is therefore unsurprising that many still describe Nigeria, said to be the giant of Africa as a potentially great nation.
One cannot but agree given the enormous human and material resources the nation is endowed with across the length and breadth of the country.
Why then is Nigeria unable to move forward? Why are we the same way we were when Afro beat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti sang about bad government policies over the years?
The same Fela died over two decades ago, why have we refused to drop the garb of underdevelopment and take our rightful place in the comity of nations?
Surely, this is due to the absence of the right leadership to take us where we truly belong.
Truth be told, the people deserve to carry part of the can, as Nigerians have not been bold enough to collectively choose right.
What we have had therefore is a mixed bag, where we continually have a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly.
As a people, we lack a strong democratic culture, that makes those in positions of leadership realise that they hold such positions in trust for the people.
Rather, what we have is a system where the people are held perpetually by the jugular and therefore unable to demand their rights.
What you therefore see is a system where the citizenry are at the mercy of politicians who do things the way they like, knowing that they are dealing with a lame duck electorate.
Even the civil society is no better, as most of them have gone to sleep and only awake when their paymasters need them.
Worse still, the once active society in the days of Late Beko Ransome-Kuti, Gani Fawehimi, Ayo Obe, Olisa Agbakoba, Chima Ubani e.t.c. can no longer find its voice. Who is therefore left to hold government to account? Is it the rag tag Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) or Trade Union Congress (TUC) which have since lost their voices?
What we therefore have is a “to your tent oh Israel “scenario, where everybody, except the politicians and their collaborators have been banned to the philistines.
The scenario just painted, is the lot of a part of Ikorodu which incidentally is Ward E4, Ikorodu North Local Development Council Area, Lagos State.
Basic amenities, especially roads, are virtually nonexistent, as the only tarred road in the community, which was constructed over 30 years ago under the Col Olagunsoye Oyinola-led military administration, is now an eyesore.
Despite infrastructural challenges, top of which is lack of access roads, politicians, especially of the APC stock still come around every four years to ask for votes!
But for a philanthropist and Community Development Associations (CDAs), the entire Ward E4 would have been swept away by massive floods, yet the state government never forgets to collect land use and other charges annually
Kudos must however go the way of Rep Babajimi Benson for some initiatives and Hon Adebisi Jokomba, Chairman, Ikorodu North LCDA who constructed a Special Anti robbery Squad (SARS) complex within the community.
It is evidential that both have been the saving grace of the APC after many years of lackluster performance.
For instance, it is on record that a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly who represented the constituency for 16 years was a colossal disaster”. Correspondences to his office were never acknowledged, much less opening channels of communication between him and the Ward. Indeed the APC and Governor Sanwo-Olu have Benson to thank for the massive vote delivered to the party despite decades of neglect
Benson’s performance across Ikorodu offered many a ray of hope that things would get better in Ward E4, even as representations have been made to him and the state government in that regard. It was for this reason that over 40 CDAs under the aegis of Joint Community Development Associations (JCDAs) rose to the occasion, spending time and resources on its actualization.
This started with massive mobilization during the last voter registration, with the Ward recording massive turnout at all centres. Realising that Hon Benson and the state government had promised to attend to their needs, Ward E4 electorate trooped out in an unprecedented manner and posted the highest votes cast in the entire Ikorodu North LCDA.
So happy were people, especially the CDAs, for this was no mean feat and a message that they are indeed a strong factor in Lagos and national politics. They were especially elated that they had done their part of the bargain between them and Governor Sanwo-Olu who had promised to reward massive votes, against the backdrop of Labour Party (LP) performance in the presidential election.
However, recent developments are beginning to make residents uncomfortable with some actions of Governor Sanwo-Olu whom they hold in high esteem.
This is not unconnected with the award of road projects in Ikorodu North, completely leaving out Ward E4 that gave the president Bola Tinubu and the governor resounding victories. The major road projects the people are expecting from the state government, at least for now are the Adamo-Araromi road and the Maya-Ajegunle-Mojoda road, to the Ogun State boundary. It is very puzzling that Wards that already have tarred roads and delivered far less votes were considered over and above Ward E4 which does not have a single tarred road.
The resident of this ward are believing that Governor Sanwo-Olu would right this wrong in the interest of justice, fairness and equity which he has sworn to uphold.
Adefulu, a media practitioner lives in Lagos.
