NIGERIA NEED FRESH GOOD BRAINS AND A BETTER POLITICAL PARTY TO CHANGE THE OLD LOOTERS

NIGERIA NEED FRESH GOOD BRAINS AND A BETTER POLITICAL PARTY TO  CHANGE THE OLD LOOTERS

By: Hon Fidel Odiase

 

yes if we must have the real change we all desire, we need to think out of the box to get a political party that is different from what we have now...there is no difference between PDP and APC and they are not ready to give us the dividend of democracy. They are still featuring the same people that have looted this nation for decades. 

The human cost of bad governance

Nigeria’s poor socio-economic performance, human rights abuses, widespread poverty, insecurity, corruption, and lack of trust in the political system have led to disenchantment amongst the electorate, especially the youth who make up 51% of the 84 million registered voters. This matters in a fast-growing population of over 200 million, with more than 60% of people under 25.

There can be two possible effects from such disenchantment on voter turn-out in the 2023 elections; it can motivate high turn-out in which people demand better governance or lead to apathy and low turn-out. It is expected that the high stakes at play will mobilise the former. There is a need for people to participate in choosing political leaders who will serve the public’s interest and promote good governance.

The human cost of bad governance is evident in the low level of basic infrastructure, weak healthcare and educational system, high unemployment, and the number of out-of-school children, amongst others. Across the socio-economic class divide, there is a feeling that the effects of bad governance will catch up with everyone someday. The recent protests by young Nigerians against police brutality, the EndSARS protests, exposed the gross human rights abuses suffered by many Nigerians at the hands of the institution created to protect them. More than about the policy itself, the protests demonstrated the youth’s discontentment with governance throughout the country.

Nigerians are now demanding that the government tackle the root causes of poverty, insecurity, human rights abuses, and socio-economic instability – through the levers of good governance. Moving ahead to the 2023 elections, attention must be focused on the overlooked question of who becomes a political leader to achieve these goals.