Since gaining its independence in 1960, Nigeria has gone through many rough paths. Sadly but frankly, many of them have been self-afflicted. A civil war, bloody coups, tribal cleansings, surging unemployment rates, and insecurity of the highest order are just to name but a few. Speaking of the latter, it has gotten so bad that religious centers (mostly churches) where people seek refuge and solace have become no longer safe.
It is safe to say that Nigerians are more than ever before concerned about who steers the course of their nation. The surge in the number of people trying to get their PVC is proof of this.
Be that as it may, one of the biggest problems the nation is facing is having a pathetic democratic structure – one that makes it difficult to make progress as a nation. In plain terms, this has to do with the selection and responsibility placed on party delegates.
Party delegates (for the most part) have the huge responsibility of choosing flag bearers of their party. In other words, the general populace who are eligible to vote can only choose between the options presented by these party delegates.
In line with happenings over the years, this has not worked well for the nation. This is because many of these delegates are bought over with money and other incentives by desperate politicians seeking power. It has gotten so bad that the Nigerian foreign exchange rate is threatened as politicians bribe these delegates using foreign currencies.
In the final analysis, the masses that are determined to see a change as they walk to the polls are presented with thieves. They are forced one way or the other to choose the best of the thieves and evil folks presented.
Conclusion
The role of delegates and how they have executed this task over the years has shown that the nation’s democratic structure is highly questionable. The truth is that it does not matter if this is how it works in the USA and other first-world nations.
We need a democratic structure that does not leave room for loopholes that these criminally-minded politicians can take undue advantage of. How about a system that does away with political parties and focuses on individuality?
That is just my humble suggestion seeing how things have gone from bad to worse for us as a nation.
