Stop separating politicians from their political parties, for they are inseparable.

 

By Sulaiman Kazeem

In 2015, a majority of the Nigerian voting population stood against the then ruling political party, evicted its members from the country's presidential villa and ended the party's dominance in our political sphere. The decision to cause defects in the then ruling party's vision to stay in power for 100 years, deflate the party's dominance and ego in our polity and terminate their keenly pursued strategic plan to become the biggest political party in the African continent, was taken by the people, at the polls.

The seeming 'untimely' rejection by a majority of the Nigerian voting population was as a result of the mindless mismanagement of resources, unprecedented state of insecurity, crass impunity and epitomic financial recklessness. These claims and allegations of financial recklessness and abuse of office during the last administration has been substantiated with numerous evidences and solidified with a stream of exhibits in the public domain.

For the first time ever, as a people, Nigerians were in unison against failed incumbents in their respective levels and locations but this was obviously done with thoughts and with respect to interests. Yes, their decision was influenced by the poor leadership as exhibited by some ambassadors of the then ruling party and not necessarily by the competence of those in the then opposition party.

Just as an exercise to differentiate between a score and twenty is an exercise in futility, it will be morally corrupt to prove that there are no good ambassadors who have displayed exemplary leadership in the PDP or that those in the APC are saints. But what seem more evident is that some Nigerians voted on perceived ethnic sentiments and sheered nepotism, by throwing away the bathing water with the baby.

Interestingly, you will have to agree with me that the turmoil in our political terrain is as a result of our collective failure to separate the wheat from the shaft, during the 2015 general elections. Unfortunately, EVERYBODY was allowed to ride to power, on the platform of the then emerging political party, All Progressives Congress. This avoidable mistake has left us with conspicuous scars and will definitely remain indelible in our memories. Today, many ambassadors of the ruling party have underproduced or failed in their leadership capacities.

Fast forward to 2019 general elections, it is pertinent for Nigerians to be very careful with a majority of their politicians, who obviously are extremely deceitful and probably the craftiest of all, especially, has we prepare to begin another political campaigns. We must not repeat the mistakes we made in 2015, for as much as we must separate the wheat from the shaft, we must also separate sentiments and thoughts from what is ideal.

Nigerian politicians are very manipulative and deceitful that they have been able to keep the people in 'unconscious' starvation and mental slavery, for a time that beats humanity and may decide to keep them in perpetual abject poverty, if they choose to. These has been made possible through whipping political sentiments and aged mediocrity.

Today, as the people of Osun State, Ekiti State and Oyo State prepare to meet at the polls to elect their leaders, the people must be ready to reject 'rogues' from clinching political positions, disallow failed leaders from installing their stooges and from continuing in office. The time is now.

Going by the leadership performance of some individuals in public offices, particularly, those with political identities, to believe that Nigerian political parties have ideologies and manifestos that guides their ambassadors is nothing but fallacious and delusionary. Don't be swayed by their political machinations, political parties with ideologies and manifestos will always make good ambassadors and make contributions that will leave their footprints on the marble of time.

Dear friends, political parties with failed ambassadors are not worth getting our votes.

Times have changed, and so the people must also change.

Think about this.

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15/08/2017.