Democracy is a system of governance that allows for fair participation of individuals in government, it also encompasses that re-assuring spirit to the participants that: "even though you fail now, try again and you might get lucky", afterall, it is a game of numbers and how good you are able to convince your voters.
It is a system that tries to push for good governance while pushing fears into those vying for political post that: "if they fail to perform in office, then the citizens of the nation have the right to overthrow them in another election".
Naturally this would bring comfort to ordinary citizens while forcing the politicians to work hard in other please those he or she was elected to serve.
But when does it all go wrong?
As a Nigerian, It is important I use personal experiences for analysis.
Since after the 2015 election, the political landscape is the country has become a very unhealthy one which is very bad for the citizens while good for some politicians.
There is now a big political division among ordinary Nigerians, not that it is bad but the way ordinary Nigerians go about it is wrong and this means indirectly aiding and shielding politicians whether good or bad.
2015 Presidential election in Nigeria brought in much emotions and ordinary Nigerians campaigned emotionally for their candidates, those whom their candidates won felt fulfilled and those whom their candidates lost held a political hate against their perceived political opponent.
Before the new government was sworn into office, many supporters of the defeated party's presidential candidate and those who held hate against the newly elected president had been criticising him, spreading propaganda against him and atimes spreading hate- at this point, it had become obvious that the supporters of the defeated political party was never going to be sincere in their criticism- this meant rallying the president's supporters to constantly support and shield the president of any criticism no matter what he does while creating more sympathizers for the newly elected president.
An unhealthy political environment had been created, one which had pushed ordinary Nigerians to passionately shield their party and her candidates no matter what evil they might have done.
Unaware to this Nigerians, those who instigated unnecessary and biased criticism of a newly elected president and those who were forced to protect him due to this were all working against their own interest while working for that of the politicians.
Example of this is that the new president was barely 2weeks in office and many Nigerians had started blaming him for economic failures, insecurity et el and this made the newly elected president's supporters to come to rescue by defending him. Due to this, even after some years the economy still remained unhealthy, this supporters would still rally behind the president because they felt he should be given more time and that the other camp where never really sincere in the first place.
The country had turned into an environment where her citizens "closes off" intellectual discussion or debate on issues that affects the nation, it had become an environment where corrupt politicians earned much supports from those whom they had unfairly ruled.
This Nigerians refuse to realize that winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.
But it seems the shock of Political defeat from 2015 general election is yet to leave the minds of some Nigerians who had gotten emotionally attached during the campaign.
Those Nigerians from both political divide need to come into a fair resolution; one which allows for genuinely criticism of the government and in which supporters of the opposition engage in fair debate rather than propaganda or spreading hate, only when Nigerians do this should they expect a prosperious political environment, if not, supporters of both sides can keep engaging in their shielding of politicians.
Maybe by 2019 election, Nigerians would end up voting based on their emotions because frankly speaking, unnecessary criticism of the government or hate spreading have not affected his popularity, instead it only pushed his supporters to rally tightly behind him and if this persist, it means a clear win for him whether he performs or not, if he chooses to run for 2019.
Eedris Ngene.
14/10/15.
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