Injuries of Corruption (III) by Victor Nwaebili

In a nutshell, as posited earlier, corruption is 'everything that is bad'. That is why the fight against it, is not just about morality, self-defense, patriotism, but existentiality. 

 

Party politics as currently practiced in Nigeria is a bedrock of corruption, especially for the 'big' parties who supposedly have the pyramid or structure that portrays and perpetuates corruption.

 

Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 (LFN) which states that: The procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions shall be by direct, indirect primaries or
consensus, had been a loophole under the Act that allows parties to auction their nominations to the highest bidders in the form of indirect primaries.

 

 In American politics, parties like Democrats and Republicans; each of which are bigger than the largest parties in Nigeria combined, creates room for direct primaries (where every party member vote in their primary elections), and whoever wins can easily be accepted by all, save those with reasonable objection or preference for the candidate(s) of their arrival party.

 

In Nigerian politics where incumbents, godfathers, moneybags are bent on foisting themselves, producing their successors or stooges and not the people, will not allow free and fair primaries in their parties, as long as there are options.

 

They see their States as their Enterprise and themselves as the alter ego, relying on their 'structures' fueled by state resources to decide the present and the future for the populace.

 

They see their party as the vehicle to power that any driver can take not considering his or her background, acceptability, Prudence, morality or credibility, can take and certainly get to power.

 

They see the society as hapless or stuck within the choice of their candidates, and do all they can to manipulate and foist themselves or their choice on their party and the society.

 

They preach supremacy of the party to their members, while only their interest is supreme to them.

 

They weaponize poverty and ignorance, raising utopic expectations on their loyalists (most of whose future they had stolen, and legitimate income never to afford the exorbitance of nomination forms of their party at least level) and send them as attack dogs to anyone who attempts or intend to challenge them or the status quo. 

 

In their boast of holding on to power, they believe that "anything" contesting under their party will certainly be rigged into power, either by subverting processes or throwing money on hungry voters, and in such arrogance had fielded drug lords, fraudsters, gangsters and all manner of unprintable characters who are moneybags or stooges, as standard-bearers. 

 

However, all hope is not lost for a new Nigeria. Elections are ample opportunities for everyone to vote wisely. Party supremacy is a conspiracy of the elite who do not believe in it, but use it to perpetuate themselves in power and in the servitude of the 'talakawas' or ordinary party faithfuls. 

 

Wisdom is in voting your conscience, or candidates who will likely better the lot of the society, and not desperados who foist themselves on you in the name of party. 

 

If you still believe that someone who spent billions buying delegate votes at party primaries, is coming to make the society better, at least, pity your innocent neck carrying your kind of head, by receiving some sense. 

 

They had began to loose out in the modern ways of a new Nigeria, and very soon, they'll be gone. 

 

Parties must entrench internal democracy and promote credibility in order to be relevant in the new Nigeria. 

 

A greater gang-up, commitment, solidarity, and movement for a new Nigeria is what all Nigerians of goodwill must embrace.