Written by Prince Tubo Johnson Aghogho.
“We have been conditioned to think that only politicians can solve our problems. But at some point, maybe we will wake up and recognize that it was the politicians who created our problems”….Dr Ben Carson.
The above subject could as well be coined “A Nation in hell of democratic adventure (Danse Macabre) where power does not reside with the people. This is a total departure of what democratic governance system or government stands for, “Government of the people, by the people and for the people” as postulated by Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America wherein the people (citizens) elect their representatives at federal, states and local government levels on a “trust-on-hold” on their behalf as government for the common good of the people.
And as stated by Dr Ben Carson, an African American, a renewed neurologist, author of the gifted hands, and politician, that, it’s actually the politicians who created our problems amongst others, and that, “we the people are actually the pinnacle of governance, we are suppose to be at the apex, and that, the government is suppose to be there to serve us” – we the citizens.
Conversely, in Nigeria, this has become delusional and a total departure as it’s no longer disputed that politics has been the exclusive interest for politicians alone rather than for the electorates – the citizens who elected them into office. Which is why they (politicians) can gang up, conspire and defect from one political party to another at will without consideration for the interest of the people who voted them to office, as if they are trading in a “prostitution market” – hopping from one end to another mainly to capture political power from each other, to the detriment of the economic well being of the country and it’s citizens.
But wait a minute! This doesn’t preclude the fact that our democracy is actually in hell, but only that the manner and style of the practice is what metaphorically depict the tortuous path of the system – the methods, so full of, and infected in propaganda, lies, bullish behaviours, betrayals, infested with corruption, just to mention but a few.
Furthermore, the flashback revelation on 10th July 2025 by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima during the book launch where he told the audience of his experience with former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan concerning his suspension or removal as governor of Borno State when the former speaker of House of representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and AGF Justice Mohammed Bello Adoke advised the president that the constitution of Nigeria doesn’t allow the suspension of a state governor nor counselor which was obeyed and obliged. On the other hand, due to overzealous political maneuvering and tyrannical posturing of the executive arm of the APC government, both the National Assembly and the judicial arms were emasculated do it’s dirty games with the nation’s democracy, a true reflection of how power thirsty and quest politicians in Nigeria have become.
Another aspect of hell of democratic adventure and Danse Macabre in the country has been the case where mere students Union’s government in our higher institutions of learning has been turned into a battle grounds in which children whose main purpose is engage in learning and moulding of characters, would instead engage in hooliganism and cult related activities just as the manners of our politicians. This indeed has been a concern and worry to our educational system.
Fast forward to the on going events. We should all be aware that when it comes to politics in Nigeria, what should not be in doubt is the fact that Nigeria and her citizens have not been the same in the configuration of political and democratic governance since after the end of the Nigerian civil war in January 1970; in which case, the South East geopolitical zone has been totally denied to assume leadership (presidency), – a total departure of what equity, fairness and justice stands for, in a nation with diversity in tribal, religious and cultural affiliations, and value system and which should have been the hallmark for our strength and unity, but instead, we emphasize on discretional hegemony, that has unfortunately become the foundation for the nation’s Danse Macabre in our democratic governance system.
Thus, a nation in hell of democratic adventure – Danse Macabre, is a reflection of the poor or bad leadership that has been associated with Nigeria. Either a satirical allegory or allegorical satire as a depiction of hell of democratic adventure or system is the metaphor for the characteristics of our politicians and their interactions with the people they assume to represent, which unfortunately has been on the negative side.
That being said, there’s nothing seems interesting any longer in politics and governance in the country. The political eco-system has been unstable, not just because we have been practicing unbroken democracy for over 26 years since 1999. But, because, members of political parties – majorly PDP and APC, and APGA, LP, SDP, NNPP, etc, have found themselves being fractured and coalesced from the erstwhile nPDP, ACN, CPC, APGA, and ANPP to become the APC government. The People’s Democratic Party, the PDP held power for 16 years, and the All Progressive Congress, the APC have held power for 10 years without nothing to show for it.
However, while recognizing the fact that it is the same set of people and characters in the political space who have held powers previously, are still the people defecting and cross carpeting from PDP to APC, from the APC to PDP, from the PDP to LP, from the PDP to NNPP and vice versa. Meanwhile, the 10 years of APC government and the 16 years of the PDP, the PDP regime is likened to David’s while that the APC government is like the Rehoboam’s eras in governance as contrast for “Good” and “Bad” respectively. That’s how and what Nigerians have been subjected by the APC government.
Members of the APC government were once members of PDP, ACN, CPC, APGA and ANPP when they ganged up and conspired to take over power in 2015. It was alleged that even foreigners were used as mercenaries in addition to external support as propaganda machines, lies and manipulation. In the same vein, in as much as the coalition of the opposition parties is welcomed, however, let it be known that out of the alliances and coalitions in Nigeria, the North-West marriage and South-East coalition has been the most fruitful and successful ones than any other alliances, as the NPC-NCNC in the first Republic and that of the NPN-NPP of the second Republic are cases in point and reference. And let us not forget that power does not belong to only “the Rakandedes, the Kabiyesis, and the Amayanabos”, it’s should also be for “the Obis”, for equity, fairness and justice.
Unfortunately, the APC government has given more hardship and suffering to Nigerians – high unemployment rate, worsening inflation, poor healthcare services, poor and inadequate power supply, poor infrastructure, poor educational quality systems and high illiteracy rates, high corruption, etc. At present, the security challenges in the country hasn’t abated even surpassing what it has been in the previous years, as bandits and terrorists across the country have become more brutal and merciless in their activities both on innocent civilians and security personnel alike.
Meanwhile, in the face of the numerous setbacks plaguing our democratic practice, cases of godfatherism has become a seemingly hell of a democratic cancer to the system. While Nigerians are still trying to get themselves out from the outcome of the “Imposed Lagos godfatherism saga” where president Bola Tinubu had stamped his soul and body, and it’s synonyms in places like Edo and Delta States which seemed as though a child play where Adams Oshiomhole and Chief Ibori held sway, and other fledgling godfatherism practices else where in the country, the incident in Rivers State between “Godfather Wike and his godson SIM Fubara”, the elected governor of the state, has become the masterpiece of them all.
It resulted in the flimsy excuse for security breach and challenges, and thus, declaration of the rule of State of emergency, and the appointment of a Sole Administrator, the disbandment and sack of the government of the state, and local government chairmen and counselors, all for purposes of gang-up and conspiracy that smacks democratic culture and tenet, without the recourse to the citizens.
Let it be known that all these are made possible by the fact that the ruling APC government has a despotic and autocratic posturing to suppress the people and opposition political parties. And just as members of the APC ganged up and conspired to take over power from the PDP in 2015, the Nigerian people and the opposition elements from the PDP, LP, SDP, NNPP, etc, and even members of the APC have coalesced into the African Democratic Congress, the ADC to challenge the APC government as they prepare for the 2027 election.
This is not any way distractive to say that gang up and conspiration are not or shouldn’t be allowed, far from it. After all, that was the same path and itinerary that the APC applied to take over power from the PDP. However, as it stands right now, the APC government is hell bent as it has been using and applying some subterranean ways to have been dealing with the opposition political parties in the country to destabilize them. The “Wike-effect” and other offshoots from Apapa-led LP, Kachi-led ADC, etc are all pointers to this effect.
As it stands, our politicians seem not to owe allegiance to the people (the voters) where the source of their power comes from, but instead, unto themselves as though they are dictators and emperors. Which is why the executive arm of government could emasculate the legislative and judicial arms of government for their biddings as reflected in the Rivers State case.
Furthermore, politicians in Nigeria have turned our political governance and democracy into personal and private business ventures, instead of the common good of the people. Which is why they – politicians, have resorted to defecting and cross carpeting from their legacy party to a ruling party as recorded in Cross River, Ebony, Delta and Akwa Ibom States, with sole aim for power thirsty (quest for power), and or evading corruption charges all for personal gains, as our politicians have become synonymous with “Stomach infrastructure” as hunger political jobbers.
In conclusion, just as in 2015 when politicians in the opposing camp ganged up and conspired to take over power from the ruling party, the PDP, by the same elements of the APC, Nigerians (the electorates) have been urged to gang up and conspire with the opposition coalitions and take over power, as the era of the APC government has been terrible and excruciating years for Nigerians.
It is needless to say therefore that the efforts of the APC government to over turn it’s ineffectiveness in governance in winning the minds and conscience of the citizens is what Nigerians are eagerly waiting, otherwise the interment of the government in 2027 general elections is assured, just as they did to the PDP in 2015, as the alliance and coalitions by the opposition parties has rightly exposed their evil plans as trumpery. Can the APC avert the trend of history. Indeed, Nigeria is in a race against time to put her democratic governance structure in order or risk being imploded into chaos that could jeopardize the nation’s democracy. This is more so as the hardship and sufferings meted out on the people, coupled with the coalesced forces of the coalitions parties have become the icing on the cake to defeat the APC government. Only time will tell.
