LACK OF POLITICAL IDEOLOGY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLITICS OF ETHNICITY, RELIGION AND POOR PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA :
In marking activities to celebrate June 12,2023 which is Democracy Day in Nigeria,i was lucky and privileged to be granted an interview with one of the best television stations in Africa,ECWA TV where i frown at the lack of political ideology in our political parties and the system at large which has left the electorates uninformed about how best to demand for good governance from political office holders and to vote competent people into office.
Today, the lack of political ideology in our political parties in Nigeria are partly some of the reasons for the wrong choices we make as electorates,that is why some negative issues which have become parameters for getting into office rather than what politicians can offer to the people has become like the norm,ethnicity,religious sentiments and all manner of negative thoughts has creep in to replace political ideology,that is why decamping and cross carpeting is done everyday without direction or remorse.
No wonder,the call to reintroduce political ideology in our political parties and the polity is falling on deaf ears as the interest is more about how to get into power rather than service.
Ethnicity and religion has now substituted sound political ideologies that is why the electorates cannot really hold public office holders accountable for not performing up to expectation base on their manifesto and the ideology they are known for .
Lucky for us from 1999 till date this is the first time we are having a true progressive as the President of Nigeria in the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR who believes in competence and hard work,during the build up to the elections he was focus on what he can offer rather than relaying on the petty issues of ethnicity and religion that has kept us stagnant in Nigeria.
His choice of the Vice President HE. Sen.Kashim Shettima GCON for example a very competent and progressive hand shows that they have come on board to bring about development to the door step of the common man despite some calls across the country to polarize us into ethnic and religious divide during the build up to elections.
Nigeria now is witnessing a different kind of leadership style, so far the hopes of many have been rekindle with the very promising steps been taken,a sign to Nigerians that it is time to throw way religion and ethnicity that has now overtaken the place of political ideology in our political parties and the polity.
In Plateau State for example the politics of religion and ethnicity was introduced to confuse the electorates during the elections,but the candidate of the All Progressive Congress Dr.Nentawe Yilwatda Goshwe stood firm reemphasizing on the issue of his track record and what he can offer and how to improve the lot of the people just as we had President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR doing at the National level .
We should begin to talk about what does a progressive,conservative and other local ideologies have to offer in bringing about change and true development that will touch the lives of the common man in the street,we must see ourselves as Nigerians first and the talk about who will unite us and bring about development not the other way round.
© Chol Badung Chuhwak.
Jos,Nigeria
22/6/2023
