Political parties regularly promise their citizens what they hope to achieve if elected to office. Once in office, the winning political party announces its agenda, then go back on the promises made. An extreme lack of trust pervades Nigerian politicians and The public has little faith in campaign promises or even politicians’ commitments. Much of the lack of trust has to do with the fact that there is no political accountability mechanism in the country. Even when it does apply, politicians and even organizations that are supposed to enforce it often undermine it. It then lead people to thinking “To what extent will the government be able to deliver on the promises made in their speeches?”(that’s if their promises were to be fulfilled).
However, the case of Nigerians and their confidence in politicians seems to be dwindling. The question is whether this will be seasonal experience or the changers will truly change us for the best. A critical recall at campaign promises since the 1979 election reveals the same theme and promises; uninterrupted electricity, running water, road construction, self-sufficiency in food, coupled with the provision of quality education with health care services and even employment to the unemployed. All these promises were made with no fulfillment, only that the government added to the issues and problems of the country. I bet it has been the same stakes and promises in the 2023 election.
Undoubtedly, our country turned to where corruption is embraced and where government no longer care about the opinions of the people in aspect of decision making, which lead to people disregarding the rule of law of the country. “Change! Change! Change!”. They lamented. They lied to the face of the people and because of the taste of (positive) change the people yawn for, they accepted their situations to be changed for the worst. The Government failed the people with their failed Democracy.
How then can we go from their change to the change we want?, First off, Governments should be more accountable to their citizens. Accountability is an aspect of governance whose loss can lead to the breakdown of law and order. Leaders, whether appointed or elected, must represent the interests of the nation as a whole in all functions, not just those that benefit religions, tribes, etc.
Also, There need to be more transparency between governments and the people of the country. When leaders act more transparently, it automatically becomes a positive step to stop corruption in the country. In this sense, governments should take strict measures to prohibit corruption from those who have been promoted to leadership positions.
In conclusion, Bad leadership equals bad governance, as we all know. This is not to say that there are no good leaders in Africa, for good leaders aren’t born but are made, so therefore, all genders, ethnicities, religions and tribal personalities should be considered when making decisions; they should be given the opportunity to work in key government positions, from the local to the federal level, as long as they are qualified.
