Nigeria is blessed with abundant material and human resources from where our 'supposed' good leaders ought to emerge from. However, we have never been fortunate to have such, and there is no possibility for them to have foisted themselves on us without a collaboration from us. We never had the best of leadership in governance at any point in time, be it in the civilian or military eras. Nigerians have always had cause to lament and criticize every current administration and greatly anticipated new and better regimes. Unfortunately, every new one sooner became less desired even in comparison to the immediate past one.  The situation makes the  'bad leader' of yesterday assume a saintly disposition soon after leaving office. This unfortunate trend seemed to have laid the foundation for the very irritating recycling of leaders in our nation. The same leaders that got tags and appellations of `visionlessness` while in office become the toast when out of office. This is because each successive administration hardly breaks the yoke of mediocrity in governance.

The same trend has resurfaced now as we etch towards the upcoming 2023 general elections. We are now in an era of declaration of intentions and so far, it has been laughable. Almost everyone that have declared and the ones declaring tactically through arranged groups, are all far from what the electorates desire to see. There has also been a laughable mention of former President Goodluck Jonathan. The cross-carpeting of Femi Fani Kayode sometimes ago, whether on personal instinct or acting a script ahead of somebody else coming, is another indication of how desperate these below average leaders have become. While their scheming are no doubt in line with natural laws of human ambitions; public outcries, commentaries and condemnations of such moves are clear indications of their undesirability in the political space with regards to such intentions. The declarations are likely premised upon palpable amnesia and complacency in political leadership choices of our electorates. Our impressions of them in their previous engagements in office was never such that makes them desirable. So, debating their ambitions without outrightly waving them off suggests a rather needless welcome for them to carry on with their intentions of mediocre or outright impunity. This is where the media is most culpable and of undeniable disservice to the nation. Rather than actively guide the public through reminisces of their past ignominy in governance, it is often a case of false amnesia or outright buy overs. 

Some questions readily come to mind each time such funny moves by past leaders get underway. Is it that we lack other people to pick from or we are destined to be ruled by people notwithstanding their antecedents? Did we bargain for continuous recycling of leaders, even with the obvious proofs of mediocrity hanging on them? Are we by default designed to reward mediocrity with comeback appointments or empowerment syndromes as depicted in the case of the relieved security chiefs who were instantly rewarded with Ambassadorial positions? How is it that we get comfortable projecting the tested and not trusted with positions? Obviously, provoking thoughts like these, if pondered on, could have made it uneasy for the emergence of the current leadership of today or even its closest rival in the last general elections. Unfortunately, we are stereotypical and always restricting our political space to the same persons we were sometime ago dissatisfied with. How we easily forget the past when it is always intricately tied to our future remains a question.

All of the above suggests the fact that we are generally truly very complacent or routinely amnesiac when it comes to political cum leadership matters. Some school of thoughts may argue that the electorates are subject to the whims and caprices of the political class. They boast of candidates’ long term ambitions and aspirations as if it mattered most. Yes, they may be, but not in absolute terms. The case of the 2020 Edo State Governorship elections reveals the obvious fact that when the people wake up, the so called political class and their structures become less important in the ultimate choice of our leaders, especially at general election levels. The inflated talks and ego are mostly a thing that ends at party ticket jostling level. The beauty of democracy is that it tilts to the people's will and desires. The voting power of the people far outweighs the money play of the 'politics entrepreneurs’ whose only interest is their personal gains at the expense of good governance.

While we affirm political manipulations at the party levels, which almost always deny opportunities to desirable candidates, it nonetheless has no absolute effect towards the ultimate outcome of our choices. There have always been multiple choices to choose from. But unfortunately, the fostering of undeserving and undesired candidates on us through the old, known, and popular political parties, always seem to seal our powers of choice. We repeatedly restrict our votes to the candidates of the major political parties, as if the size of the parties have a direct relationship with their capabilities and eventual performances. For instance, in the last 2019 presidential elections, commentaries and debates were almost restricted to the 'main’ political parties and their candidates, and that was the beginning of value reductions and destructions of the chances of the other candidates, no thanks to the media houses and the commenting elites. On their own part, the ‘smaller’ parties seemed to be greedy as well. What stops them from coming together as a united formidable force to give the mega parties a run?

On the part of the general public, it is always funny to hear complaints without making efforts towards seeing the changes that are desired. How could people continually sing such songs as 'our votes don't count', 'I can't vote for thieves', 'who elections help?', 'na my papa or mama dey contest?'. These are indications of indifference and complacency that ultimately help those that take politics as their lifetime business and money spinner to succeed. Even if politicians were all to be thieves and rogues, could there be no lesser degrees of their thievery to warrant a choice? And truth remains that all politicians could not have been bad as generally painted and so our apathy is a complete disservice to ourselves and our nation. What we continuously overlooked had always turned to hurt us badly. Each time we exhibit non-challance towards our choice of leaders, we inadvertently reduce our chances of a better future.

Every Nigerian needs to wake up from slumber and face the reality of salvaging our country through the instrumentality of collective engagements in the choice of our leaders. The elites must restrain from their near passivity and bring their vast knowledge to bear, especially in real and analytical terms. All who seat on the fence during elections are as guilty as those who project stooges for elective positions. Political enlightenment must be taken seriously, especially against our often but dangerous affiliations to parties than personalities in making our choices. Again, the new trend of outright vote buying should be seen as leprous and must be vehemently checked. Acts of that nature are inimical to performances in the long run, because the finances involved would be recouped even in multiple folds when such rogues get into power.

The agency in charge of elections (Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC) also need to brace up to reality. The lack of interests in voters card registrations is always an induced complacency and chiefly a result of the difficulties associated with it. It is arguably true that deliberate difficulties are created so that enough cards can be reserved for political fraud. The distance between registration and voting centres are often too far, especially in urban areas.  This is a big barrier as people have long distances to walk to as their polling centres. We are also very guilty when we condone multiple registrations. In some cases, under our watch, voters cards are manipulated. In the end, eligible persons are denied their constitutional rights of voting because the cards are made out of reach. Also, more Nigerians must rise up and become members of political parties. It is easier to bring about change from the inside than outside. The rate at which electoral evils are perpetrated speaks volumes of our tolerance in the wrong areas. Good leaders can never emerge from a system that fails to put square pegs in square holes, and vice versa.

The understanding here must be that life does not give its best until demand is placed on it. To get the best out of our national life will not come by mere dreams and wishes but in conscientious and diligent efforts, sometimes violently too. Violence here is not suggestive of fights, attacks and destructions, but simply a matter of sustained interests, audacity, vehemence and revolutionary reactions in pursuing a just course, like the 2020 Edo State Governorship elections played out. Since our leadership choices suffer some dramatic outcomes that have perpetually handed us the less desired, deliberate audacities are needed to give us the best from the lots. We must refrain from all actions and inactions that daily worsen our abilities to attract and get the best. The growth and development of nations is intricately tied to good governance, and so we cannot continue in our complacent and routine amnesiac way by pretending not to know the danger that arises therefrom. Let us all take the bull by the horn and work for Nigeria's comeback to greatness.

Clement Uwayah, a public affairs analyst writes from Delta State, Nigeria.