Give Power Back to the People

DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL POWER BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE

By, Seye Adetunmbi

Every effort made by well-meaning individuals and various progressive groups towards getting our politics right in Nigeria should be encouraged. More importantly, the deliberate intervention groups at states' level are strategic. Yoruba would say that "ka ti ibi pelebe mu ole/eko je" . Fundamentally, if we get our politics right at wards' level, it will graduate to the local government areas and  to the state level. It is the aggregated positive efforts of states that can cause the desired change at national level. This is why I commend the Ekiti indigenes who volunteered in the Atokeibeirosi Steering Committee, which was constituted in early 2022. History will judge initiatives such as Atokeibeirosi Group (AG), one day. Until then, the minimum those who mean well can do, is to keep hope alive and support the next phase of a workable process structured to drive a better-Ekiti-project.

    Atokeibeirosi Group (AG) is not about any individual, it is about us. It is a school of thought on a collective resolve to be instrumental to the desired paradigm in the governance of the state. The group is committed to associating with every credible person who endorses the mission of Atokeibeirosi Leadership Initiative. AG didn’t choose this path on its own, the collective desire of well-meaning Ekiti people for a credible alternative for a lasting good governance in Ekiti, imposes itself on everyone who subscribes to a progressive change. It is a compelling call to duty and God will see well-meaning indigenes through.

    When AG was convened on March 1st in 2021, it was a mission driven by a paradigm shift vision in the way our state and the people are governed. Members of AG cut across all the active political parties in Ekiti, including reputable indigenes who are not partisan or do not get involved with partisan politics. If the Atokeibeirosi mission couldn’t accomplish the goal within the ruling party now, the vision should not die, albeit. 

    Therefore, considering the change the group desires, through coalition of AG with as many credible political groups as possible, it is worthy of pursuing to a logical end. The commission is to align with individuals who share the vision and mission, irrespective of the political party, from the local government areas to the national level.

    Atokeibeirosi Leadership Initiative is about shared vision, departure from the status quo and commitment to issues based campaigns for the good of Ekiti people at home and abroad. Don’t be discouraged by any pyrrhic conquest facilitated by a warped system.

AG should remain the harbinger of the desired reform and the bearer of hope on Ekiti project. The group must not betray the collective resolve and trust as a group. Getting to the end of the mission is a task that all well-meaning stakeholders should all be committed to, through the grace of God. Whatever is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. Let all well-meaning stakeholders go about the project structurally and gradually entrench paradigm shift culture in the grassroots. Reaching out to the respective wards should be the next phase of the intervention of AG and other well-meaning elites in Ekiti politics. The political power belongs to the people. It is a matter of time, the masses shall overcome.

    However, it must be stated here that the challenge of democracy in Nigeria today is that voting during elections or the electoral process is hugely monetized. Those who can not be influenced or bribed with money to change their progressive voting pattern, are not in the majority. For instance, check out those on the queue in the last APC direct primaries in Ekiti-State. If you think that the majority of them who participated did it out of patriotism or loyalty to the political party with the sense of exercising civic franchise without promise of some money per head, then it amounts to self deceit like “eye afin”.

    To mobilize the people to vote for change at the ward level is not the problem. Where the problem lies is after your “iwasu”, and someone offers the dejected voters who have not seen N1000 in lump sum for weeks or months, some N3,000 or more to vote and you want them to look the other way? Come on! Let's get real. In essence, to a reasonable extent, for any Third Force to work effectively under this political dispensation, some war chest is required. It would be easier to work on their sentiments not to accept money from those who don’t mean well for them. No doubt, a lot of effort is required for the narrative to change. The truth is that, some of our people in government who may want to see a change through are helpless. Afi ki Olorun ran wa l’owo.

    In the absence of a collective resolve to restructure the nation appropriately or make deliberate effort to get things right, I have since come to the conclusion that the only way out of the warped political system in Nigeria will require what I call Moses-Model. How this will play out is that the power that be, will field candidate they perceive(d) to be one of them and when he/she gets the political power, larger interest would be served. The alternative to this is for a fierce coordinated movement, outside the two leading political parties that will work arduously to give political power back to the people in the real sense of it. The reality is that Nigeria may not make the desired progress and be at peace with itself until the political power truly belongs to the people.