Election 2011 Are We Serious At All???

Olabode O.

It is becoming increasingly clear to me that we may yet have another 'recycled' politician elected as our President in 2011.  From all look of things, we are not serious in our quest for a serious, focused, educated and forward-thinking leader.  But as it is now, we are heading for another 'accident waiting to happen' situation!!

I have asked the same question many times over but there seems not to be an answer from us, the so-called Progressives, so I ask yet again: "Who will be the Progressives' 2011 presidential candidate?" It's beginning to seem that the Progressives are merely a talking shop; nothing more!  We make so much noise but do nothing about the reality of the so-called recycled politicians now staring us in the face come 2011.

For as long as we do not have a credible and formidable candidate to contest elections against the reactionaries, for so long will the results be clearly predictable! The rent-seeking politicians of Nigeria will win over and over again.

From history, it is evident that most Nigerians are unprincipled, undisciplined, selfish, egoistic and largely myopic. It is always 'me, me, me!'; ready to line their pockets at the first opportunity.  Many of the people now clamouring for IBB, OBJ, IBORI, et al to be prosecuted are not likely to do any better themselves, given the opportunity.  Most of us will accept an appointment very easily from anybody that wins the presidency tomorrow, without consulting our conscience, talk less of asking the opinion of friends and family members. We know some of them amongst us.

The issue of Dimeji Bankole, the Speaker of House of Rep's, and the foundation he set up as an apparatus to lure some of us who are critics of the PDP, is still very fresh. 

We must remember that the Presidency will not come to us for free!  As things stand now, the recycled politicians are at a vantage position in the coming elections in Nigeria.  If there are no progressive candidates come 2011, it means the people we do not want to rule will be selected again to rule us!

In the process of missing our goals and aspirations of electing better hands and brains to manage our company called "Nigeria for All Plc", we are also losing sight of what we want and where we are, or where we need to go.  So it will be inevitable to have "Bad Nigeria for All Incorporation" and a house full of reactionaries come May 2011.

We get nothing for doing nothing, after-all 'sidon look' is our favourite pastime; critiquing at both low and high levels of our profession.

Let's think of events from KYRGYZSTAN, Ukraine or from Georgia where people fight for what they don't like and ready to die for their rights. We are too religious to fight for our rights.  Let's see how the changes we desire will come about without any effort on our side!