The Political atmosphere of Nigeria was quite tense in the year 2015 courtesy of the rather delicate general elections and the improved reflection of the people’s decision in the electoral results. The All Progressives Congress, which was the party to beat, gained prominence as the party won a number of powerful seats across all levels in the country. I believe the APC’s ascendancy was partially as a result of the desperate need for an alternative to the rather “stale” People’s Democratic Party.
The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, the then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, had spent 6 years as President, not forgetting that the PDP itself had been the ruling party since the dawn of the new democratic dispensation in 1999. This in itself was enough reason for Nigerians to want to try any alternative considering the declining state of the country within that period. Then the All Progressive Congress came up with just what Nigerians sought: The Change Song. The party, which at the time had already started to gain some grounds in the South West courtesy of some of the works of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola (SAN) , Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (In his first term as Governor) and some of its other party members, quickly adopted the change mantra and started to portray themselves not just as the Change Nigerians sought but also as the Change Nigeria needed.
Fast forward to a year later, it appears it is either the Change that APC about was not positive or the administration is yet to bring forth this change, as the situation of the Nigerian Economy has jumped from the frying pan to the fire that burns beneath. As expected, members of the Peoples Democratic party have started to come forth with the ‘’I told you so” face; blaming Nigerians for the choice she made in 2015 and claiming that her candidate would have done better. Maybe he would... maybe he wouldn’t have, that is for the witches in my village to know
However, I feel a lot of Nigerians miss a very important fact: The fact that the
APC has adopted the slogan “change” does not mean they can not be changed. In fact, I feel now is the time to emphasize to everybody who claims to be an agent of change not to get too comfortable in any office he is holding until Nigerians are actually convinced that they are who they claim to be. I understand that the power of recall and impeachment are not as democratic as they should be in Nigeria yet but then again, you would be surprised at how fast four years can pass.
Some State Elections are already upon us and I would not be surprised if some of our “Agents of Change” are changed maybe then people would start to learn one of the most beautiful things about this change of a thing: Change is nobody’s Father’s Name!
Pope Jay
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