- By Professor X
“Jide, have you placed your vote?”
“Definitely Bimpe. It’s my democratic right which must not be tampered with”
“Democratic right when your vote was bought?”
“What difference would it make if I had not collected the money? Another four years of dysfunctional system of government? Isn’t the money stolen from us is what I have collected? Besides, who tells you that collecting the money is tantamount to voting for the payee?”
“You may be right for your conscience should adjudge you, and not me. Also, what then are you waiting for at the polling unit when you’ve placed your vote?”
“It’s a must I see to the end of the voting exercise!”
“But that’s dangerous Jide. You know of chaos that follows the voting exercise na!”
“But I am a man Bimpe!”
“If you say so. I would be on my way since I’ve done what is expected of me democratically – to vote.”
Just after Bimpe left the polling unit, there were rains of gunshot dropping from afar. Then, chaos came into the play, and people ran helter-skelter for their lives. Then bleep, muffled voices. Then breathe, no pulse. Jide’s corpse perhaps celebrated the victory of the emerged candidate.
Among our democratic rights as an active citizen of Nigeria is to exercise our franchise – to vote and be voted for. Consequently, during this season of election, citizens are evidently in two categories – the electorates and the candidates, and the electorates, apparently, being the receiving end of any consequence of electioneering-go-wrong. In my perspective, as a result of previous elections held in Nigeria, I would say, we are dawned with another season of red sweats and floating papers, how and why?
A season of floating papers, what does it connote? Though disparaging and belittling of a candidate vying for office, it is no new thing about the extreme to which candidates go in soliciting vote for themselves by giving token to the general populace all to have their vote, which, away from rigging, is indeed a high level of election corruption. But you cannot avoid it as an electorate, taking into consideration the economic situation of the country, you would want to be lulled into taking this money and vote for them, when you’re faced with situation like this, what would you do as an electorate?
There are many beliefs about vote buying and issues akin to it. Some believe that receiving money has already indicted you into participating in electioneering corruption, while on the contrary, a number of people argued against it that albeit collecting the money, if I don’t cast my vote in favour of them consequence of the money I’ve received, then I have not indulged in electioneering corruption. Either way, what I’ve deduced from both orthodoxies is that conscience is involved. So, to every electorate, conscience of selling your vote should adjudge you if definitely you cast it as a result of the money you received. But away from that, you can be like Mr. Jide in the conversation above who believes that the money he collected is a dividend of his democracy, and not tantamount to voting for the payee. In my perspective, if the paper floats toward your end, do well (with conscience) to nest yours.
In furtherance, season of red sweats is attributed to the chaos that follows the electioneering process. Election processes in Nigeria has always come with prices being paid, both by the Electorate and the Candidate, but sadly, the Electorates have been the ones paying the gravest of the prices – paying with their lives, while the Candidates only pay with losing the election.
Scores are high when it comes to casualties recorded during the chaos of election. Sadly this forthcoming election, whether the Nigeria government is concerned about the security is by the way, yourself as an electorate should be concerned with your security. Many casualties of election have been the brave-hearted minors like Mr. Jide in the conversation above and other passersby, while the belligerent type – thugs, louts, and mercenaries who have been to erupt such chaos suffer minimal damage. And what do they say about the minors lost in the chaos of election? Collateral damage, they name it. Therefore don’t be like Mr. Jide who is hell-bent on seeing to the end of the election process, as an electorate, be like Miss Bimpe who placed her vote and left the polling units.
In conclusion, democracy in Nigeria has become a do or die affair, it has seen to many ends of people, and the hope of tomorrow ruined. The dividend has been, ranging from unemployment, masses living in abject poverty to a few (politicians) living off the sweats of the masses. The season of red sweats and floating papers await, for you as a citizen and an electorate, to exercise your franchise, and most importantly, stay alive afterwards.
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I hope whoever reads this finds it resourceful. A good read.
Like!! Really appreciate you sharing this blog post.Really thank you! Keep writing.