From Marcel Duru, Owerri
Professor Batos Nwadike, Chancellor of Leadership By Example League International (LELI) has said that as Nigeria hurtles towards the next general elections, the political landscape is eerily quiet, gone are the days of intense politicking, grassroots mobilization, and aspirants’ fervent campaigns. Speaking from Bohcynth Hotel, Behind Concorde Hotel, New Owerri, Imo State he disclosed that sense of lethargy pervades the air, with politicians seemingly in a state of dormancy the usual pre-election fervor is noticeably absent, with little to no activities, meetings, or gatherings across party chapters, wards, local governments, and state levels. Even the national level seems subdued.Nwadike noted that the spate of defections by state governors and legislators to the ruling party. Many of the Southern governors, out of seventeen of them, have defected from their party to the ruling party. Even those who are in their second term is unreasonable Like the Douye Diri of Bayelsa of the PDP who recently resigned from his party, Peter Mbah Sheriff Obohmoborivo of Delta and the Akwa Ibom Governor from PDP to APC, according to him, may sound plausible, but not few are unaware of the underlying main reasons.”These political voyages by the governors, with almost all involving members of their states’ House of Assembly members, portrays a straitjacket-induced movement.
The whole unwholesome saga portends an eerie calm over the political horizon. This unusual calm raises questions about the state of Nigeria’s democracy. Has the system become so stifled that politicians can no longer operate outside the whims of those in power? The answer lies in the stranglehold of money and power, which has reduced political choices to mere puppetry”He highlighted that the reality is that elections no longer determine who holds power; instead, it’s the manipulation of the system, judiciary, security agencies, and other levers of power that guarantee victory which has created a culture of subservience, where politicians prioritize maintaining power over serving the people and If this trend continues, Nigeria risks sliding into a one-party state, where the democratic process is reduced to a mere facade.In his words, It’s imperative that stakeholders and citizens alike recognize the danger and take action to reclaim the democratic space. The future of Nigeria’s democracy hangs in the balance; will it survive the current malaise or succumb to the forces of anomie? Only time will tell. Ultimately, the question remains: what future will Nigerians choose to forge?
