Ekiti 2022: Beyond Election Day Economy, I support Politics of Do or Die

Yemi Olajutemu

Ado Ekiti

Even in the United State where most people believe things work well and better because of their standing structures in various sectors, corruption, killings, terrorism, racism etc did not find it hard to dominate the public sphere.

It often disturbs my peace when Nigerians complain of banditry, skyrocketing price of goods, non payment of salaries, delay in pensions and gratuity for workers, embezzlement of public fund, gunmen attacks and other “New Normal” which they now term as big deals. They call them insecurities that needed to be tackled by the government.

Nigerian citizens are always found of making false alarms and blowing issues out of proportion. Fake news, fake whistles and ignorant whistle blowers have taking the Central stage.

Well! I can’t blame those thinking that insecurities should be tackled, they might have forgotten that Nigeria adopted the political design of the West from where they even cite their best examples.

Nigerians have refused to repent and forgive the righteousness of their ancestors while they make atonement for the unforgivable sins of the children who will never be born.

For me, Nigeria has no problem at all, only that the time of elections are always periods of war for game players and game for war gladiators, business for war mongers and markets for trouble makers.

Propagandas, spins, attacks and counter- attacks are sponsored and aided by the media and this is not peculiar to the Nigeria, it is a world wide thing. People who complain about the election matters in Nigeria might have forgotten that politics is war and war is politics.

This is the main reason I advocate and support Do or Die Politics with all my passions. The idea is “Kill or be killed”

As much as I will try to dodge questions of solving the simple nature of the Nigerian problems which could be sorted overnight, I will give utmost attention to the complex and protracted nature of the issues coming from my dear state, Ekiti, being that Ekiti is bigger, in land mass, more populated, more economically and militarily powerful than Nigeria.

If the law had permitted, for long, I would have with my car, knocked down the heads or even with gun, shoot people who condemned the stomach infrastructure, vote buying, rigging, thuggery, ballot stuffing, snatching and other *Normal Parols* of the Nigerian Election.

I wonder if they were alive during the last US election between Donald Trump of the Republican and Democrat Joe Biden. The two parties, warred, distributed gifts and cash. Donald Trump particularly hid behind the Covid 19 pandemic to roll out gifts and cash in form of palliatives. Heaven did not fall, Americans rejoiced, they got direct dividends of democracy from their candidates.

And so, I wonder where people got the idea that election transaction in form vote buying should be discouraged and condemned. This, as a matter of fact, should be incorporated into the Constitution and budgeted as *Election Economy*

Can’t we see the smiles on the faces of people after collecting the cash from party agents at poll center on election day? Can’t we see that churches and mosques make more monies from offering on the preceding Sundays and Fridays after election? Don’t we see how malls, shops markets are full of buyers few days after election?

Why do will cause problems for ourselves by clamouring against that single thing, the single moment of joy for Nigerian electorate? What shall be their hope is their only joy is crashed?

Let’s be guilded when and while we talk or make argument. Anyways, I am not here for Nigeria’s problem because Ekiti state is an example of states blessed with human and capital resources and the people have at all times enjoyed the best of the dividends of democracy even while we collect our usual Four years for 5K. 25 years of creation, honestly, the state is one of the best in terms of development among its peers that got created at the same time.

Compare the roads in Ekiti with other states sharing boundaries with it including Kwara, Kogi, Ondo and Osun states, one would have no doubt that all the political tenures in the state have given their best to the people.

Their performances perhaps were because there are numerous professors, well educated and influential individuals who are citizens of the state, some of who also lined up for our joyous 5k every four years.

The 2022 gubernatorial election holding June 18 is indeed nothing to worry about. we need not bother about who clinches the mantle of leadership, whosoever emerges will perform.The monies we have taken from politicians in the past have not affected us negatively and so the trends should be sustained. It is sure game and dangerous war between the three persons of the former SSG, Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) of APC, Ikogosi Ekiti, Former Governor Segun Oni of SDP, Ifaki Ekiti, and former PDP chairman and Member House of Assembly, Chief Bisi Kolawole of PDP, Efon Alaaye, all in the Ekiti Central Senatorial district.

Other candidates from other parties and in other Senatorial districts have also emerged but I doubt if Ekiti people would be interested in playing outside the court of APC, SDP and PDP. These three forces are on ground and are currently making waves. The candidates are well qualified and we should just all go to bed and sleep while we expect the electoral market to yield between 5k to 15k come June 18.


Alas! citizens!! before the business of June 18, can we quickly ask the current situation of workers’ welfares in Ekiti ? What is the current trends of Security of lives and property? What is the current state of payment of pensions and gratuity to retirees? What are the current job and employment opportunities for youth? Look at the faces of artisans, what do you see? What is the situation in the health sector? Look critically into education, what’s your judgement?

Even while we carry out our transaction, can we do business with the man who has good and the rightful experience? who has been tested and could be trusted? Who has pedigree and good antecedents? Who would create wealth for the state beyond the One night economy?

The time is now to do the right thing, thinking beyond the immediate gratification of cash lest we die the next four years. We must kill vote buying lest it kills us and ruin our future absolutely.

Yemi Olajutemu is a journalist. He writes from Ado Ekiti.

 

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