In my last write-up on Rotational Presidency and 2023 Elections, I was focusing on how politicians can play the game of politics in ways to benefit them. I wrote that negotiation is an effective tool of a democratic game and that the southern politicians should explore it in their quest for a shift of the Presidency to the south come 2023.
But democracy is not just to benefit the players but most importantly it is to be played for the total benefits of the citizenry.
One question now is: how is rotational presidency beneficial for all Nigerians?
Governance that will benefit all must be played to grow the economy, provide jobs for the working age and provide security and foods for all!
The next question is: does rotational presidency have power to provide all the benefits of democracy?
Those leading an organisation have a lot to do with all these benefits but it has nothing to do with where those people come from. In the advanced democracies, a political party is known for its ideology, beliefs and priorities.
In Africa, these are not the matters of discussion. Politicians relocate from one party to another at will because there is no ideology of any political party. The focus is always how to win elections, have access to the treasuries and then fraudulently acquire things for themselves. So it is not strange that the discussion about rotation of power is very popular among the African politicians; it is a discussion about when it will be our turn to steal and eat the national cake!
One of the reasons given by the proponents of the rotational presidency is the fact that it crowns and sustains fairness and belonging spirit. It allows each unit of the organ called nation or country to have access to the highest position of the land. But when rotational presidency does not lead to good governance, fairness in the use of the resources of the nation, it is against the principle of fairness. It is only fair when the commoners of the country can have access to the basic amenities that only good governance can provide. If rotation of power can put foods on the tables of all the citizens, it is not better than totalitarianism, authoritarianism, colonialism, terrorism, banditry etc.
In Africa, especially in Nigeria, the believers in “rotationalism” as a political tool, are not really fighting for those who really need governance but they just want to create division and later benefit from it and still leave populace in abject poverty.
From the past experience of governance in Nigeria, it is not the region that has produced most of the heads of state and presidents that is most developed. In fact, when true federalism is allowed, the developments of the nation will be in the hands of state and local governments in partnership with the private sectors.
Instead of allowing most of these elements called politicians to deceive us into believing that our lives will be better off when politicians from our own region, zone, tribe or people rule, we should continue to demand for good governance and fair distribution of our wealth and resources no matter who are in power. No people will be blessed just because their own politicians are in power; that is one of the deceits of those leading us and their cohorts.
