2023 Elections: The Political Slave Masters Are Here Again

Nigerians are just over a year close to deciding who will run the affairs of the most populous black nation in the world for the next four years.

The time is here again when political slave masters will again package and present their dirty linens to citizens in gift boxes.

In this democratic society, it has become almost impossible to conduct an election without heads rolling as a result of despicable activities of political thugs employed by hacky politicians.

Not to rule out the chances of having violent free elections in Nigeria, the November 6, 2021 Governorship Election in Anambra State was one of the most successful and violent free polls in the country in recent times.

The big question is, would the same testimony be said after the 2023 general elections?

Ahead of the 2023 elections, top politicians in the country have publicly declared their interest to succeed the incumbent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

While the two major political parties, that is; the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are still discordant on which region to zone their ticket to, and who to present as their preferred flagbearer, there is already tension in the country as a result of the lingering insecurity.

Naija News reports that there were insinuations that terrorists disturbing the peace of the nation are being sponsored by some political juggernaut.

While these claims are yet to be taken to heart, some stakeholders have also asserted that some of these politicians are already planning to use the thugs, the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to rig the forthcoming elections in their favour.

It is no longer news that the above-mentioned bodies have always been the instrument of the political class whenever they want to get results in their favour.

Talking about political thuggery, Naija News understands that the ‘uneducated’, and mostly idle youths have been repeatedly used as instruments of violence in Nigerian elections.

On several occasions, some of the youths being used to cause mayhem during this period usually go scot-free even after their arrest by security agencies as their slave masters work behind the scenes to secure their release.

Political thuggery and violence on the people during elections has always come with the destruction of lives and properties, mass disruption of socio-economic activities.

One of the grave consequences of using the hoodlums to disrupt elections is, most of them afterwards return to the society with weapons offered to them by their political slave masters, thereby increasing the crime rate, among others across states.

Naija News reports that Nigeria’s current population is estimated to be over 200 million people and the youths form one-third of the total population.

It is, however, unfortunate that most of the youths are unemployed, a reason many of them are easily tossed by the political class to achieve their goals during elections.

The rate at which Nigerian youths are involved in crimes, especially political thuggery and violence before, during and after elections is now overwhelming.

A contributing factor to these developments is unemployment and poverty.

The political slave masters take advantage of these facts and resolved to use the youths to distribute money at polling centres, manipulate voter registers, manipulate election results, divert electoral materials, snatch ballot boxes, and also cause confusion and riot to disrupt electoral processes.

These acts are a major setback to the practice of democracy in the country, they are condemnable and hence must be stopped for the nation to progress.

While citizens have the power to vote out politicians perceived to be deceptive and also instrumental to causing unrest in their communities and the country at large, both the used and ready to be used political thugs can be reduced to the nearest zero through effective civic learning in schools and religious worship centres.

Also, ensuring that students acquire the necessary knowledge, skills and values for active participation in the democratic system would go a long way to reducing the chances of them being used as tools for unrest during elections.

With the current state of the nation, Nigerians are expected to make a wise decisions in the forthcoming general elections.

Youths are at this point admonished not to get involved in thuggery, shun every form of an offer from the political class and remain truthful to the course which is electing the right persons that will have the interest of their community and the nation at large at heart.

The political slave masters are evidently here again with their padded manifestos, we cannot afford to be deceived again.

We would be solely responsible for events that will unfold in the country in the next four years after the 2023 general elections.

Dear patriotic Nigerians, be wise!