2023 General Elections: Crossing Ethnic Lines To Look Into Nigeria’s Future

It is time for political revolution in Nigeria through which young voters believe they can have country they can call their own, after it has been long seized by “old politicians” who have been misusing the public funds, embezzlement and siphoning money meant for the masses into their private use. Nigerians have never been political aware before now as to linked what is going on now with the state of things, 2023 general elections is building momentum with boisterous atmosphere with all the happenings going on in the country which has put every sector of the economy in a crawling state and almost lifeless the heavyweights is building around Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu who are presidential candidates for Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Change respectively.

• Education reduced to a thing of mockery in Nigeria’s public universities

Education dragged to the mud; what is left of a nation?

Campaign which kickoff on 28 September 2022, and the ongoing ASUU strike which has lasted more than seven months; which is second longest ASUU strike in Nigeria now unless it overrides the awful precedent set by longest strike, it is dreadful statistics and has showed how education is relegated at the bottom. In United Nations 77^th General Assembly, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari talked about the importance of education and further emphasized that no nation can move without building good education system. But under his watch the education system has gone from bad to worse, and has showed no commitment of bettering the system at the penultimate year of his tenure.

ASUU has been battling since then with the federal government which has very often ended in deadlock in series of meeting with Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has been at the centre of the negotiation while both the union and federal government have traded blames for not allowing progress and immediate returns of students. ASUU has been hell-bent on their demands, they are not relenting until full compliance to their demands are met which they believe is the betterment of public universities in Nigeria.

The recent National Industrial Court ruling ordering ASUU to go back to school after they are dragged to court by federal over arrears of unpaid salaries and other financial packages due to ASUU, the court made special reference to Trade Disputes Act, section 18. The dilapidated state of public universities in Nigeria is no news again while the public reactions were vehemently pointing at the elected officials while they send their children to study abroad living poor masses with glorified primary schools as universities. The union still has appellate option which if they appeal will nullify the earlier judgment given by NIC, education will be at the forefront of Nigeria’s 2023 general elections in looking into the country’s future if there are any future left for them.

• What life is like in today’s Nigeria in a build up to general elections

Economic woes and poor standard of living:

The economy has been going from frying pan to fire, the grid holding the economy is in a thin line which will break any time at the absence of quick response. Nigeria has been a consumption country not boosting any kind of significant production, this is the arguments of presidential candidate of Labour Party, that Nigeria has what it takes to turn from consumption to production country, Nigeria population of more than 200 million people has been struggling with good standard of living, there are big gaps between the leaders and the led, and the gap is superrich and abject poverty respectively.

This is beyond ethnic lines it is about the welfare of more than 200 million people, the country’s resource can be able to give these people a good standard of living ranging from good salary employment, healthcare system, and good roads and empowering agricultural produce which has always been at the forefront of the country’s economy. It is time to get it right for most Nigerians they cannot trade their future for anything this time, they are willing to participate and make their voices heard.

• Nigeria’s lost battle: The Lekki toll massacre

Perpetual scars of Lekki Toll gate:

The greatest atrocity of mankind that has ever happened on Nigeria soil, unarmed protesters were seen shooting by armed military men carrying out an order who everyone in charged denied. It is a perpetual scar which will be hard to erased nothing can replace the life of youths lost in Lekki toll gate. It will always go down in history it is the heavy burden that people will always carry not just as affected people but as a nation where leaders are feeding on the flesh and drinking the blood of future of the country.

The effect of Lekki toll gate will play significant role in the forthcoming presidential elections, it is hard to contain, youths on the fight to end police brutality were protesting peaceful until the night lights were turned off just for soldiers to kill innocent citizens while protecting the interest of people who have kept the country in the dark, for many young voters it is going to be judgment day, if the will of the people is overturned, it is going to be crucial moment for the country in upholding the sanctity of democracy, free and fair election, while the memory of Lekki toll gate will be lingering on the ears of young voters heading to the polling units.

• The tale of insecurity in Nigeria

Insecurity unleashed plagues all over the country:

The level of insecurity in the country has kept on deteriorating the administration elected on the ground of fighting insecurity has failed on that aspect. Insecurity and solutions to it will be one of the major topics which the presidential candidates of various parties will be looking to proffer solutions to it. Even though the state governors have proposed for state policing to help fight insecurity but seem like the federal government is reluctant for police force to have statute of a state where by it is will under the full control of state governors unlike the current practice which they take orders from President or IGP.

Insecurity has seen many lives wasted and the rise of banditry, kidnapping for ransom and unknown gun men these are core agents of insecurity, crisis is not tribalized but often time political leaders weaponized it as a tool for ethnic sentiments, Nigerians are crossing ethnic lines to hold talk about the future of younger generation to revive what is left for it and hope for better Nigeria. They often caught in religious battle, the death of Deborah Samuel will play a role in the 2023 general elections which the culprits are yet to be brought to the book, in the diversified entity like Nigeria there need to be tolerance in all aspects of life while respecting boundaries but not breed bigots and extremists, all these will be major indicators going into 2023 general elections.