With the collapse of the Soviet Union, politics globally was stripped of ideological leanings. However, politics became more based on contemporary issues.
But in Nigeria politics degenerated to the struggle for just privileges and power by politicians, without any attention paid to contemporary challenges facing the immediate environment. While politicians seek to achieve their selfish interest, our voting population appears not to know why they even vote or at best naively assist politicians to achieve their selfish interest.
Across Europe and the United States political participation either as a politician or electorate is based on contemporaneous issues. The issues are many and conviction to fight for such issues is deep-rooted and serious. From cross-border immigration policy, membership of European Union, open border with Mexico, same-sex Marriage and maintenance of social security and public health insurance programs among others.
But in Nigeria, both politicians and electorates are ignorant of policy issues that should shape social outcomes. An average Nigerian politician and the voting electorate is very ignorant and clueless of the issues which should influence a change of government even the educated ones. Issues that need our cerebral attention are not part of discussions prior elections. Political debates centre on personalities, not policy matters.
Our promotion of personalities rather than issues is what stimulates ethnicity and religion as determinant factors in our democracy rather than class and economic questions. We can change our country if more of our people are enlightened in this direction
Citizens participation in a democracy does not only mean you have to vote, it also means you have to assess the issues and use your votes to determine how policies will shape your future.
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