It is becoming painfully evident that a troubling shift has taken root within Nigeria’s political class: failure is no longer confronted with remorse — it is repackaged and celebrated. What should provoke reflection now inspires applause. That reality is not just disappointing; it is a national embarrassment.
Governance, for many within the political elite, appears to have drifted far from service. Elections are treated as battles to be won at any cost, not mandates to be earned through competence and integrity. Once secured, office becomes a fortress — insulated from accountability and fueled by access to public resources.
There is a dangerous amnesia at play. Power is temporary. Wealth is fleeting. Yet, the pursuit of both has become so consuming that responsibility to the people is treated as secondary.
ALSO: Power at All Cost: The Politics of Desperation By Festus Edovia
The recently concluded local council elections in the Federal Capital Territory exposed worrying patterns. Reports of senior officials moving from polling unit to polling unit have raised legitimate questions. Why were they present? What message did their presence send to voters? Combined with public statements made in the days leading to the election, the optics were troubling and, to many citizens, deeply unsettling.
A growing perception now exists that some politicians see themselves as beyond scrutiny — untouchable figures who must not be questioned. Criticism is framed as hostility. Dissent is interpreted as sabotage. Yet democracy, by its very nature, demands accountability and robust public engagement.
Even more disturbing is the contradiction that defines much of our political culture. Public resources are allegedly siphoned, only for beneficiaries to relocate abroad — to countries where institutions function and rule of law is respected. The very standards denied at home are quietly enjoyed elsewhere.
Meanwhile, insecurity persists. Communities receive threats from criminal elements. Families struggle with hunger. Basic healthcare remains unaffordable for many. Yet official narratives often insist that progress is steady and substantial. This widening gap between lived reality and political messaging erodes public trust and deepens frustration.
We must resist the temptation to normalize this dysfunction.
Nigeria has endured difficult political seasons before, and history reminds us that no era — however entrenched — lasts forever. Change is neither automatic nor accidental; it is demanded, shaped, and sustained by citizens who refuse to surrender their voice.
Leadership is not ownership of a nation. It is stewardship. It is a sacred trust granted by the people and accountable to them.
We must reject the politics of crumbs — the exchange of temporary inducements for long-term decline. Votes are not commodities; they are instruments of destiny. When citizens trade them cheaply, the cost is paid collectively.
Our present condition may be unfortunate, but it is not irreversible.
Nigeria deserves leaders guided by character, competence, and conscience. Nigeria deserves governance anchored in service, transparency, and measurable progress.
The responsibility to demand such leadership does not rest solely with politicians. It rests with us.
The time to insist on better is now.
Festus Edovia, ANIPR, FICM
