Futility in Bogus Polls – Olabode Opeseitan

Ahead of the just concluded midterm elections in the United States, the overwhelming expectation was that there would be a red wave and the Republicans would sweep everywhere, including taking control of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The “Tsunami” was manufactured and orchestrated by some right wing elements who used the media and spurious pollsters like Real Clear Politics to force the narrative into the mainstream of discussions.

The elections have been held and the red wave remained what it truly was, a puerile concoction. The elections turned out to be a referendum on abortion rights, threat to democracy and student loan forgiveness. Even though Americans are feeling the heat of inflation, crime and immigration, the more pressing issue, particularly for most young women is to be able to decide freely what they want to do with their body. For the Gen Zs, it was an opportunity to return the favour of student loan forgiveness. And for those who were worried about the survival of democracy in the US, it was an opportunity to vote to keep the adult suffrage and the integrity of American elections.

The outcome of the midterm election has some semblance with some fantasy narratives in Nigeria. Without a doubt, the ruling government in Nigeria has let the people down in many ways. We desperately need a change but elections are about voting and numbers. Over 73% of Americans were angry or dissatisfied with the direction the country was heading when they headed to the polls. Yet the results favoured the Democrats. A popular American broadcaster framed it this way, “Voters may not be happy but they don’t want crazy”.

The reality on ground is completely at variance with the projected narratives in some poll results in Nigeria. Whether we like it or not, the winner of the 2023 polls will be the candidate with the highest number of votes across Nigeria who also fulfills other constitutional mandatories.

For those who truly want Nigeria to work, this is the time to marshal a Plan B in case the Plan A to elect your favourite candidate fails this time around. What can you do to ensure that never again will any President take the people for granted in Nigeria?

What are the demands, particularly of the youths, which they probably can crystallise into 10? What group can be formed post election to remain a pressure group and push through the agenda and demands of Nigerian youths?

To avoid the typical PETD (Post Election Traumatic Disorder) after Nigerian elections, how could the Nigerian youths keep pressure on the next government in a very responsible and productive manner to ensure that Nigeria works for all. If everyone closes shop post election and go wherever they like, including Dubai and return 3 years later for another electoral ritual, the momentum would be lost and the purpose would be defeated. Electoral victories, like every other thing in life, stand a better chance with adequate preparation.

One of the most effective ways to make Nigeria work for all, most especially the youth, is for the people, the victims of misrule, to become better organised. You can’t just switch on your energy only during electioneering campaigns and switch off immediately after the election season. If you do, the oppressors will never take your agitations seriously but if they know you are organised and can even form a virile political party or take over any existing party, they will be forced to accede to your requests.

And lastly, be prepared to fund your political interest. You can imagine if all working Nigerian youths decide to contribute only N100 monthly from their salary to fund a political cause they believe in for the next four years and ensure that no kleptomaniac is allowed around the resources, they can then set up their political structures across Nigeria and strongly challenge for power.

They should also have a credible way to select leaders from among themselves who are not tainted in any way or form. Looking for an a-la-cart candidate, who may not even care about their agitations, to fulfil a short-term objective defeats the purpose. Otherwise, you would only have succeeded in jumping from discomfort to the real living hell. For opportunistic chameleons, it is more about power grab than grabbing and caging the misery of the people.
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