APC and The Ides of January 2027

Joseph Ushigiale The concept of democracy, even with its obvious limitations is one of the best system of government if well managed and implemented. The freedom it bestows on an individual represented by his vote to chose who govern him and to remove same individual when he messes up is sheer bliss. This is especially in circumstances and situations where you have the institutional structures that guarantee that exercising your right will not be taken for granted. In other words, your vote counts. So voters wait patiently for their representatives for an election year to roll by usually every four years. If a representative is standing for election, he presents a manifesto telling them how much he knows about where it hurts them and how an incumbent has failed them. If he is an incumbent seeking reelection he will present his score card to convince the people how well he has represented them by the dividends of democracy he has attracted for their comfort and welfare. The day for stocktaking in America was last Tuesday when Americans held their midterm elections. The Americans were quite unequivocal in expressing their disapproval over how their country was been run by administration. It was a referendum on tariff regime, wars in Iran and Ukraine, immigration policy and necessity for ICE, relations with other countries of the world, the economy and the cost of living in the homes of every average American. It was a big gamble by the Republicans and it cost them an arm and leg most especially control of Congress where the Democrats’ tremendous push back flipped sizable and historically red leaning states to blue. The last time Democrats controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate was from 2021 to 2023 under President Joe Biden. Before him Bill Clinton and Barack Obama did in their first terms. With the democrats securing control of both chambers of Congress in a major political upset in the just concluded midterm elections, politics in Washington would head in a new trajectory. I’ve taken time to go this length because our election is barely 90 days away but it seems there is more confusion than certainly. Can you imagine a US Judge nullifying the candidacy of a frontliner at the 11th? It’s even more curious when the while the campaign council of the ruling party is being pelted with stones in some parts of the north a mammoth crowd of supporters poured out en masse to receive the presumptive opposition leader in Sokoto. We have a lot to learn from democracy as it is practices in America. We must put the people first in any policy being formulated. This is because ultimately it’s the people who wear the shoes that know where it pinch. It’s not the leaders because they feel nothing. For instance, take Obama and Clinton for example who were on campaign trail. None of them was on the ballot but they were concerned about their party, people and country.They were concerned bringing people back together, black, whites, Hispanics to unify a broken country. Both of them have been there, especially Barack Obama a person of colour with roots in Kenya who surmounted all hurdles to emerge the President of the US and he secured an unprecedented second term. Both of them had pedigrees and were in a position to speak candidly to the American people. They didn’t ask that anyone should be disqualified or an opposition party opponent be shot dead as a Senator in Osun did. They addressed issues that were fundamental to their country, people and government. They referred to their legacies US vs Iran deal, Obamacare etc that were abandoned setting off the trend of conflicts over the Suez of Homutz which is the source of higher oil prices today. The American people listened attentively and waited for last Tuesday to deliver their verdict. There is a big lesson there for the APC to learn if they choose to and it’s the voice of the silent majority who decided in speaking last. There were permutations and predictions from pollsters who polled voters from different backgrounds, spoke to different sets of respondents all in the hope of gauging where the election pendulum would swing. Regrettably, it sent them on a wrong direction handing the least favoured party, the Democrats a handsome win. We have seen almost all the governors empty into the ruling party but no one asked Democrats Governors to decamp to Republican party and providing security to protect campaign billboard is an absurdity and a first in Nigeria. President Tinubu has placed the people last in his election strategy and governors in the forefront. In January when Nigerians shall march to their polling booths to vote, there will only be 31 governors representing 31 voters cards perhaps with their family and friends to vote. This number will hardly guarantee a win for the President even if he adds all members of his family. So why the decampment? Are the governors possessing magical powers enabling them to multiply votes mysteriously? We shall see how that pans out. These are questions that need answers and clarity ahead of 2027. It’s also worth noting that today’s politician has scant regards for the sanctity of a vote. If a vote that puts you in power doesn’t count, does democracy count anymore? There’s a need for the political class to avoid winners takes all syndrome and embrace the multiparty system democracy provides to broaden participation. Danger looms when the political space is closed to the majority giving advantage to privileged or favoured few. The anger in the system can be linked to this. While government is asking Nigerians to sacrifice even the little advantage of fuel subsidy for the masses, its removal has remained the cornerstone or main policy thrust of this administration. Meanwhile, those asking for sacrifice are visibly displaying opulence, driving in convoys financed by tax payers, flying in private jets with their families and living in fanciful houses paid for by tax payers. Yet, Nigerians are wallowing in hunger and poverty and still debating for salary increase from N70,000 to N300000 while waiting for January 2027.