By Yinka Ogunlana, Crawford University, Nigeria
POLITICS is ubiquitous; yet the question always on my mind is why its practice should be absurd in Nigeria. Over the years, political scientists have observed politics as an authoritative allocation of values in the society. Aside this, we should understand what the great Greek philosopher Aristotle meant when wrote that that man was by nature a political animal. He referred to man as a political animal in the sense that we all need to interact with one another which apparently means the essence of social existence is politics and he who does not need the state is either a god or beast which implies that nature has put man in a political situation.
But then, it is obvious that man has moved from being a political animal to an evil genius. It is a universal phenomenon that politics has to do with power but why should it be obtained by all means? As Jean Montesquieu noted, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. In this vein, it is good to note that every man strives for power in Nigeria which shows everyone exercises the spirit of politics and at the same time expresses a competitive spirit towards striving for a good life. But, violent acts, murder, political assassination, corruption and killings do not portray the real nature of politics neither does it show what politics is or should be.
It is my opinion that Nigerians are yet to understand the great joy a country can possess by understanding and embracing what real politics is; a politics that entails healthy competition, free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, an independent electoral commission and a maximum security before, during and after elections, as this will not only promote the image of Nigeria as a country but will also give it a chance to redeem it’s lost glory in the world. The nature of politics should never be misconceived as it is currently been observed in Nigeria. Our leaders, and even we the governed have so misconstrued the nature of politics that many youths today now regard the politics of Nigeria as a ‘dirty game’ due to the bare fact that we live in a seemingly climate of a vague nature of politics rather than the real light of governance; which politics from the ancient Greece connotes.
Majority of people in Nigeria think and practice politics in an evil, aggressive, heartless and wicked manner thereby making Nigeria’s politics so horrible. Ideally, politics should be an activity to keep the county alive and not dead, it should be for the best and competent ones and not for the weak- minded, feeble, ignorant, novice and selfish as real politics concerns itself with setting collective goals in an institutionalised setting .The true nature of politics is a means to that expected end which every good Nigerian aspires. Until we get to realize and understand the real nature of politics, it might be difficult to talk about any meaningful development in 2020 and beyond. Furthermore, it is important to note that politics cannot be eradicated or killed because it is a natural phenomenon and at a higher level, its true nature forms the basis on which every reasonable, responsive and responsible government is built. Now, the question remains: when will politics become a clean game in Nigeria?
this problem is worse in ghana, my brother. Don’t speak of nigeria. Come to ghana and see. In fact, it’s an african problem.