GIVES CITIZENS A SAY IN CHOOSING THEIR LEADERS
It is important to have a say in choosing those who govern you. This duty should never be abdicated by the electorate. Many people complain about their leaders. This is not just a Nigerian problem but one globally ubiquitous. However every democracy places the power to elect its leaders squarely in the hands of its citizens. Consequently if the leaders who emerge are incompetent or fraudulent then this is primarily a problem with the citizens and not a problem with the leaders. What this means is that it is just as important to have good followership (even more important in most cases) as it is to have good leaders. The reason for this is that the power to determine the direction of a country lies in the people. If citizens elect a corrupt leader, clearly the country will drift towards a more corrupt society. If on the other hand the citizens say no corruption, then they will elect a leader who has similar views and gradually the country will drift in that direction. So being a citizen is not about minding your own business and leaving everything up to the leaders, no it’s about participation and ensuring that only the right leaders occupy public office.
When you refuse to vote in an election in which you are eligible to vote you are basically saying that you don't care who emerges as the leader. Off course the implication of this is that you usually get a leader that you don't want. Then you begin to cast aspersions on the leader but never pointing the finger at yourself for failing in your duty to put a competent and credible individual into office. Unfortunately somewhere along the line many Nigerians have been convinced that ‘politics is a dirty game’ and that the electoral process is not credible. However Plato stated it quite succinctly, "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors". This is the bane for a society that does not actively participate in the electoral process. I know so many people who complain about the quality of leaders in Nigeria but yet don’t have a Permanent Voters’ Card (PVC)! How ironic! What’s more unfortunate is that many of the people who don’t vote are highly educated individuals. These category of people are preoccupied with their work or businesses forgetting that those who are in power will ultimately determine their quality of life.
We need to wake up in Nigeria and maximise this country’s potential. We must take action and ensure that in the 2019 General elections we vote only credible and competent fellows into office. But if you haven’t registered to vote, then this will not be possible for you. Don’t say you don’t have time, don’t say it’s not important. It’s TIME TO GET REGISTERED! INEC has made it very easy for you to GET REGISTERED! You can walk into any voter registration centre, on any week day (except public holidays) between 9am and 3pm and GET REGISTERED (find out more and get the app at www.getregisterednaija.com). Just fix one day before the end of this year to get this done. Just a day! Arrive early and you’ll be registered in no time! Your country is depending on you! Don’t fail her!!!
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