Populist Leaders: Whence Cometh Our Help?

John Darlington

Nigeria will be 60 in the year 2020 AD, I mean on October 1, 2020 to be precise, Africa’s biggest democracy south of the Sahara will be celebrating its 60th year anniversary to mark the  lowering of the Union Jack  in Lagos, Nigeria that  heralded the birth of the nation of Nigeria.

Since then Nigeria has gyrated between successive military and civil democratic governments with a tribe of self-serving  and egocentric men at the helm with no plans to better the lots of the common man.   We have had so many of them since Nigeria gained political independence from Britain.

We live on a part of the globe peopled by  poverty-stricken, moronic and  subjugated Homo Sapiens who understand only one language –   deceit emanating from diabolic whims and caprices of some self-serving overlords. Nigeria abounds in so many of them which is one of the major reasons she is yet to develop in spite of the abundant human and natural resources.

You cannot claim a leadership role on a continent when the bulk of the citizenry thrive on dirt and dirty surroundings. It is no news today Nigeria has the highest number of poor people in the world. The questions that agitate the mind of this writer are; are Nigerians comfortable with this obviously sad situation with her enormous human and natural resources to lead the world?  Where and how did we get it wrong? Could this pathetic situation be reversed to put us on a par with other developed economies?

Yes, we can if you ask me. Nigerians have no business with poverty if the right leaders are selected or elected. As the country heads towards another general elections it is high time we retraced our steps  and think of enthroning a populist government which is going to be the first of its kind in Africa. There are many of us out there whose programmes  appeal to the concerns of ordinary people rather than established elite groups which the present crop of Nigerian leaders represent.

We cannot continue to brood over past mistakes without taking urgent steps to correct these blunders and and plan for tomorrow as the opportunity turns up again in less than a month’s time.

One of the reasons that provokes me into writing this piece is to remind our nowadays politicians to be conscious of the voters’ rights and wellbeing in stead of conducting themselves in a manner capable of triggering off avertable revolution. Nigeria, I dare say, remains our collective patrimony which no one has exclusive right over all things considered.

It is very unfortunate we do not know what could be next as our leaders continue to rape the treasury without contraceptive shealths and cart away overseas billions of dollars flowing from our oil wells.

Before our very eyes what we see is the bulwark of good governance which is none other than democratic norms precipating into abyss resulting from untoward style of politicking which is alien to civilizations.

Our founding fathers must be weeping uncontrollably in their resting places seeing the country they fought hard to weave together drifting apart without a moral compass owing to greed and personal aggrandizement.

From the foregoing it has therefore become absolutely necessary  to ask where cometh our help?

In a nutshell our help cometh from no one but a populist government headed by populist leaders such as the likes of His Excellency Maj Hamza Al-Mustapha who will without fear or favour cast the vested interests of some established elite groups overboard and embark on lasting social reforms that will not only appeal and benefit but better the lots of   the hoi polloi. This remains the focus of my humble analysis.

*Iyoha John Darlington is the governorship candidate designate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria.