POLITICAL JINGOISM IN NIGERIAN POLITICS
Politics is a game of number, but in Nigeria my country, is a game of war and riot also a game of survival of the fittest.
I am an ardent lover of politics, but the style of politics in Nigeria is one that is characterized by jingoism and malpractices which if not properly cocktail and checkmated, it will marred the significance of politics in Nigeria my country.
For politics in Nigeria to succeed on a clean slate, there are characteristic that are considered by most politicians or else politics to them is not complete.
Below are some of the characteristics /concept
1 money politics
2 food items politics
3 material politics
4 appointment politics
5 ritual politics
MONEY POLITICS:
Money politics is a common channel through which most politicians believe they can win election, that’s why it has become a phenomenon. In Nigeria politics, that election must be monetary run by inducing the people with money as politicians. The people have been so hypnotize with the concept of money politics to the point each time election is approaching they believed is an opportunity to make money and possibly become rich. To some is an avenue to get arms for their daily needs, the people eventually become used to the usual way of believing the politicians that they are semi-gods to them and the politicians understood the weak point of the people or electorate, thereby use it against them to impoverish them democratically. I think with such psychology and philosophy by our politicians it could be one of the reason why our leaders in Nigeria find it difficult to operate a smooth system of government that allows true democracy to prevail. government of the people by the people and for the people. I call it government for dividend of national wealth, for all and not for the few elite. Therefore, money politics is like a monster that has eaten so deep in Nigeria politics yet money must be used to run politics but not to be used for enforcing selfish purpose in politics by inducing the people with money in politics. His Excellency Mr. Peter Obi Gregory is one whose style of politics was not characterized by monetary politics and for that, most Nigerian youth believed him so much and voted him at the 2023 general election in Nigeria (the presidential election).
MATERIAL POLITICS
Material politics in Nigeria is one that can’t be commonly envisage in rural area where the sharing of things like rapper, packet of salt, grinding machines etc. the less privilege among the middle class sees it as an opportunity to argument or add to the existing materials they have, to some is a privilege to be establish in life forgetting the fact that it is bribe or an inducement by most politicians to indulge them in selling their votes. Besides among the elites, some are given vehicles and houses to help ensure they win their wards, for their party of interest.
APPOINTMENT POLITICS
These has been the giant and magnify politics in Nigeria among the strong supporters of various parties. e.g., the party chairman, P.R O, secretaries and their likes. After the promises that an appointment will be given to this and that person, the now do all they can to make sure politics is played in a jingoistic way for that process to be fulfilled. Nothing is wrong promising any one appointment in politics, but it shouldn’t be a do or die game if one did not win or pursuing political agenda. I think it’s one of the reason why most political party tends to easily go apart because of the tussle for appoint in to political office.
RITUAL POLITICS ; In my county Nigeria ritual killing is so rampant during election period and that is mostly done for the purpose of winning election. An act done to acquire abstracts power to subject other partes to submit to them.
Ritualism is a common concept among Nigerian politician during elections believing that with the idea of shedding human blood is the surest way of winning elections. Its quiet unfortunate such idea in Nigeria politics has never added value to the politics and growth of our Nation Nigeria as expected. In addition to the subject matter above, political jingoism in Nigeria is characterize with all form of wars geared toward winning election by all means.
Am afraid of my country Nigeria due to the jingoistic system of election that one day we shall not be like the Nation of Sudan that is now plunge in to war and kiosk among the arm force of the Nation. Military and other security agents are used in rigging elections in Nigerian politics the division created by the politicians among the people or Nigerian is a call to worry for the feature of Nigeria politics.
A nation cannot survived without righteousness [ proverb 14;34].