The silent majority of angry Nigerians

Backtracking a little, against all odds and expectations, Donald Trump won the presidential election to become the 45th President of the United States. For many, the result was startling and not up to scratch. On the morning of November 8th, most polling agencies gave Hillary Clinton at least 70% probability of victory. The last polls in Florida, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania suggested that Clinton would win convincingly and compellingly.

At Harvard Business School, more than 85% of RC students supported the Democrat candidate, while only 3% supported Donald Trump! The eventual results were shocking. The last US presidential election brought reality in front of us across the planet earth. The old-fashioned Americans believed that the majority of American citizens would not vote for a candidate temperamentally unsound, racially biased, and misogynist. They also believed in the political discourse of mass media that largely and constantly supported Clinton. It turned out that they were all were wrong. The “silent majority” of angry, white working class voters were louder this time. The message of Donald Trump clearly resonated with the white working class and they went to fetch him with their massive votes and ultimately made him their president.

In the same vein, the CNN exit polls revealed that the silent majority of voters wanted change, irrespective of their political preferences. And that was exactly what happened in the long run. They wanted change and they voted for it. Today, Trump is the POTUS, not Hillary Clinton. Before Muhammadu Buhari eventually became the current President of Nigeria, the majority of voters wanted change, because they were sick and tired of everything that was happening under the watch of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. As an effect of the message of change that resonated with the angry class of Nigerians, they all went out, voting PMB into power!

Very soon, it shall be three (3) years that President Buhari got to power, but the change that was voted for still remains as desert mirage. Nigerians are fast becoming as the “people in the wilderness,” yearning and crying to return to Egypt (slavery), because the man—who is taking the lead seems not to understand what it takes to lead a unique and complex nation like ours. The truth is; Nigeria is not clearly being led forward. Virtually every problem that was with us four (4) years ago is still with us today. Long queues at filling stations are back. Our people are daily being slaughtered. Nigerians are more divided under PMB than they were under the leadership of GEJ. The prices of groceries are neck-breaking. And our people are daily losing their jobs.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in its unemployment report for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2016 has given a breakdown of how 3.67 million Nigerians became jobless in one year. Also, the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 million at the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 million at the end of September 2016. High unemployment indicates less productivity and less contribution to the economy because jobless people cannot but spend less. This (and more) is the reality on ground, not the lies that those Mr. President has chosen to surround himself with are telling him. Those who were happy, voting for him about three (3) years ago are now mad at him.

The silent majority of angry citizens are speaking loud and clear—across the planet earth. In 2019, they are going to speak in Nigeria and the ripple effect of it is going to be felt across the length and breadth of our dear country. President Buhari needs to understand that each State he goes that 90% of those who come out to welcome him (are rented folks) will also come out to welcome another politician, on the condition that he has the money to give them. I hope PMB understands the game of politics as our people adeptly and expertly play it here.

If nothing changes before this year ends, the silent angry Nigerians are going to be voting for anyone, whose message resonates with them. And anyone can become the President of Nigeria. I mean anyone. Nigerians are sick and tired of voting for political parties. They are tired of being fooled by those who say they are modeling the values of Awolowo, but the truth is; they are in the corridors of power for their bellies and that of their wives and children.

Lastly, telling Nigerians to go get their PVCs is not going to make any difference come 2019. Having your PVC is not going to change Nigeria a hoot. What we need is a new generation of party delegates. I am sick and tired of the present day party delegates. They are in it for money, not for the love of our promising country. Remember, it is party delegates—who determine those we in due course vote for. And this is why we need to fight (within the confines of our constitution) to conscript a new generation of party delegates, so we can have credible people (those who truly love Nigeria) to vote for in 2019 and beyond. Until this happens, we would keep voting every four (4) year and nothing is going to truly change in both our polity and politics.