By Usani Uguru Usani 6.9.2025
The coercive tendencies of compelling LG staff in CRS and segments of civil servants in the SOUTH SOUTH States of Nigeria to submit details of their voters’ cards is a betrayal of public trust that renders electoral democracy as a farce.
The tenets of democracy are manifest and valuable under conditions of free and unencumbered freedom of actions by citizens. Nigerian political space is bedeviled by primordial perceptions over informed issue-based considerations; a critical factor in value judgement that guides leadership choices. This unethical practice that is inputted into the polity is not good for declining nation like ours. Thus, it always ends up in lamentable outcomes.
It is made worse by filthy substance enticement.
One would think that the rampant endorsements suggest wholesome popularity. It’s a paradox of imagination to place caution (nay threats) of sanctions against anyone that indicates interest to contest against these omnibus popular interests, as so enunciated. The APC should turn onto its founding tradition of transparency of choice processes for the emergence of candidates and jettison the current ignoble prevalence. A flaw in electoral processes guarantees misgovernance and secures mediocrity that deploys brutality to stave off expressions of alternative views.
Whatever this timid practice aims at achieving, it can only be captured as – Civility vs. bully conscript, power obsession against self-reconnaissance, class vs. egalitarianism and, of course, self-indictment that is deductive of public discontent.
If the helpless civil servants cannot resist, there are alternatives that fall within the national laws and ethos of social organisations that can be relied upon for electoral sanctity that is capable of sustainable and efficient governance
Usani Uguru Usani
NVC SS
ADC.