By Lucky Okoedion
The idea of heresy is not only associated with religious doctrine. Heresy in another context also means any opinion that is profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.
What is politically abnormal about Nigeria? Who decides the definition of what is normal or abnormal? How badly can the political configuration of a nation be skewed? What are the consequences when the political system in a nation walks on its head, eats with its feet and thinks with its hands ? And what are the symptoms of such political heresy ?
Politics is a game of Interest. Abnormal Interests result to abnormal politics. Interest is either mutually collective and personal, extremely selfish while pretending to be collective, or effectively collective and sacrificial.
Since democratic ideals require politicians to put the interest of their constituents first and above their personal Interest, abnormal interests can be defined as any deviation from this norm.
And this choice to either stay true to the pure democratic doctrine or become corrupt and throw your constituents under the bus is dependent on a leader’s strength of character and the prevailing political culture.
It is ‘normal’ or common for democracies to have corrupt and extremely self-centered political leaders who constantly strive to game the system and dupe the people while the nation keeps winning that war against corruption. But what is absolutely abnormal is a situation in which it is the political culture in the nation and the maladjusted structure and adulterated system of government itself that fuels this corruption and betrayal of the citizens by their leaders.
Such is the blasphemous dimensions of political heresy in Nigeria today. No matter how good you are, the system either turns you into a bad guy to save you or it crucifies you.
As a matter of fact, it is extremely difficult (but not impossible) to go through the political pipeline to arrive in political office and not be either corrupt or corrupted. At times, if you resist the system’s attempt to corrupt you, you may end up incriminated.
All that abnormality in the political terrain in Nigeria is not new. What is rather new is the recent politicians’ shift from trying to please their people or constituents to trying to please their political parties. This is according to the trend recently observed in the pattern of voting for or against electronic transmission of election results on the floor of the Nigerian Senate. The lawmakers voted along party lines regardless of the interest of their constituents which they ought to represent in the Senate.
This abnormality is indicative of the fact that our democracy has been corrupted to the point that you no longer have to be popular amongst your constituents to secure your political position or to rise to power. Such that if the will of your constituents clashes with the will of your political party, your political party will have the upper hand because the people are now more or less like slaves to the political parties. With food stuffs and some cash, the political parties can get the people to vote for you, even if it is against their wellbeing. The poverty of the people has been weaponized, their will paralyzed, their votes bought, and their future mortgaged.
The consequences of these growing abnormality is the Venezuela outcome. Life operates on a principle of cause and effect. You cannot plant corruption and injustice, and expect to reap a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.
Lucky Okoedion is a believer of a new Nigeria where true democracy is practiced. He writes from Benin City, Nigeria.
