In Search of a New Nigeria: The Need to Vote Wisely

THESE days, many Nigerians believe that there is no hope for Nigeria due to the corruption, insecurity and economic hardship plaguing the country. If the average Nigerian is asked on the street about the state of the nation, he rarely uses favorable terms to describe that state. Most people would describe the nation through their experience of hunger, suffering, death threats, anxiety, depression, lack of employment and poor education. Some Nigerians speculated that the country would have already collapsed. However, on the other hand, the Nigerian community abroad is among the most respected immigrant communities in the world. This has drawn so much respect to Nigerians who leave Nigeria to pursue their studies in America, Europe or Canada. In the United States, the Nigerian community is ranked among the most educated, with most of its immigrants having at least a first degree. Nigerians who have attended a public university in Nigeria are likely to gain admission to top universities in the world including Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Duke and the University of Edinburgh.

Furthermore, students educated at a Nigerian public university could work and compete in any organization without earning an additional degree outside of Nigeria. Finally, the doctors who graduated from different medical schools in Nigeria are distributed in world-class international hospitals. These doctors do not need any additional qualifications to practice in the UK, USA or China. Other African countries in the Diaspora also admire Nigerian communities for their resilience and survival strategies. Because of this view, many Nigerians take pride in identifying with Nigeria abroad more than they would while living in Nigeria. There is pride, respect and pedigree in being a Nigerian abroad. Thus, a Nigerian's view of Nigeria differs locally from how some international communities and Nigerians in the Diaspora view it. To all our presidential aspirants in 2023, have you reflected in your manifesto what it means to be a Nigerian at home and what it means to be a Nigerian in the Diaspora?

How do you bring the pride and glory of Nigeria back to Nigeria by restoring hope and a sense of future in the minds of every Nigerian at home? What would you do to close this gap? Recently, we have seen how many presidential candidates have traveled overseas to address the Nigerian community in the UK, USA and Canada. However, most people in the diaspora do not even have voter registration cards. Our political leaders are the only people who stand between the perception of Nigeria abroad and the experience and perception of Nigerians in Nigeria. Nigerians of all regions are not evil, lazy or disposable. Nigerians are hard workers, educated, intelligent, courageous and curious. If Nigerians have good leaders who could lead them properly, they will compete with any developed country in the world. We have the people and natural resources to be a leading nation in the world.

Politicians have previously divided the masses, using tribalism, ethnicity and regionalism to their advantage. Unfortunately, Nigeria is still on the fringes of these divides. As a presidential aspirant, this is a big challenge for you, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Abubakar Atiku and Rabiu Kwankwaso. If the masses gave you their love and trust in February 2023, would you continue to use the politics of corruption, patronage, ethnicity and religion to divide Nigerians? I advise any candidate who wins the 2023 elections to use their victory to their advantage to build a stronger Nigeria, a patriotic Nigeria and an attractive Nigeria. The world expects a lot from us. The world has so much respect for Nigeria and Nigerians and has so much to learn from us. Would you be a patriotic leader once elected president? Would you break the genes of religious and ethnic division to reward competence, productivity, to build a better Nigeria? To Nigerian voters and the masses, if there is a time to use our voting rights wisely and effectively, now is the time.

The world is watching and waiting to see the leaders we will elect in 2023. These leaders can lead us to a better and more robust economy, unite Nigeria, and create the right environment for a prosperous Nigeria, a Nigeria free of corruption, and an adventurous Nigeria. This election will reflect how focused and united we are as a people. As we head to our polling places, tribe, religion, money and regionalism should be the last things we should vote for. Instead, our votes should be based on the integrity, competence, patriotism, and progressivism of our aspirants. Nigerian youth and the people must not be intimidated by political hegemony and rhetoric about rigging elections. As always evident, the Nigerian masses should unite to oppose intimation before, during and after the elections. Nigeria belongs to all of us, poor, rich, disabled, men, women, children, Muslims, Christians, non-religious...