What you should think before you consider the alliance of the thirty five political parties including SDP, PDP, ADC by Adeeko Ibukun

The news that 35 parties, including SDP, PDP and ADC, are seeking grounds for alliance billed to oust President Buhari reveals the rot in the underbelly of our political elites and provokes a question, are we forever helpless in face of such brokerage? While the 2019 elections approach with the bare concern of the possibility of the extension of the APC misrule, the increasing killings of helpless Nigerians in Benue, and the skewed and toothless interrogations of corruption, worries bite into innards and pessimism soars in face of oasis. My point for the oasis is important and will be returned to.

But there are recent light bulbs for illumination in case of any confusion or amnesia. Obasanjo, a principal of ADC, had said with almost the poise of a gatekeeper or the presiding spirit for our national conscience; Nigerians should not forget the 16 years of PDP misrule. Should this be a Gordian knot given that eight of the 16 years he condemned was his presidency? Certainly, no. It is important to not forget this nudging followed the opening glee, his open letter to President Buhari and its resultant call for a coalition he initially positioned as never to be translated into a political party. It is, therefore, telling to consider the fact that the coalition has translated into ADC, a political party, and how badly such translation should reflect on trust.

More monumental and bearing jarring fangs, is the confession of Ibrahim Mantu admitting to the rigging of elections in favor of PDP. How do we grapple with the fact that men like him are not punished under the law after such public declaration but still rather wield part of the reins of one of the most prominent political parties preparing for this negotiation, and that the current portrait of our country owes its failures to the government led by them, though now being well assisted by the APC ineptitudes?

There are lists of corrupt people published by APC and PDP, floating across the cyberspace, oozing with condescending odors harassing our collective sensibility. What is certain is that the principals of the political structures, pitching as saviors in working towards the above alliance are malfeasances present in the public arena of the political gymnastics open to the court of public interpretations and opinion.

The examples that reveal gladiators of this political alliance as unfit to stand on lofty moral grounds such that could win trust of wise Nigerians go on and on without end. Yet we must be at alert knowing how subtly these actors continue to harvest our collective anger for their political gains. The most recent is the APC fraudulent change mantra responsible for the current discouragement of an average Nigerian in the business of hope and their lack of political participation while the problems loom and are further accentuated by incompetence.

But we must not ignore possibilities. With years of the conspiracy, these elites have never inspired more than 40 million votes in a country well above 150 million, having up to 70% of her population within the youth span. This presents untapped political opportunities minable for progress. What is also true is that there is increased political awareness owing to increased internet penetration and social media true democratization of media, its fostering of free speech and political exchanges.

This should mean less than 40 million votes should now go to the traditional political parties and their greedy actors no matter the alliance they forge or what mesh of rhetoric they spin since issues are better engaged now.

The opportunities mentioned above and the courage of new players, young and vibrant, ejecting into our political sphere, new vocabularies and quotients, are the oasis. We must not buy what the traditional and the greedy political elites sell. They are mere men always united by their greed. We should rather give strengths to a political revolution with character and poise such as channeled by Omoyele Sowore and compatriots.

Their movement has promised to never give strength to the traditional political structures of greed often manifesting as political parties, APC and PDP that have dragged us into the current socio-political mess. We should know we are the deprived and none of these elites is currently negotiating for the deprived.  We should know the deprived are the majority. We should know now it is democracy and if determined, the deprived can decide the day not few brigands masquerading as elites.