A population with low intellect may not be capable of making
beneficial decisions. They argue that the lack of rationality or even education
is being taken advantage of by politicians, who compete more in the way of
public relations and tactics, than in ideology. While arguments against
democracy are often taken by advocates of democracy as an attempt to maintain
or revive traditional hierarchy in order to justify autocratic rule...
- Keith Richburg, Head to Head, African democracy, 2008.
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When a people are presented with more than a dozen
candidates from diverse backgrounds, track records and political party
affiliation and yet make the election one between the devil and the deep blue
sea, then they have only themselves to blame. This is not just about Wada/Audu
(Kogi 2015). Several others voted drug barons and failed governors to represent
them in the senate, past and present.
Until the electorate is enlightened and made to understand
the real reasons for voting and what politicians are supposed to do for them,
they shall continue to vote in the most benevolent thieves and incompetents and
not necessarily the ones with either proven (good) track records or with noble
intentions.
The voter must be made aware that by that singular act of
selecting a candidate via the ballot, they have been offered a chance to
determine the positive or negative outcome of the next four years of government
intervention in their lives. They must also be mature enough to live with the consequences
while basing their next voting attempt on the lessons learned from the last
one.
To grow our democracy to where the impact will be felt in governance and national development, agencies charged with national orientation must make voter education an utmost priority.
An ignorant electorate is the Achilles heel of democracy.
SAN
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