Information shows that we most likely recorded an average 80% low turnout at yesterday’s local government elections.
Lagosians stayed away showing a huge apathy and disinterest in the exercise
As a result, it was described by Gov SANWO-OLU as being peaceful and well coordinated
Of course, when you have only six people in a polling unit, it will be peaceful and well coordinated
Aparthy in politics is, usually a strategy for protest.
It is used as a sign of protest esp when democratic principles of fair play and justice are not being promoted in a democratic process
It works especially when there are numerical benchmarks candidates must meet to either be declared a winner or for a motion to be passed
What seems to have happened yday is aparthy by Lagosians
The only issue in this aparthy is that, it is not coordinated and as such not meant to achieve any identified purpose
The people just fucking stayed clear and the reasons are not far fetched
Very serious lack of confidence in the process – the primaries were comical and as such the elections by extension would be anything but
Another reason is that the winners seem to have been known by all and sundry long before the elections except you are hiding in a cave
Democratic institutions that could serve as platforms to seek redress are at their weakest and as such further eshews the confidence required.
But the aparthy this time is even more dangerous for us
The reason being that there are no enforceable voting benchmarks that can debar a winner from being declared if he doesn’t meet
So a winner can be declared winner by 6,000 votes out of a total population of 20m and a registration cluster of say 2m
The fact that the winner has no real legitimacy doesnt count in this clime and he would go ahead and be beholden to those who put him and not the people
Another reason why this aparthy is not good for us, is the aforementioned collapse of the doctrine of checks and balances
Democratic institutions are now an apoendage of the Executive, taking and executing orders almost directly
The personification of power is so glaring that we now see scions and biological relatives fanned out and placed in strategic positions within the system who now bare no allegiance to the people but to whatever oath they must have sworn themselves into
So this aparthy is the most dangerous turn in this our present democratic dispensation
We cannot all siddon look hoping that Angel Gabriel will come down and fight for the people.
The simple solution is to flood APC with new memberships
Mobilise and flood the party with 20 million new members nationwide and take the fight internal
Since other parties have been weakend by decamping of state Governors, judicial rascality and insider abuse formented by outsiders, then lets all enter APC and seize it.
If Lagos APC for example suddenly sees over 6m new members most from demographics and clusters that are normally not from their distinct groupings and these new members wrestle control of the party from within, then we would see a change
What we have is 1% of us who are better coordinated and who are obsessed with their objectives and use divisive strategies to keep us from pursuing a robust cause that would entrench true democracy leading us.
Ultimate power recides with the people. Everybody knows this, from the Tinubus of these world down to the meat seller in Shomolu market
But what we all also knw is that the people are plebians-meek, easy to step on, zombies and disinterested and could easily be swayed by stomach infrastructure and our leaders have over time mastered the art of keeping the people in check with an effective carrot and stick strategy
I respect our leaders for their passion and understanding of the process and laugh at the rest of us who are experts in lamentation and complaints and now aparty and political lethargy.
We now need leaders who understand the simple fact that we have been captured not by a foreign army but by our cousins who have collapsed all institutions that could check them and built a huge termiterium that cannot be pulled down from the outside
We need to infiltrate. Flood their party with mass membership and seize control of their internal structures and wrest our freedom from within
Gorbachev in Russia did it and we must also do it, if not, our childrens children will continue this our lamentation of sorrow with Gbaja’s great grandson as Chairman of Surulere Local Government.
Aparthy and lethargy that we just witnessed is the very worse direction that we would be going as a people and while we are still on it, the so called coalition at the centre is a joke or at best a creation of the APC who have shown expertise in getting PDP to work for them all of these years in Lagos and most recently nationally.
Yesterday was a masterclass in political tom foolery
You may now send someone to come and beat me.
Thanks
Duke of Shomolu