#NotToYoungToRun Bill : A Reinforcing Pillar For “Monarchical Democracy
#NotToYoungToRun Bill : A Reinforcing Pillar For “Monarchical Democracy
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Jubilation was all we did when the NotTooYoungToRun bill was signed into law, less did we know that it was just a deceptive tool that will enable – with precision – the reinforcement of what I call “Monarchical Demcracy”.
An average youth in Nigeria surely can’t contest given the current debilitating exorbitance in the cost of running. You don’t get a nomination form for less than a million naira (for offices affected by the #NTYTR bill) , how do you expect an average Nigerian youth to afford that when he is busy thinking of what to eat tomorrow or where to get school fees from.
I was once engaged in a conversation with a friend where he opined that the key code to this country’s success and development is for the youths to actively partake in active politics, he absolutely was right but out of rational thinking, I sarcastically asked “Do we have money? ” , and we all laughed off.
The devastating Monetization of the political process in this Country is one of the decimating and annihilating factors that have seen to the obstruction of progress and sustainable development in our country.
Just look at it, a presidential ticket in the ruling party costs 55 million Naira and 12 million Naira for the main opposition party. Even the State House of Assembly nomination form cost 1.1 million in the ruling party. How is the average youth supposed to get such money, besides, where is he supposed to be at the age of 25?
So therefore, a thorough scan at this scenario will display to one the fact that the beneficiaries of this law will always have to be from the elite families, families of the corrupt people we want retire. Power shall continue recycling around families of the rich and corrupt. I call it Monarchical Democracy .
I have a theory on corruption. My father once said to me that “You See most unfortunately my son, politics in Nigeria is just a business venture in the visuals of our people. You invest in it and when it clicks, you recover back your investment with profits”. That profit is always procured from the public fund. This is the genesis of it all.
An average youth whose so desperate to get a hold of power have only two resorts as far as I’m concerned; Fraud or Godfatherism
Talking about fraud: there will be an initiation of a whole new cycle of revamped fraud/corruption methods; believe me, the Nigerian youth is capable of inventing various ways he can get things done, we are very innovative in nature.
And talking about Godfatherism: the Hausa says “anyi ba’a yi ba”. We’ll be back to square zero as any youth who wins under the umbrella of any godfather must surely have offered his unflinching loyalty. The corruption continues then.
Hence, I’d have to say the battle is not over yet, in fact it has just begun. We did this before, we fought until victory was achieved with the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, let’s do it again. Let’s work towards launching a new campaign; a campaign that’ll stress the need for demonetisation of our exorbitant political system by first slashing the nomination form fees!
Let’s unite and make this happen for without it, we shall continue to be in a state of “Monarchical Democracy”.
Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim is a political analyst, an activist and an advocate for youth participation in politics and governance, he writes from Zaria, Nigeria and can be reached through Haleemabdul1999@gmail.com or 08036189935.
Jubilation was all we did when the NotTooYoungToRun bill was signed into law, less did we know that it was just a deceptive tool that will enable – with precision – the reinforcement of what I call “Monarchical Demcracy”.
An average youth in Nigeria surely can’t contest given the current debilitating exorbitance in the cost of running. You don’t get a nomination form for less than a million naira (for offices affected by the #NTYTR bill) , how do you expect an average Nigerian youth to afford that when he is busy thinking of what to eat tomorrow or where to get school fees from.
I was once engaged in a conversation with a friend where he opined that the key code to this country’s success and development is for the youths to actively partake in active politics, he absolutely was right but out of rational thinking, I sarcastically asked “Do we have money? ” , and we all laughed off.
The devastating Monetization of the political process in this Country is one of the decimating and annihilating factors that have seen to the obstruction of progress and sustainable development in our country.
Just look at it, a presidential ticket in the ruling party costs 55 million Naira and 12 million Naira for the main opposition party. Even the State House of Assembly nomination form cost 1.1 million in the ruling party. How is the average youth supposed to get such money, besides, where is he supposed to be at the age of 25?
So therefore, a thorough scan at this scenario will display to one the fact that the beneficiaries of this law will always have to be from the elite families, families of the corrupt people we want retire. Power shall continue recycling around families of the rich and corrupt. I call it Monarchical Democracy .
I have a theory on corruption. My father once said to me that “You See most unfortunately my son, politics in Nigeria is just a business venture in the visuals of our people. You invest in it and when it clicks, you recover back your investment with profits”. That profit is always procured from the public fund. This is the genesis of it all.
An average youth whose so desperate to get a hold of power have only two resorts as far as I’m concerned; Fraud or Godfatherism
Talking about fraud: there will be an initiation of a whole new cycle of revamped fraud/corruption methods; believe me, the Nigerian youth is capable of inventing various ways he can get things done, we are very innovative in nature.
And talking about Godfatherism: the Hausa says “anyi ba’a yi ba”. We’ll be back to square zero as any youth who wins under the umbrella of any godfather must surely have offered his unflinching loyalty. The corruption continues then.
Hence, I’d have to say the battle is not over yet, in fact it has just begun. We did this before, we fought until victory was achieved with the #NotTooYoungToRun bill, let’s do it again. Let’s work towards launching a new campaign; a campaign that’ll stress the need for demonetisation of our exorbitant political system by first slashing the nomination form fees!
Let’s unite and make this happen for without it, we shall continue to be in a state of “Monarchical Democracy”.
Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim is a political analyst, an activist and an advocate for youth participation in politics and governance, he writes from Zaria, Nigeria and can be reached through Haleemabdul1999@gmail.com or 08036189935.
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