Reflections on our love for foreign political processes at the expense of our local politics
Donald J. Trump, the Republican candidate for the United States Presidential elections, has been re-elected president of the United States. Already, many world leaders, including our very own President Bola Tinubu, have sent congratulatory messages. I had a feeling Trump would win, just a hunch as I do not eagerly follow American politics.
Throughout the US election process, I noticed how fascinated and informed many Nigerians appeared to be with US politics. For example, knowing what the swing states are, which states the Democrats won in the previous election and were likely to lose in this one, the voting patterns of the average white female, and so on. It has made me wonder about our interest in our local politics.
In Nigeria, you’re just as likely to find someone arguing about the demerits of Brexit as you are about the price of petrol. We may not know our councillor’s name, but ask us who the Republican Vice-Presidential candidate in the 2024 US elections is and you’ll probably get a comprehensive biodata. Why are many Nigerians so up to date with foreign politics especially those of the United States and the United Kingdom? Is it because we have family there or we’re just keeping them on our radar because japa can happen at any time?
If I asked you to name your Senator or Local Government Chairman, would you know their names? Do you know what powers the state governors have under the concurrent list of the Constitution? Do you know the responsibilities of each chamber of our bicameral national assembly? I wouldn’t be surprised if there are Nigerians who know all of the US constitutional amendments offhand but would need to “check something real quick” if asked to cite parts of Nigeria’s Constitution. Do we realise that local politics affect us directly, often more than international decisions, yet don’t receive similar attention?
I often feel like the passion with which many Nigerians analyse foreign politics is not equally replicated in Nigerian politics. Yes, we talk about local politics but it always seems like we complain more than we act. How are many of us so well-versed in foreign politics and yet seemingly disengaged with local issues? When I think of all the quality analyses about the US elections I have come across in recent times on WhatsApp groups and social media, I just wonder why we often don’t talk about our politics with as much vigour and interest. It sometimes feels like we have given up. Perhaps if we gave deeper attention to local politics than international politics, we could just create meaningful change at home.
Initially, I thought, our love for foreign politics, particularly the US variant, was because it often plays out like a well-scripted TV show. Complete with plot twists, scandals, and intrigue, the entertainment value can be off the charts. But I think our local politics can be equally as entertaining even if not as well-scripted. Candidates have debates and argue about different points whilst throwing shade or open insults at each other. Someone opens a Pandora’s box about the other party’s secrets and the denials fill the air. Surely this is enough to keep anyone glued to their screens?
Maybe how the foreign media plays up the election season is what tickles our fancy. Major news broadcasters invite analysts and convene several panels to discuss various aspects affecting the elections. Considering also that many people are hooked on cable TV and local media stations also share foreign political content, maybe we don’t have a choice with the news all up in one’s face. But our local media also has the same approach to reporting our political affairs, so not much difference either. I suspect, however, that we are more trusting of foreign media than local media, so we find it easier to follow international reportage. I’m not exactly sure why though.
Perhaps people feel more connected to the world through global politics, yet feel detached from Nigerian political structures, which seem more opaque and complex. The recent US elections for example seem more credible than our last Nigerian elections. Their collation process was also not fraught with altered election summary sheets and BVAS/ IRev issues. Americans even have early voting and can vote from outside the US whereas it’s been a struggle to get electronic voting approved by Nigerian lawmakers.
Maybe it is because, as former President Goodluck Jonathan once said and I paraphrase: “America will know”. We are heavily influenced by the US economy: our national budget and revenue are based on the US dollar so if they cough, we catch a cold. Maybe our passion is based on self-preservation so taking more than a passing interest in Western politics is important because there are possible implications locally.
Nigerians should care more about local politics if we want to see any real change. Political decisions have direct effects on all aspects of our daily lives- our infrastructure, healthcare, education, and employment. Knowing who the next US President is won’t stop our national grid from going on its monthly timeout but following up with how elected officials deploy our tax is likely to give more life to our power situation.
We all need to realise how much power and influence we have as citizens if most of us just decide to be more politically aware and involved. With a stronger focus on Nigerian politics, we can create our preferred future by demanding accountability, influencing policies, and pushing for positive changes. We all see how foreign citizens hold their leaders accountable. How foreign politicians are compelled to resign when caught behaving badly or on the other side of the law, imagine if we had enough interest here to keep a similar tab on our politicians.
We need to make Nigerian politics more credible for Nigerians to stimulate our interest. Thankfully, many Nigerians religiously follow local news media outlets but there are still complaints of bias attributed to some media houses, especially the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) as it often appears to be disconnected from the Nigerian reality. We need our local media to present more balanced, insightful, and engaging news. Then there is the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which appears to have lost a whole lot of credibility in recent times. What role does the ordinary citizen have in ensuring that they do the actual job they are established to do? Food for thought.
We also need to be more politically aware and involved at the grassroots level. Do you know what is happening in your community, ward, or local government? We often complain about how people of a certain disposition have cornered the affairs of grassroots politics but isn’t it because some who consider themselves more enlightened refuse to engage? When there is a call to attend a local forum, consider going, you’ll discover Nigerian politics has as much drama as a Nollywood film!
One area we have let suffer is ensuring accountability of our leaders. Many of us have just given up and political figures just do whatever they want to do. We need to hold our political representatives accountable through all available physical and online forums by ensuring regular contact, asking questions, and speaking up. Next time you’re tweeting about that trending issue, slip in a quick mention for your local government chairman on the state of that disastrous road, it just might trend.
My fellow Nigerians, keeping in touch with global politics is good but ensuring we have our eyeballs on our local politics is even better. We all want a better country but no one will bring that to pass if we don’t. It’s time we treat Nigerian politics with the same curiosity and scrutiny as we do with foreign politics.
Let us channel our political energy into improving Nigeria for all. The next time you’re itching to comment on the US election, spare a moment for our political process— it needs as much energy as it can get. After all, it’s our country, and our future, at stake. And if it seems as though I have been pointing the finger at you all along, just remember, I have four fingers pointing right back at me. This is the way I see things today.