Politics as they say is an autumn through which the most power-thirsty attains ultimate desire. It is a game of dignifying tricks and practical wisdom. It is imbued  bunches of honour, virtues and self-esteem. It is a  channel to the top especially in a democratic  environment. To most people, someone who falls short in politics is like having his or her most precious and valuable  possession taken away by robbers.

About 2,000 years ago, practically during Shakespearean era, politics  was an honourable  scenario displayed with nobility of words that are accomplished at the end. Nowadays, in what we call modern politics, the world is endangered by parrot politics. Modern politics is characterized  by doing nothing but mouthing and remounting of the same rhetoric. Do our politicians think we want to elect parrots. “If we do, we may as well pick candidates from the London Zoo.

The most prominent  feature  of our politic nowadays is achieving little but doing much of media propaganda. During electioneering campaigns, various promises that can send down the rain, or move mountains and even turn the worst and most turbulent situation into safe-haven are echoed like a-ring-ma-bell. But   at moment they were elected, rain will seizes to drop, mountain remains still and the worst continues to linger.

It is true that someone who labour must eat the fruits of his labour. But shouldn’t  it be  a little of the  fruit and not the whole fruits and the parties? In our own case, we eat and even the seed,  leaving the electorates hunging .

It is understandable that our elected leaders cannot meet up the whole needs and demands of the populace, but to some extents, something tangible  and basic could be achieved  to captivate  the masses.

This will in turn  boost  the electorate’s morale to recommend such leader(s) for future positions. A true and acceptable politician or leader is someone who is voted into office without prejudice and manipulation.

The act of killing, rigging and hijacking has bedeviled and characterized  the entire  system of our modern day politics. Our  politicians are in a hurry to  go to the land of the dead to achieve their undemocratic aims by all means and at all cost. This shabby syndrome is like a bedbug, gruesomely eating  deep into the fabric of our political system. If  we want  to equate  our years of independence with politics, we should, by now, be matured enough to play the game by the rules.

A true and acceptable politician or leader is someone who is voted into office without prejudice and manipulation.

It  is shameful that in the 21st century, our system is witnessing violence, uprising and upheaval  either during party primaries  or election proper. How long shall we continue like this? It is a fundamental thought out that someone who attains power through violence must also rule with violence. That is why the country is not enjoying true democracy in the real sense of it.

Nigerians, politics is still being  dictated  by ethnicity, religious, and other primordial sentiments. Whereas, electing people into the helm of  affairs is very dignifying and therefore means choosing people of  proven quality, with true knowledge and love of their  country, irrespective of ethnic  and religious affiliations.

Above all, such leaders must have  the fear of the Almighty  God, which is the beginning of wisdom.

I totally agree with Mr. David Seymour in his article titled “where did all the men of honour go?”, where  he summarily and constructively described  modern day politicians as lacking the usual vision, focus and direction for their course and as “mere career politicians with no proper  concept of service to their country or the people. They  are only for  themselves.

There are many ways to make our political system work. And there are some reasonable and patriotic few also who could change the system for better. What we should do is to encourage and promote those who will sacrifice  themselves  for the development of the country. If ideological and geographical differences are cast out, there is no doubt that our  democracy will survive.

To sustain our young democracy, we should  be prepared to push out politicians who cannot play the game according to the rule.  It  will be wise and dignified to emulate  people  like  late Dr. Nelson Mandela of South Africa, late Mr. Ian Gow, Nigel Lawson (in  Thatcher administration), Michael Heseltine and Sir Thomas Dugdale etc. These  were men who demonstrated  true patriotism, and real concepts and practices  of modern politics.

Tordee resides in Port Harcourt.

Manson B. Tordee