[US elections] Nigerians by birth, Americans by neglect
Nigerians are so engrossed in the US presidential elections while they neglect their own political system.
The interesting thing about Nigerians tweeting about Hillary or Donald Trump is you would think they are this invested in Nigerian politics. Yes, we tweet about Buhari,
the recession and the wailing wailers but the percentage of people who
do this are probably lesser than Nigerians tweeting about the US general
elections.
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Today, Tuesday, November 8, 2016, is D-Day in America.
Irrespective of who wins the election history will be made. Hillary Clinton is on the cusp of being the first female president of the powerful nation in the world. If by chance Donald Trump wins, he will America's first dictator.
The
whole world is tuned in right now to watch the elections including
Nigerians. For months Nigerians have been hooked on the electoral
machine and tweeting their opinions about the Democratic and Republican
candidates. Nigerians have joined the global conversation about the who
will be the 45th POTUS.
Nigerians love to check what's over
'there' and forget what is in their own backyard. Yes, the US
presidential election is a global event but the focus Nigerians put on
it might just be a tad bit too much when in contrast local politics is
neglected.
Apart from state
governors and the President most Nigerians are oblivious of other
elected officers in our political system. Who is your local government
chairman? Who is your senator? The answer most times is a blank stare of
a nonchalant shrug.
Nigeria's political
structure is not as well defined as America's. If we are focused on the
US election, it should be to learn from their system and how we can
adapt it here.
Talking about the US
elections just for laughs and entertainment is baseless. Unfortunately,
the 2016 US election has been marred by Trump's trash TV antics. It
hasn't really allowed for substantial issues to come out and be debated
on. Still, there are a lot of things to be learnt from the Yankees.
Unfortunately, it's the wrong things we are focused on.
Nigerians
should know that politics for Americans does not happen every four
years. The average American belongs to a political party and is involved
in day-to-day party politics. How many Nigerians belong to political
parties? How many Nigerians go to rallies? Politics is not bants in
America, in Nigeria it mostly is sadly.
We are Nigerians by birth but in politics we are Americans neglecting our own political system.
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