–By Austen Akhagbeme:

In almost everywhere around the world, attention is arguably focused on Nigeria, the most populous Afro-skin nation in the world and her destiny, as the general elections draw near.

Our enormous natural and human resources and the accompanying paradox of embarrassing national poverty have never ceased to gobsmack the world.

Little wonder that the general election of next month seems to attract the attention of almost everyone that loves Africa and her future. In Nigeria, even the naturally apolitical, those who dwell in rural places, the old and the young are poised for a chance to change the debilitating claws of oppression and hunger that have become our lot to that of hope and surplus.

Everyone who lives in this part of the world is regrettably tired of hoping in hopelessness. They are sore and tired of the political leaders of our collective destiny who have chosen to line their pockets and lie to us about a possible eldorado of hope that exists in the contrived future they have for Nigeria.

Poverty and squalor know no tribe or creed; it recognises no excuse for the lack of performance by the political class while unleashing their venom on the led, the very reason we must all wake up from our endless slumber, to change the primetime narrative driven by religious and ethnic consideration, to birth a new Nigeria. This is our opportunity.

From February 25th, every eligible Nigerian voter will have a date with destiny. We shall all have the opportunity and the choice to reshape the future of the nation with our votes by bringing in a new set of conscientious leaders or the unpleasant choice to contribute to the sustenance of elite oppression and profligacy that has held us bound from time immemorial, by voting with a smeared conscience.

A true Nigerian, as of today, does not need anyone to convince him or her on who to vote for. The convincing evidence is all around us, raging from market forces and the standard of living to mutual distrust among our ethnic groups and the yawning fault lines of nationwide insecurity vis-a-vis those that brought us the evil.

We have a few days to reclaim our national pride; a few days to let go of our unpleasant past and her predatory progenitors. As the day draws closer and our political class gets smarter, let us separate the goats from the sheep with our collective resolve not to use our voter’s card unjustly to massage our temporary ego while neglecting our future and posterity. We have just a few days to our collective destiny. Let us stay on the good side of history.

• -Austen Akhagbeme is a Columnist with Blank NEWS Online