Politics can never be a game - Tinubu
Leona Uchechi Nwosu is a graduate of Anambra State University. An experienced presenter and content writer for Latenightgist.
leona@latenightgist.com
The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has stated that politics is not and can never be a game.
According to Daily Trust Tinubu made his comments while delivering a speech in Ogoniland, Rivers state, at a dialogue organized by the publication.
The APC leader was represented by Wale Edun, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Hydro-Carbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP).
Recounting his conversations with a young boy, Tinubu quoted the young lad as comparing politics to a football game.
According to the seasoned politician, the boy stated that “The only difference was that victory in sports was measured by goals scored; while in politics, it was defined by votes gained.”
However, this theory was countered by the APC leader, who stated that the young boy’s mindset was incorrect, and had “misshaped our politics and injured the nation in ways mundane and profound.”
He continued: “Too many of us for too long have treated politics as a game open only to an elite, exclusive club of players. The nation and the people constituted the pitch upon which the game would be decided.
“Approaching nearly 60 years of independence, Nigeria remains a complex yet incomplete work of art, a project as much on the drawing board as it is our daily reality.
“For too many, Nigeria itself is a game. They are not wedded to the idea and ideals of Nigeria as a diverse and democratic but unified nation. They see the nation not as an object of loyalty but as the most available platform to realise their personal aims.
“In their minds, Nigeria is lesser than their ever-expanding ambitions. Because they view Nigeria as a game, their politics is but a game within a game.
“Politics determines governance and governance defines the life we lead.
“Thus, politics can never be a game. It is a link in that vital process that spins either toward progress or toward the accumulation of problems and their dire consequences.”
Tinubu counseled that politics must never be reduced to a mere game whose objective is served by merely playing.
He further stressed that the act of governance which invariably determines how we live, is more vital than politics.
In his words: “Instead of being a joyous nation, we have become a cruel playground where the fears and concerns of the average person get exploited but their interests never get promoted.
“While democratic politics inherently bear aspects of competition and contest, it must never be reduced to a mere game.
“The objective of a game is served by the mere playing of it. Playing the game is an end in and of itself. However, this cannot be the case with politics and elections. Winning the political contest can never be an end in itself.
“The proper outcome of electoral victory is not for the victor to revel at his good fortune or his skill in electioneering. The inevitable sequel to an election is for the winner to assume the sobering burden of governance.
“Elections are not the climax of an epic book. They are merely the close of the book’s opening chapter.
“What comes afterwards - governance - is much more vital than politics, for governance determines how we shall live.
“In this regard, 2015 was a watershed year. People jettisoned the political game as usual. They rejected worn political affiliations and superficial loyalties for a chance at substantive change.
“The people realised the political game had theretofore been played against rather than for them.”
According to Daily Trust Tinubu made his comments while delivering a speech in Ogoniland, Rivers state, at a dialogue organized by the publication.
The APC leader was represented by Wale Edun, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Hydro-Carbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP).
Recounting his conversations with a young boy, Tinubu quoted the young lad as comparing politics to a football game.
According to the seasoned politician, the boy stated that “The only difference was that victory in sports was measured by goals scored; while in politics, it was defined by votes gained.”
However, this theory was countered by the APC leader, who stated that the young boy’s mindset was incorrect, and had “misshaped our politics and injured the nation in ways mundane and profound.”
He continued: “Too many of us for too long have treated politics as a game open only to an elite, exclusive club of players. The nation and the people constituted the pitch upon which the game would be decided.
“Approaching nearly 60 years of independence, Nigeria remains a complex yet incomplete work of art, a project as much on the drawing board as it is our daily reality.
“For too many, Nigeria itself is a game. They are not wedded to the idea and ideals of Nigeria as a diverse and democratic but unified nation. They see the nation not as an object of loyalty but as the most available platform to realise their personal aims.
“In their minds, Nigeria is lesser than their ever-expanding ambitions. Because they view Nigeria as a game, their politics is but a game within a game.
“Politics determines governance and governance defines the life we lead.
“Thus, politics can never be a game. It is a link in that vital process that spins either toward progress or toward the accumulation of problems and their dire consequences.”
Tinubu counseled that politics must never be reduced to a mere game whose objective is served by merely playing.
He further stressed that the act of governance which invariably determines how we live, is more vital than politics.
In his words: “Instead of being a joyous nation, we have become a cruel playground where the fears and concerns of the average person get exploited but their interests never get promoted.
“While democratic politics inherently bear aspects of competition and contest, it must never be reduced to a mere game.
“The objective of a game is served by the mere playing of it. Playing the game is an end in and of itself. However, this cannot be the case with politics and elections. Winning the political contest can never be an end in itself.
“The proper outcome of electoral victory is not for the victor to revel at his good fortune or his skill in electioneering. The inevitable sequel to an election is for the winner to assume the sobering burden of governance.
“Elections are not the climax of an epic book. They are merely the close of the book’s opening chapter.
“What comes afterwards - governance - is much more vital than politics, for governance determines how we shall live.
“In this regard, 2015 was a watershed year. People jettisoned the political game as usual. They rejected worn political affiliations and superficial loyalties for a chance at substantive change.
“The people realised the political game had theretofore been played against rather than for them.”
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