THE METAPHOR OF "USONG-AFERE" AND THE NIGERIAN MASSES: A CRITIQUE OF NIGERIA'S POLITICAL EXPERIENCE

This essay presents a critical analysis of the dismal relationship between some Nigerian politicians and the electorates described as the fate of usong-afere in the pot of white soup. Nigerian electorates are often used hypothetically as means to achieve political ends during the election seasons only to be forgotten and abandoned during governance. This scenario has raised much concern among the populace. The questions often asked are why do politicians abandon the electorates during governance? Why do they often fail to fulfil their campaign promises? Is this kind of attitude normal? The aim of this paper is to expose the behavior of some politicians as anomaly for, the 1999 constitution of Nigeria spells out welfare of Nigerians and protection of lives and property as the foremost responsibility of government and the 1945 acta of the United Nations obliges political officer to champion protection of fundamental human rights, maintenance of law and enforcement of fairness and justice among other values and principles of democracy which is government of the people by the people. These principles seem to be grossly lacking in Nigeria. Critical analysis of concepts is the method used in this discourse. This work exposing the ills of some members of the political class will be educating Nigerians and people of other climes on the dismal experience of democracy. It can also offer some benefits to the members of the political class who may be ignorant of their selfish practices in the pretext of ‘nascent’ democratic governance