2027 can wait: Politicians Must Prioritise the People, Not Power

Anthony EKPO BASSEY 

As the storm clouds of 2027 slowly gather on the nation’s horizon, one would think that Nigeria’s political class would be consumed by the urgent task of healing a battered country. But instead, what we see is an unholy hustle for power, politicians jostling, scheming, and sparring like gladiators in a bloodless war, while the country groans under the weight of insecurity, poverty, and paralysis.

How can leaders talk about the next election when the nation can barely survive the next meal? It is said that when the soup is not enough for one, it is foolishness to invite guests. And yet, our politicians are busy setting tables for 2027 while millions of Nigerians are licking empty pots. They speak of succession and strategy while the streets are soaked in blood, our children lie awake in fear, and families vanish into forests of kidnappers and some never to return.

In every corner of the country, death dances without rhythm, bandits rule highways, insurgents claim villages, and cultists take over campuses. The economy is gasping for breath. Inflation is rising faster than rainwater in a leaky roof. The naira is in freefall. Salaries have stagnated. Jobs are vanishing. Hope is hanging by a thread.

And what do our leaders do? They play politics like it is a party. Shamelessly, some are already flying flags of ambition, printing posters, and hosting midnight meetings to plan how to hold unto power or grab it at all costs. The house is on fire yet the landlords are arguing over who should repaint the gates.

Let it be said clearly: 2027 is still far. Far enough that any talk of it now, in the face of national trauma, is both tone-deaf and treacherous. The mandate of leadership is not to campaign; it is to care. Not to grab power; but to give purpose. Not to dominate; but to deliver.

A child who cannot carry a load should not ask for a heavier one. Leaders who cannot secure the lives of the people today have no moral right to ask for another term tomorrow. Those who cannot provide basic necessities in the present should not insult the people with promises for the future.

The poor are not pawns. The masses are not mere numbers. Their suffering is not a stepping stone to power. If our politicians were half as passionate about solving problems as they are about securing power, Nigeria would be a different nation.

Let the truth be told, even if it chokes: we are tired of empty eloquence. We are tired of theatrical town halls and fake empathy. We are tired of well-fed politicians speaking grammar while the people eat grief.

Now is not the time for political posturing. Now is the time to wipe tears, not count votes. To mend broken systems, not massage egos. To show service, not shove ambition down our throats.

We remind our leaders: He who chases two rats ends up catching none. Focus on fixing the mess before you. Focus on securing lives, stabilising the economy, restoring dignity to governance. If you lead well today, the people will remember tomorrow. But if you fail today, no amount of posters or praise-singers will save you from their verdict.

The hungry, the helpless, and the hopeless are watching. They may be silent, but they are not stupid. A day of reckoning always comes. And when it does, no convoy will be long enough, no siren loud enough, to drown the voice of the people.

To every desperate politician plotting for 2027 while Nigeria bleeds: pause your ambition, pick up responsibility. Your place in history will not be written by the offices you occupied, but by the lives you touched or destroyed.

Let governance return to grace. Let politics be guided by purpose. Let leaders remember that power is a privilege, not a prize and the people, not your party, will have the final say.