The frenzy that pervades the political scenery of Nigeria every other four years calls for some serious introspection.

The outcome of elections are by too far based on emotional feelings rather than sound judgment. Candidates selection is as important as who you should marry. They both affect your future.

As it is in Nigeria, I am far from being impressed. Why is that? This is because it merely goes that every election is a popularity contest — one person is cast in the villain figure and the other as the hero. There is popular hatred for one and popular love for the other. Sadly both positions don’t have a fixed character. The hero can become the villain and the villain can turn hero. A true reflection of the state of human emotions.

In the end, the Nigerian people are the reason why they are being short-changed. They get carried away by sights and sound, food and drinks, fez-caps and t-shirts, recharge cards and bank notes. The politician exploits our emotionalism.

It is for this reason we have been armtwisted to support a candidate who had no contender from other thousands of wards in 774 LGAs of so the called Africa’s biggest party or a retired 72+ year old iron handed dictator whose grand child may be capable of voting in the same election. This is happening after sixteen years of democratic experience in Africa’s most populous country. A sad retrogression.

Before we all get carried away with our messianic expectations. There is no messiah for the Nigerian nation except her people. Almost everyone who became president in Nigeria rode on messianic expectations and it always fails.

In Nigeria’s Game of Thrones, saint a man he will win, vilify him he will loose. Buhari was yesterday’s villain, Jonathan was the hero with the breath of fresh air. It has changed.  It could still change until the Nigerian people themselves become the ones setting the agenda.

Many have pointed out Jonathan’s ethnic and religious politics and rightly so but so is Buhari’s whose most ardent support base is large devoid of logic but comes from a cult like, fraternal following in the North East and North West mainly because he is identified with a particular religion.

The South South have squared up to everybody in Jonathan’s day so did the North West in Ya’radua’s time. Will these things change with Buhari? Four years is too long to keep playing games with the unsuspecting populace who do not realise that among the political elites there is nothing like heroes or villains (we have witnessed too many examples). It is just the games they play.

The only reset button to stop this game lies in the hands of the youth lied to as leaders of tomorrow. No!, not the youth brandishing machetes and guns as ethnic militias promoted by fellow mediocres in government. It is the intelligent and upright ones – the true voice of young people and the true future of Nigeria.

Do you know that Nigeria will be the third most populated nation in the world only after China and India by 2100. Any plans yet? It takes a young mind to think about that, not the ones who want to sing the old national anthems and settle scores. A generation that ate the future of her children and wants that of her children’s children.

Whatever is the outcome of March 28th Presidential elections, young people must drive the agenda for Nigeria, whether change or transformation, incidentally both words means the same thing. 30% is not enough. 70% is the starting point for democracy is representational.

Olufemi Owosela

@FemiOwosela