The Tragedy of Party “Loyaltism” As Against Nationalistic Patriotism in the Nigerian Polity‎

By
Gabriel Akhabue Iruobe
+2348136536777
dongabie655@gmail.com

February 23rd, 2023.

“Loyaltism” is the philosophy of a person or groups of persons, ideologized with the idea, that one must be loyal to a party at all cost, even when the nationalistic and patriotic reason not to do so is obvious and overwhelming. It is the jettisoning of jingoistic appeal for parochial and sentimental option, only for selfish and greedy reasons. It is the exaltation of lopsidedness over the common good of the people, and the subordination of future advantages to generations yet unborn. It is the abandonment of utilitarian ideals and an embrace of a “me-benefit agenda”, to the exclusion of all others that have a common stake with us in patrimony. It is the diehard support for a candidate, only because it is one’s political party’s choice, worn by fair competition or not. It is staying with the ideology of backwardness, provided there are immediate and personal gains it affords for self and family.

History is taking account of the role people of differential moral standards are playing in enthroning mediocrity, and in perpetuating insecurity, bribery and corruption, nepotism, religious bigotry and economic sabotage, in the most populous black nations of the world.

These are the days to take a good account of the kind of Nigerians who are head bent on party-centered politicking than on an altruistic love for a nation at the brinks of a total collapse.

Whereas, the reasonable and optimistic Nigerians make a difference between political party’s values and national values, some party agents stick to their fading and ailing principles and principals, even when they know they don’t really represent the yearnings of our founding fathers , nor of the aspirations of our people, for good governance, accountability, competence and leadership health standard.

These are the days to mark those who, invariably, support the sufferings and backwardness of the Nigerian people as we compare situations therein with what obtains in other climes. We must start to identify those who are fighting tooth and nail to impose predators and erstwhile official criminals still masquerading as leaders, and are escaping the wrath of the law, due to a weakened judicial system.

Those who have been baptized in “Party Loyaltism”, rather than “State Loyaltism” must be sieved from the humane and responsible citizens, and made to face their dirty and ignoble roles, when the dream of Nigerians come true of electing credible candidates to high offices.

Sometimes, their velocity of ignominy and senseless attachment to the out-modeled foxes, is often helped by their anonymity in their evil pursuits, which benefits them ultimately, but leave the rest of the population in insecurity, poverty and squalor. These are people who only care about what they stand to gain for themselves and their individual families alone.
It is selfishness driven and does not care about the existential needs of any other person other than theirs. They are men of depraved minds caring only about their own stomach. They are greedy people who work remotely and relentlessly for the pulling down of a nation for their personal gains.

“Party Loyaltism” rather than “Nationalistic Patriotism” is where selective attention is given to meeting the greed of a section of the citizenry at the expense of the majority who do not join their nefarious cliques, a similitude of a reformed and rebranded cults.

The occultist nature of “Party Loyaltism”, championed by the indecent, indiscrete and immoral party supremacy philosophy, often produces a regrettable aftermath; the reminiscence of the kind of anti-developmental society that Nigeria and other retrogressive African states have become. It is a state of abnormality, a moral decadence and amnesia, a cog in the wheel of progress, which also had perpetuated the reign of impunity for government officials in their looting competitions and acute mis-governance – the scandal the back race had faced in the comity of Nations for decades.

“Party Loyaltism” has crippled our resolve to develop along the paths of the Ancient Tigers since the constitution, or normal spirit of the constitution, is often set aside to give room to massive and unthinkable lunatic looting and mismanagement of our commonwealth. But we have a choice to remain so or to liberate our Nigerian milti-nations from dependency, despondency, de-development and speedy derailment.

The plague of selfish youths who have helped to keep imposter in power against bright, upright and intelligent alternatives, is a tragedy to bemoan for the Nigerian people.

Nigerians have always desired to have credible leadership with good reputation, competence and transparency. This search had always met the brick walls because of those whose “stomach-infrastructural needs” outweigh the “national infrastructural needs”. These highly unpatriotic individuals, and their cronies, are the very demonic agents carrying out the dastardly act of votes buying, an instrument for the manipulation of the electoral process to give undue advantage to their evil principals. Thus, it is not only the masterminds who have bullion vans of raw cash to dispense at the vicinities of polling units, that are undermining Nigeria and Nigerians, but also, their accomplices – foot soldiers of manipulations who have no true love for the people, but their apparent love for quick and enslaving cash.

It is easy to blame the big politicians for electoral dishonesty while the subtle and satanic foot-soldiers and diehard party loyalists, evangelists and direct influencers and inducers are naively overlooked. These cliques know the truth for sure, that the person they are working hard to impose do not satisfy the yearnings of the ordinary people of a good Nigeria, yet these representatives and delegates of darkness, go about wooing people with baits of slavery – free cash, pack of beans, sachet of milk, pack of noodles etc with which their freedom is often bought over.

The surreptitious and unscrupulous agents of primitivism think themselves to be free to support whosoever, in spite of their consciences judging them as aiding and abetting real criminals, not yet defined so by any court of competent jurisdiction. But the moral consciousness of the people always identify these underdogs, placing them amongst thieves and arm robbers, in their hearts.

These are the days to identify these extremist party loyalists and enemies of the people, whom, for pecuniary interests, sell their birthrights on the alter of paltry inducements or handsome aggrandizements. They often look only on the immediate gains and delude themselves of the imminent doom it attracts and portends for the entire country.

In the name of party loyalty, meagre sums of inducements turn erstwhile intelligent beings into morons and instrument of retrogression. They are captured by mammon and their consciences seared with hot iron.

Before the encounter which had hypnotized them and made them submit to alien directives and inordinate affection for “stomach infrastructure”, these men, now turned monsters, were very sane, having some modicum of social and moral decency. They also once had the ability to discern and forecast future gains contemplatable in the various actors seeking electoral enthronement.

After these political comedians and ostriches had eaten of the “forbidden fruit of unrighteousness”, and have also given same to their cronies, there is no way their destinies cannot resemble the fate of those to be used and dumped, since there does not exist any contractual obligations between their principals and them. They are there only to function as the ladder with which imposters are enthroned for the citicen’s brutalization.

The society become a de-facto victim of all possible underdevelopment index, made possible by victims of mammon who serve as agents of national dishonesty.

The unpatriotic party loyalists and beguiled evangelists and conglomerates of the illicit political structures, the organized “slavedom” that desperate politicians fall back on; themselves often end up with wounded consciences after the election which throw up people’s rejects as rulers. They often bite their fingers to no avail because they had listened to their stomachs rather than their heads.

Some have started their antics again. Stomach infrastructure is still able to drag some notorious youths into doing the bidding of the political jobbers, scammers and traitors. We must mark them and match them, words for words, text for text, videos for videos,etc. But, we cannot allow them bring us to their level of depravity and insanity. We must keep our heads above the ocean of imperviousness and lunacy.
We will fight to enthrone righteousness in our nation, not by brute of bullets and violence, but by the ballot before us.

After the election, let us not forget to differentiate between those who sold their consciences in support of a pay-master, rather than the good servant leader, others have helped to enthrone. They should be monitored to be reminded, in the days to come, after the electoral victory of the Nigerian people, that they were not part of the good things that now go round.
The light of our good God shines of both the good and the wicked; yes, we will permit them to enjoy the new Nigeria with us. But, if they have not sold ever iota of conscience in them as unrepentant party extremists, they must feel ashamed of themselves when they and their children benefit from the real government of the people by the people and for the people. This is the time that Nigerians should pursue “Conscience Supremacy” rather than “Party Supremacy”; hence, they must become very loyal to the constitution and their consciences than live in a fool’s paradise with paltry inducements for being an extremist party loyalist. God save Nigeria!