2027: Why Nigerians must vote for working system, By Prisca Sam-Duru

A recent experience shared by a 33-year-old Cameroonian woman living in the UK has stayed with me.

Thirty weeks pregnant and alone at home, she experienced what she believed were labour pains and called the UK emergency service. According to her, within three minutes, four medical personnel arrived at her apartment with the necessary equipment, prepared to deliver her baby right there. It turned out to be a false labour alarm, but they still transported her to the hospital by ambulance for further checks.

That is what a functioning system looks like.

Now compare that with Nigeria’s maternal mortality situation, where women still lose their lives because medical assistance arrives too late or is unavailable.

A few months ago, my neighbour’s house caught fire at night. Residents rushed out, shouting to alert others, fetching water and breaking walls to prevent the fire from spreading. People called the emergency numbers they knew, but no fire service arrived. Residents and local vigilantes had to take on the work of trained firefighters. Sadly, the brother of the homeowner lost his life.

In the UK, fire alarms are routinely inspected, and when a fire breaks out, emergency services can respond within minutes. In Nigeria, there have been numerous reports of fire trucks arriving after buildings have already been destroyed. In some cases, they reportedly arrive without enough water, sometimes resulting in angry crowds chasing them away. What a country.

In many English cities, you rarely see police officers pursuing suspects on busy roads and creating additional danger for motorists. You can also find roundabouts without traffic lights or traffic wardens, yet traffic generally moves without chaos because road users, including cyclists, follow the rules.

In Lagos, however, we have LASTMA and road safety officials stationed at junctions that already have traffic lights, yet congestion and disorder remain common. Drivers curse, danfos block roads and drive against traffic, koropes and keke operators take dangerous risks, while okada riders weave through traffic, adding to the confusion.

The difference is not magic. It is the system.

With another general election approaching, Nigerians need to ask themselves what kind of country they want.

Our politicians travel abroad frequently. They enjoy reliable electricity, efficient emergency services, good roads and functioning hospitals. They return home, misuse public resources and travel abroad again to spend the proceeds. Then the cycle continues.

It is time for Nigerians to ask a simple question: Do we want to begin the journey toward development, or continue supporting politicians whose policies leave citizens impoverished?

Recently, political thugs reportedly prevented a presidential candidate they opposed from campaigning in some states. Many of these young men are themselves victims of poor governance and economic hardship.

In Benue, where communities have repeatedly suffered attacks by herders and bandits, a self-styled strongman declared that Benue belongs to the President, even as residents have appealed to foreign countries for assistance. Where is the democracy in that? Why should any Nigerian be prevented from campaigning anywhere in their own country? Will stopping a presidential candidate from campaigning improve the lives of people in Benue?

Ask anyone who has lived in the UK when they last experienced prolonged power outages. For many, the answer would be difficult to recall.

In my community in Lagos, however, we have endured unreliable electricity for more than 15 years because of an old and inadequate transformer. Last year, residents contributed over ₦100,000 each to purchase a new transformer. We celebrated as though we had won the World Cup.

Residents paid for the transformer, cables, poles and other equipment from their own pockets. Yet, one year later, the electricity distribution company has still not energized the transformer, while residents continue receiving high electricity bills.

In developed systems, citizens simply receive electricity and pay their bills. How the infrastructure works behind the scenes is the responsibility of the authorities. Here, citizens provide the equipment and still pay for darkness.

In my street, residents grade the road ourselves. Every household also has to provide its own borehole.

This has continued for so long that many people now consider it normal. It is not.

At 66, Nigeria appears to be experiencing more setbacks than progress. Insecurity has made many people unsafe even in their homes. Hunger has weakened purchasing power, while corruption has become deeply rooted.

People even adulterate food products with dangerous substances to increase profits, contributing to health problems. A functioning regulatory system should prevent such practices. The late Dora Akunyili demonstrated that Nigeria can work when committed and capable people are placed in positions of responsibility.

Nigerians now provide many of the basic services government should provide — electricity, water, roads and security. Yet instead of demanding accountability, some citizens attack fellow Nigerians on behalf of politicians who may forget them once elections are over.

We also contribute to the problem. We dump refuse into gutters and block drainage channels. We eat in moving vehicles and throw waste through the windows. Perhaps the next step is throwing refuse from aeroplanes, if that were possible.

We have lost respect for laws because some of those responsible for enforcing them have also abandoned basic morality. A hungry, frustrated and hopeless population will struggle to maintain order. When the system works, people are more likely to behave responsibly.

Come 2027, Nigerians need a fresh start.

Citizens must make their choices without allowing tribal or religious sentiments to determine their votes. The focus should be on good governance — leadership that can reorient society, restore Nigeria’s reputation at home and abroad, and make politics more about public service than personal profit.

A government that puts the interests of Nigerians ahead of the pockets of a few.

We have a choice to make: continue with the status quo or demand a system that works.