2026: Year of Politicking or Good Governance?

By Mobolaji Sanusi

“Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be.” —Sydney J. Harris

The new Y2026 is just unfurling, and expectations of a better-managed country by Nigerians from their leadership are justifiably high. This is understandably in tandem with the perennial fresh calendar year projections by individuals, institutions, and governments.

Therefore, my fellow countrymen crave a better-governed country this new year; and they truly deserve this attainable craving even though our system, as configured for decades, is replete with currently rare intentionally sincere planning and an attitude of selfless delivery. This fact was attested to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dissection of the country’s situation during a visit to India on September 7, 2023, to wit: “We are not poor in knowledge. We are not poor in human resources. We are only poor in management and leadership….”

Why the nation continues to score low marks in management and leadership is an object of discourse for another day. Nonetheless, one thing my fellow countrymen need to realize is that good governance this year might be impeded by the rancorous politics of Y2027 when constitutionally guaranteed periodic general elections of four-year intervals will be held across the country. The conceived season of electioneering is about to be delivered later this year.

Consequently, my fellow countrymen’s expectations of an undiluted governance, though not misplaced, but in realistic political terms, looks likely forlorn.

Of course, the paraphernalia of administering government through age long bureaucracy will not stop running, but its doubtful efficacy in the ensuing months that make up the year is something that stands to be seen.

Usually, budgets covering a whole gamut of public endeavours have certainly been made in federal, state, and local council levels across the country. But the real approving/oversight authorities of the budgets in both the executive and legislative branches of government respectively, will be busy striving to retain their positions or seek fresh terms elsewhere – first by being faced with the distractions of how to win their parties’ primaries and secondly, by the distractions of what strategies to deploy to retain their positions or seek new positional adventures in the next general election.

Even sitting governors with extinguishing tenures and the ones with no hope of returning will be busy rooting for replacements that’ll cover their dirty/shady dealings after office. In all instances, very little consideration, if any, is accorded to the beneficial governance of the people and country. Rather, the pursuits of personal ambition and interests take precedent.

For the appointees in states and at the federal levels, including ministers, commissioners, heads of ministries, agencies and parastatals, they will, rather than concentrate on actual governance, be largely distracted by seeking out what contributions they could make to earn political mileage in order to justify their appointments by doing everything, sometimes beyond their means, to show loyalty/support for their appointors. Such eye service is meant to guarantee their retention in positions in the next dispensation come Y2027. This is notwithstanding that most of them performed woefully or compromised their seats in their current positions.

Until this new year 2026, our politicians politick with virtually everything for as long as their political interests are well protected. Within and outside the governmental system, they have been involved in campaigning for perceived party candidates or likely political benefactors against the clear provisions of the Electoral Act.

This is notwithstanding the fact that section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits the commencement of campaigns earlier than 150 days before the next polling circle. Our politicians will have nothing to do with this extant provision and sadly with no obvious consequences. The Act provides no sanction for the aforementioned but merely stipulates in section 94(2) a maximum penalty of N500,000, upon conviction of any political party or person acting on its behalf who engaged in campaigns 24 hours before the polling day. Our politicians exploit the fact that the Act was silent on consequences for campaign breaches that occurred earlier than 150 days before an election date.

No wonder that in flagrant violations of this Act, the outgone Y2025 was replete with political campaign endorsements of personalities with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) helplessly looking the other way.

The scramble for political parties’ slots including through defections and the likes by aspiring politicians especially this year when election timetable is yet to be released by the electoral body underscores politicians’ desperation to retain or get power at any cost.

With all these going on this year, isn’t it pertinent to ask: Will the desired hope of a better governance this year by Nigerians yield the expected dividends in view of ongoing political distractions whereby everyone in government is concerned about securing their forte in the next general election that come up in precisely thirteen months’ time across the country?The answer: Your guess is as good as mine. This is because something tells me loud and clear that good governance this year is yielding ground to partisan politics with virtually everyone in government undeniably leading this ugly charge. What a dilemma it really is for Nigerians to contend with!!

NB: To readers of this column from all over the world, my sincere new year prayers of a rewarding months ahead.

•Sanusi, former MD/CEO of Lagos State Signage & Advertisement Agency, is currently the managing partner at AMS RELIABLE SOLICITORS. (WhatsApp messages ONLY through 07011117777).