OPINION: The right time

By Maryam Ogunremi

I woke up this morning feeling so alive and refreshed. I haven’t felt this way in days. My mind has been troubled, but I think a good night’s rest would have calmed it. I didn’t have that luxury because the weather had been quite hot. Sleeping on my bed had become tabooor.

This is a serious taboo because the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has chosen to withhold supply for weeks. The story of my life and that of many other people in this area, except those who have the luxury of powering their own generator or powering themselves using solar energy. I can’t afford to lie in bed and get drenched in my own sweat.

The floor has become my go-to partner in these difficult times. A well swept and mopped floor can do wonders at a time like this. I suggest you do the same if you find yourself in my predicament. That’s not why I decided to put pen to paper this morning, but it’s worth noting.

All thanks to the cool breeze that blew over Abeokuta last night, the night was bearable and very relaxing. I slept like a baby. And this morning I sit by the window, thinking about how the beautiful weather has refreshed my mind and energized my brain to put pen to paper. It gave me the ability to write things that I’ve been struggling to put into words for two weeks. This is my epiphany and I don’t want to miss it.

Today’s weather reminds me how important the weather of every aspect of our lives is in determining how productive we become.

In business or career, favorable climate will make you prosper and make life meaningful for you. It gives you a level playing field with every individual in your field or business sector. The favorable climate generates a healthy rivalry that leads to growth. And as we grow, dreams come true, visions become clearer.

This is exactly what the Nigerian political space deserves. The right time. The right climate in which opposition parties thrive without infiltration from the ruling party. The right climate where politicians stop jumping from party to party in search of what wasn’t lost in the first place.

The recent shift from one political party to another by the bigwigs in Nigerian politics should be studied in an Ivy League institution like Harvard. The Book of Records should have documented this with a specific certificate and badge.

Let’s go back to my thoughts. The right climate where one can come out and compete against other party members without the “BABA SO PE” syndrome or the imposition of a consensus candidate. The right political climate where I, as a candidate, will not have to pay off other candidates because I want to be the sole ticket holder of the party.

This is the party where you hear a ridiculous sum of money being paid and you wonder why Nigeria is borrowing money in the first place, when we have such a sum in the hands of individuals we charge to oversee our Commonwealth.

I go back to what I was saying and promise not to deviate again.

Nigeria and Nigerians surely deserve the right political environment in which they can make sensible choices from a variety of choices that they say are the spice of life.

This should no longer be part of the prayers Nigerians will pray in this great 2026. It should have been answered long ago if and only the political class was full of non-self-centered, power-addicted individuals.

So, as I sit here, by the window, taking a breath of fresh air with the schoolchildren singing loudly about the assembly and the fishmonger inviting people to come and buy what he is selling, the question ringing in my head is: IF WE DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT POLITICAL TIME NOW, WHEN WILL WE?

Maryam Ogunremi is a broadcaster, writing from Abeokuta.

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