Zoning vs Competence: The Battle for Nigeria’s Political Soul

Zoning vs Competence: The Battle for Nigeria’s Political Soul

Nigeria’s democratic journey continues to grapple with troubling inconsistencies, chief among them, the subversion of internal party democracy through zoning, vote-buying, and coercion. While zoning was initially introduced as a mechanism to foster unity and inclusion across Nigeria’s diverse regions, it has become a tool wielded by power blocs to suppress merit, manipulate outcomes, and enforce political mediocrity.

Biblically, God’s standard for leadership has never been based on tribe or region but on competence and divine approval.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height… The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This underscores the need to prioritize character, capacity, and calling over geographic identity.

Historical evidence from Nigeria’s political evolution shows that zoning has not prevented corruption or enhanced national prosperity. Instead, it has recycled power among unprepared elites who ride on the back of regional sentiments rather than merit.

For instance, when candidates are forced to step down for regional balance, the electorate is robbed of the opportunity to assess the most competent aspirants. This contradicts democratic norms where fair competition and transparent primaries ought to be sacrosanct.

Any party that denies a level playing ground betrays the very soul of democracy. According to Proverbs 11:1, “The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with Him.” Manipulating primaries, whether by money inducement, coercion, or imposed consensus, amounts to dishonest scales.

The right of every qualified member to aspire should be preserved. As Ecclesiastes 9:11 notes, “The race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong… but time and chance happen to them all.”

Every aspirant deserves their time and chance, free from imposed ceilings or rigged conventions.

In conclusion, Nigeria must shift from politics of favoritism to politics of fairness. Zoning, when it silences competence, is undemocratic.

Let internal democracy reign, and let the best aspirant emerge, not through coercion or consensus, but through credible and transparent processes. Only then can Nigeria begin to experience true leadership transformation.

TrueDemocracy

SayNoToZoning #CompetenceOverRegion #InternalPartyDemocracy #LeadershipWithoutBias #EndPoliticalCoercion #NigeriaDeservesBetter