“Do not waste your energy fighting against where you are. Rather, invest your energy into getting to where you want to go.” – Marc and Angel.
ABOVE is a quote from the popular personal development blog of Marc and Angel, who are passionate writers, admirers of the human spirit, and full time students of life. The lesson that can be derived from the expression is that, past events are final and can’t be changed. The present moment is a valuable gift of opportunities and experiences that could be used to bring a better future.
In other words, even if you are not where you want to be, admit that as a dream of yesterday, and the yesterday is gone, so forget it. Since you are in today, use it wisely, in a way that would give you a better tomorrow. Life they say, is like a game of dice. If you don’t get the throw you want, make use of the throw you get, to win the game. Simple.
In life, the goal of everyone, every day, is to gradually grow stronger on the inside, so that less and less on the outside can affect his or her inner wellness, without their conscious permission. How we cope with unexpected problems and frustrations can easily be the difference between living a good life and living a bad one.
Depending on our courage and ability to take risk, by damning the consequences, we can quickly turn a tough situation into a prosperous one. But sadly, because of the fear of the unknown, and the lack of courage, this is a common mistake many people make, including the writer of this article. We know we are not there yet, but sometimes, we lack the courage and conviction of believing that we can gradually get there.
And precisely that’s where the risk takers come in. They do things that involve danger or risk in order to achieve a goal. Because of their acumen, business and political, they make informed and effective decisions, based on a comprehensive grasp of how the political or economic atmosphere is, and sleep with the confidence of achieving their goals. Yes, based on the decision taken today, they always feel fulfilled, that although they are not there yet, there is the optimism of getting there tomorrow.
And it is here, I situate the confidence of Nigeria’s President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who had said time after time that, becoming Nigeria’s president is his lifelong ambition. And indeed, against all odds, and in spite of the evidently hostile opposition, that ambition was achieved, and he was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th president, for an initial period of four years, exactly two years ago.
To review his mid-term performance in office, his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, held a national summit in Abuja yesterday, where it told the world that, indeed President Tinubu is walking the talk, and the party is maintaining its majority in the National Assembly.
The purpose of the summit was simply to provide an opportunity to reaffirm the party’s shared gains, and permit it to re-strategize, against the coming elections. That is politics. To know where you are, and based on that knowledge, make an assessment. If it is where you want to be, fine. If it isn’t, then re-strategize to be where you want to be.
In political science, “politics” is broadly nicknamed as the collection of activities by a group of people, particularly those that involve power relations and the allocation of resources. Politics deals with how societies are governed, including the individuals involved in governing and the institutions that shape the political landscape. In simple terms, politics is all about “who gets what, when, and how”. And almost always, it involves negotiations in the exercise of power and influence.
Mostly, people are at the height of their popularity before arriving on the seat of power. Once they get there, they mostly part away with that popularity, because, the job involves making reforms for correction. And all over the world, reformists, who believe in making corrections, are always unpopular.
Pursuant to yesterday’s APC summit, and the amiable abracadabra that happened there, where, almost in unison, all organs of the party and elected representatives of the people, passed a vote of confidence on the performance of the President in particular, and the party in general, the lips of many Nigerians are asking one question-is the APC being fair to our Democracy? How can they anoint a person for a second term, long before he finishes the first term?
Yes, those asking that question are not happy, and they have the right to feel unhappy. Its legitimate. But their right to feel unhappy, stops where others have the right to feel happy. That is the meaning of Democracy. The minority can have a say, but the majority must have the way.
Democracy seeks to empower individuals to control their own lives, allowing them to make choices and participate in decisions that affect them. If the decision to endorse the President is from the majority, and the majority can speak through their representatives, so be it. The best the minority can do, in a democracy, is to strategize for the day of the election.
In accepting the general endorsement for a second term, President Tinubu said, “I Know the road, and I am not turning back. I would take you to the promised land.” The President knows that we are not there yet, but, like with his presidential ambition, he is confident we are getting there. May Allah guide him aright, and give us the patience of perseverance. Ameen.
- Ibrahim is Publicity Director for the All Progressives Congress (APC).