Political bystanding and the status quo

Whenever we see strangers desperately seeking help, the moral imperative to act is often clear, but we do not always do so—for reasons that we later regret. This bystander effect can be illustrated in several traumatic incidents across the country.

The recent series of killings without trial in Onitsha, where Chinedu and Omama, believed to be siblings, were burnt alive for alleged financial issues; in Cross River, where Martina Itagbor, a mother of four, was mercilessly burnt over witchcraft allegations; in Sokoto, the dreadful murder of Deborah Samuel, a student, for alleged blasphemy in 2022; and the brutal ethnically-motivated massacre of Harira Jubril, pregnant, and her four daughters, all show a troubling trend. These lawless executions happened in front of bystanders.

These tragic events illustrate how the dire consequences of societal indifference and inaction can enable violence and injustice to flourish. These incidents are not isolated tragedies; they are indicative of a broader societal reluctance to intervene and challenge wrongdoing, a condition aggravated by the prevailing socio-political and economic setting. Such apathy is what gave authorities the power to act with impunity, which makes the next elected official act worse.

Under the ruling APC, Nigerians are facing daunting challenges, but the inaction is making the administration continue their audacious death-causing policies. A staggering 133 million citizens live in poverty, over 53.4 per cent of the youth grapple with unemployment and high insecurity within communities, and the nation endures a volatile economy marked by a 27.3 per cent headline inflation rate and soaring living costs. Amidst these adversities, the political atmosphere remains oppressive.

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The recent incident in the National Assembly, where Tinubu’s song was sung and applauded by the lawmakers in place of the national anthem during the President’s presentation of the 2024 budget, signals an alarming shift towards a one-party system. Seeing that reminded me of Germany in the 1930s. In his parting note, the president told the lawmakers to rubber-stamp the record-breaking budget within a month. Surprisingly, the lawmakers obliged and even passed it for second reading in less than 48 hours. This political shift reflects not just a state capture but also a failure of civic engagement.

These troubling developments in Nigeria’s political and economic spheres are not merely statistics; they have real, tangible effects on the lives of millions. The youth, who should be the driving force behind the nation’s growth, find themselves trapped in a web of unemployment and disenfranchisement. The cost-of-living crisis and the never-ending community terrorisation are not just socioeconomic indicators; they represent diminishing hopes, increasing hardships, and a future that seems ever more uncertain for ordinary people.

The series of extra-judicial killings, from Deborah to Harira to Martina and the recent Onitsha incident, serve as stark reminders of the consequences of a society’s indifference. They are the disappointing outcomes when fear, frustration, and resignation replace civic duty and community responsibility.

In the face of such misery, it will be tempting to turn away, to attribute these events to the failings of others, or to lose oneself in the struggle for daily survival. Reflecting, even in the Quran, Allah says, “He will not change the condition of the people unless they change it themselves.” So, it is people’s actions that can effect changes. And it is time for Nigerians to recognise that political bystanding and social apathy only contribute to the perpetuation of these crises.

The bystander effect, a psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help when others are present, is a fitting metaphor for our current state. But unlike the classic bystander scenarios, where the responsibility to act is diffused among many, in the political and social context, the responsibility is collective, and all share the consequences of inaction.

The ruling party’s approach, marked by policies that increase poverty and unemployment in the country, is not just a political failure; it is a call to action for every Nigerian—northerner and southerner, young and elderly, male and female. The power and responsibility to demand change rests with all of us.

What is required is renewing the spirit of civic engagement, a collective awakening to the power of individual and communal action. This reawakening hardly yields results in a polarised electoral campaign season due to counteracting factors. Elections are over, but politics never stops.

Citizens must continue civic engagement by holding the incumbent party accountable, demanding transparency, and insisting on policies that uplift rather than oppress. Transformative change can potentially happen in Nigeria. But only when apathy is replaced with action when the bystander effect is overcome by a shared sense of responsibility and a commitment to justice. Only actions can help us understand our differences and explore our collective strength.

As a collective, we must not only grieve for those lost to violence and injustice but also take it upon ourselves to prevent such tragedies from being repeated. For the sake of future generations, this is a call to stand up for the rights of those who need help and to work tirelessly towards a prosperous, diverse Nigeria where poverty and political oppression are stories of the past.