Poor Nigerians collect rice/bread from politicians during elections not just because they are hungry, but also because they are ahead of the curve in their disinterest in Nigeria and its classist political system. This #coronavirus period will turn disinterest into resentment.

Only three categories of people across the country are still invested in the current Nigeria: (i) the political and economic elite; (ii) the direct dependents and beneficiaries of this elite; and (iii) the – loosely defined – educated middle class.

The interests of the elite – and their acolytes, sycophants, and cronies – are self-evident. They are solely concerned with using the Nigerian political system as a territorial resource exploitation system. Why they need Nigeria to continue as a centralised patronage state.

The clueless Nigerians, far behind the curve, are the 'educated middle class'. We have been schooled in ideals of statehood and citizenship, so we try to Cntrl+V the West. We function as though things are normal, and so unwittingly perpetuate this dysfunctional political system.

In our cluelessness, we refuse to see the political elite as huge beneficiaries of our political and economic inequalities. And we are disconnected from the impoverished majority because our work and education means we can negotiate with the state from a position of privilege.

Rather than catch up with poor Nigerians, we try to 'educate' them down to our level. We want them to legitimise this scam of a country by voting 'properly'. We blame their illiteracy. We blame their poverty. We even blame democracy. But we rarely blame the dysfunctional system.

These arguments disregard the autonomy of poor or illiterate Nigerians; they are condescending, paternalistic., and projected through the perspectives of people privileged by education. They assume poor Nigerians have no understanding of citizenship and, therefore, need guidance.

Maybe poor and uneducated Nigerians don't know theories of constitutional governance, but our people have a rational understanding of (i) the inefficiency of the Nigerian state in its current form and (ii) the futility of expecting function from a dysfunctional political system.

Now, the #coronavirus is highlighting our disconnect. Because we think the poor are dumb, we want to 'educate' or shoot them into staying at home. Because bread/rice seemed to work during elections, we are sending them bread/rice, but I tell you, that won't work now.

Right now, many educate people are on the side of the elite: trying to salvage this dysfunction and keep oppression going for a few more years. But the virus is accelerating resentment and, if we don't snap out and take the side of the poor, soon we may not have a society at all.

So yes, when politicians contest, the poor will take the bread/rice (not because they are hungry) but because it makes no difference to them.

But it will be hard to convince the poorest with that same bread/rice because the lockdown life that we want actually makes a difference.

For those of you who still don't get it: poor people will vote with their stomachs where the outcome is guaranteed to make no difference TO THEM. But poor people will vote with their heads where the outcome is guaranteed to make a difference TO THEM. Same as the rest of us.

The truth is that a lockdown in Nigeria has more negative impact on the poor, whereas continuing things as they are has more negative impact on the middle class and the elite. This time, 'stomach infrastructure' alone will not buy us the lockdown votes. https://twitter.com/ayosogunro/status/1241446380352217093?s=20

We don't have the same Nigeria.

To the elite: Nigeria is a perpetual resource generation machine.

To the middle class: Nigeria is a 'developing country with potential'.

To the poor: Nigeria is a curse.

And what is good for the Nigeria of some is not necessarily good for all.

Read more: WHY NIGERIANS DON’T CARE ABOUT FUNCTIONAL CARRIERS – OR DYSFUNCTIONAL ELECTIONS | https://ayosogunro.com/2018/07/26/why-nigerians-dont-care-about-functional-carriers-or-dysfunctional-elections-by-ayo-sogunro/