We are the fourth arm of government. The most powerful. The real owners of this country.
The executive rules, the legislature makes laws, the judiciary interprets them but none of them exist without us. We are not subjects to be ruled; we are the sovereign people. The Constitution does not belong to the politicians. It belongs to us. Yet, for too long, we have surrendered our power, allowing those we elected to become our oppressors.
They sit in government only because we put them there. Their power is borrowed, their offices temporary. Without us, there is no president, no governor, no senator, no judge. But look at how they treat us. Like beggars. Like fools who must suffer in silence while they enjoy the wealth of a nation we all own.
With everything happening in Nigeria the disgraceful drama in the Senate, the betrayal in the House of Representatives, the judiciary auctioning justice to the highest bidder, and the unconstitutional takeover of Rivers State are we awake yet? Or will we, once again, adjust to oppression like it’s our destiny?
They think we are fools. They think we are weak. They think we will scream for a few days and forget, just like we always do. But will we?
The Nigerian Senate, instead of addressing real issues, has become a battleground of personal interests and shameless power struggles. A senator speaks out about harassment, and instead of accountability, they try to silence her. Another senator calls for the sack of key officials in government, and suddenly, he is removed as committee chairman. Those who speak truth to power are crushed, while those who serve the system are rewarded with luxury, security, and access.
The House of Representatives, meant to defend the people, is now a clubhouse where lawmakers serve themselves first. Debates are no longer about making life better for the citizens. They are about who gets what, who controls what, and who can manipulate the system better. Laws are passed not in the interest of Nigerians but to satisfy political benefactors.
The judiciary, once the last hope of the common man, has become a business enterprise where justice is sold to the highest bidder. Court orders are ignored, judgments are bought, and the rule of law is trampled upon daily. When those in power break the law, they walk free. When the common man makes a mistake, he is crushed under the full weight of the law.
And now, Rivers State is under siege. A state of emergency has been declared in all but name, as the political elite attempt to erase democracy with the stroke of a pen. A sitting governor, elected by the people, is being stripped of power through executive overreach. If this can happen in Rivers today, where will be next? Will it be your state tomorrow? Will it be the entire nation next year?
Let’s not pretend this is normal. Let’s not act like we do not see what is happening. This is no longer just bad governance. This is a blatant takeover of power from the people.
And they no longer bother hiding it.
They loot in broad daylight, daring us to act. They increase fuel prices, hike electricity tariffs, devalue the Naira, and tax us into poverty while they live in obscene luxury. They no longer pretend to care. Why? Because they know that after every betrayal, we will sigh, complain, adjust, and continue suffering in silence.
They do this because we allow them to.
Enough.
We are not just voters. We are not beggars at the table of governance. We are the fourth arm of government, the most powerful of them all. The Constitution says sovereignty belongs to the people. But do we act like it? Or have we surrendered our power, exchanging it for suffering?
No savior is coming. No politician will fix this country for us. Nigeria will not change until we, the people, decide we have had enough.
We must refuse to be silent. We must speak up, not just online, but in the streets, in our communities, in our workplaces, and in every space where oppression thrives. We must call out their deceit. We must demand accountability. We must stop celebrating thieves because they come from our tribe or religion. A thief is a thief, whether he steals from Lagos or Kano, Rivers or Sokoto. Enough.
We must stop waiting for elections to demand change. Democracy is not a four-year cycle. It is a daily fight. We must reject their distractions, their tribal games, their religious manipulations. We must refuse to let them divide us.
And we must take action. Real action. Stop normalizing suffering. Stop excusing incompetence. Stop defending leaders who ruin our lives simply because they speak our language or practice our religion. They are not on our side. They are united in their greed, while we fight over crumbs.
The system is not broken. It was designed to work against us. And only we can dismantle it.
Nigerians, are we awake yet?
They think we will hit the snooze button again. They are betting on our silence. They are banking on our short memory. They are counting on our fear.
Will they be right? Or will this be the day Nigeria finally wakes up?
Stephanie Shaakaa
University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.
shaakaastephanie@yahoo.com
