Elections are about choices. A choice about whether to continue with a particular politician or political party. Before casting a ballot, every citizen has to confront the question of whether his or her interests are best served by the same party or politician, or a different party or politician. At the next election cycle, the same question will be asked, and on it goes.

In March 2015, Nigerians opted to go in a different direction after 16 years of PDP dominance at every level, and about 15 months in, tempers are beginning to fray and people are more impatient as a recessionary economy bites harder and harder. The current administration has been at pains to point out that many of the problems currently being faced did not begin recently, but that is scant consolation to an increasing number of people who have been priced out of daily necessities due to 16.5% inflation, and a large number of job losses.

The last couple of weeks has seen patience with the Buhari administration grow thin, so much so that some staunch supporters have begun to distance themselves, or stay silent altogether. Buhari was elected to start fixing the problems. Instead, he has made some of them worse.

The regret from some about voting for him has come to the surface, and they feel that apologising to those they ‘misled’ into voting for Buhari is the right thing to do.

While it is a brave and noble sentiment, it is not clear that this regret is a useful emotion. Whether or not a person votes, or asks the necessary questions of a candidate, someone will emerge the winner, and every ballot cast is done more in hope than anything else; hope that the future will be better than the past.

Elections are not the most important part of democracy, but they can feel like the most important: those elected will carry the mandate till the next time of asking. In between votes, the actions of those elected will make up the basis on which they are judged.

If they are judged to have come up short, then democracy provides avenues for changes to be made. Democracy – and elections – do not guarantee good leadership, but they do give an opportunity for bad leadership to be got rid of. As such, every election cycle is an opportunity to show that failure can no longer happen without consequences.

The way to channel any frustration about the Buhari administration – or any other – is to continue to demand better governance, while being prepared to effect changes at the voting booth if necessary. This is a principle that goes far beyond any one politician or political party. It is the template with which a society can keep improving itself, one cycle after another.

The work of improving Nigerian society cannot be done in a few election cycles, and it should not slow down or stop because of cynicism or apathy. All active and engaged citizens understand that nation building is a long haul, with many ups and downs along the way.

If one public official or the other proves incapable of delivering on his or her promises, he or she must be shown the door.

A quote attributed to Mark Twain said it best: “Politicians are like diapers; they need to be changed often and for the same reason”.

Isime Esene