POLITICS, POWER AND PUBLIC PERCEPTION: WHY DO GOOD PEOPLE STAY AWAY?
When good people stay away, bad people fill the space. When bad people govern, public perception of politics gets worse. When perception gets worse, more good people stay away". 1.0 INTRODUCTION Politics is supposed to be the business of the people. Yet in Nigeria, and many democracies around the world, the people with the most integrity, competence, and public goodwill are often the same people who refuse to run for Office. This creates a dangerous cycle: "When good people stay away, bad people fill the space. When bad people govern, public perception of politics gets worse. When perception gets worse, more good people stay away." The question then, is not just "why do good people stay away?" The real question is: "What does it cost the nation when they do?" 2.0 DEFINING THE ACTORS "GOOD PEOPLE": Professionals, technocrats, entrepreneurs, academics, clergy, civil society leaders. People with track records, reputations to protect, and altern...