Nigerians want issue based campaigns

The March 2019 elections into various elective offices in the states and at the federal level including the gubernatorial and the presidential elections are drawing nearer. The political parties are preparing for make or break electioneering campaigns which will get underway in a few weeks’ time.

There is no doubting that Nigerians are looking forward to electioneering campaigns that are devoid of the acrimonious politics of the past with its attendant use of thugs, abusive and hate speeches, as well as violent displays of the old politics across the country.

That is why Nigerians must be wise in choosing the party to vote for this time around. They must determine which of the political parties contributed more to the economic downturn in Nigeria and decide whether they would want such a political party in power again

This time around, Nigerians must desist from money politics that has denied the nation the opportunity of getting the service of people who have good ideas that could turn the nation around. Many contestants for political offices have good ideas but are not money-bags and cannot engage in money politics of the past.

Unfortunately, in the past, Nigerians short-changed themselves by looking at election periods as time to make money from politicians. They believe that politicians have the tendency to forget the electorate who put them into political offices once they get into the offices.

This time around, the electorate must demand non-violence from the politicians looking for their votes. Nigerians must demand issue- based campaigns from the politicians seeking their votes. For the first timers, the electorate must ask them what they hope to achieve when they get into office against which their performance and that of their political party shall be measured by the electorate at the end of the four years.

In addition, Nigerians must remember that as the elections are drawing nearer, all eyes are on Nigeria for a lot reasons. First, Nigeria is the most populous black country in the world, the largest by population and the continent’s leading economy. Observers believe that whatever happens in Nigeria has a way of reverberating round Africa and an example of what will eventually happen in other African countries. Most importantly, Nigeria is the leading democratic country in Africa and the third largest democracy in the world. The way its election goes may determine, to a large extent, the fate of other democracies in Africa. 

Also, the world is changing and the country must embrace changes that are consistent with the changing times. Countries across the world are embracing the use of technology and non-violence, abandonment of money politics and sale of voter’s conscience for money.  Nigeria must also embrace these excellent principles to move the nation forward.

Since the two major contestants in the elections would be the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, rather than abusing themselves and seeking to evoke violence among their followers, politicians on the platform of each of the two parties must ask their counterparts from the other party how much they moved Nigeria forward during their rule and what they achieved for the nation as well as how much they improved the lives of Nigerians when their respective party was in power. This is to enable Nigerians determine which of the two parties will serve their interest in the coming years.

Nigerians must know that there is power in their votes. Instead of selling their votes to greedy politicians,  they must exercise the power in their votes carefully by voting for those they are convinced can turn things around for the country.

Nigerians must realise that the essence of election is for the voters to have the choice of voting who they believe can better represent them in political office and manage the country well. That is why Nigerians must be wise in choosing the party to vote for this time around. They must determine which of the political parties contributed more to the economic downturn in Nigeria and decide whether they would want such a political party in power again. They must determine which of the political parties caused mass unemployment in Nigeria and decide whether they want such a political party back in power.

On the whole, Nigerians expect free and fair elections in March 2019. The process starts with political campaigns that are devoid of rancour, name calling, violence and the use of thugs.  The whole world will be watching Nigeria to see how free and fair the presidential elections and the other elections will be. Political parties must show the world that Nigeria has come of age and has overcome politics of violence, rancour and hate of the past.