2023 election campaigns: Admonitions to govt, youths

The 2023 general election is fast approaching; it is less than seven months away. The dust of the running mate saga has settled. The next line of action is the public campaign and it is swiftly getting closer as well. The crux of this article is mainly to give the card-carrying members of all the […]

The 2023 general election is fast approaching; it is less than seven months away. The dust of the running mate saga has settled. The next line of action is the public campaign and it is swiftly getting closer as well. The crux of this article is mainly to give the card-carrying members of all the registered political parties, the youths, and the federal government, some pieces of advice that should be strictly adhered to during the campaign process for peace to prevail.

Expectedly, the upcoming general election has lowered the keen contestants and their ardent followers to the pit of sleeplessness. They are all cogitating on the knacks to be utilized in actualizing their dreams of clinching the most revered political seats in Nigeria.

To digress a little, these contestants can, aptly, be regarded as political merchants; they are all desperate to gain power majorly to add feathers to their nests rather than serve humanity. Nigerians should not forget that. In the space of about eight years, the rope and hen are in absolute discomfort. Should I discuss the menace of insecurity in the country? Should I delve into the lack of infrastructural amenities?  Which one should I discuss?

It is outrightly unsavoury. The citizens are just enduring the travails created by the cretins in the corridor of power. Albeit, they have succumbed to the design of destiny.

The process of the general election has reached top gear. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, reportedly, said the final list of aspirants vying for presidential, senatorial, and House of Representatives will soon be published. According to him, the public campaign shall, as reported, kick off on 28th September 2022.

The dimension of how the campaign shall be observed is the trepidation that has overwhelmed my heart.  I’m sure the gentle Nigerians will also be in this thinking. If care is not properly taken, the scheduled date for the beginning of the public campaign might be the inception of the season’s film of terror.

The federal government should, as a matter of necessity, organize radio and television programmes that will be delivered by people of high intellect, especially in the field of security affairs to illuminate and broaden the horizon of Nigerian youths, especially the students, who have being at home since February as a result of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, not to fall prey to being sponsored by the political merchants to perpetrate or engage in any sort of dastardly acts. Those politicians are brilliant in trickery.

Also, the government should fully arm the conventional security personnel to enable them to foil any political misdemeanors that might be launched by people in the process of carrying out campaign activities. I urge the government to heed this cogent piece of advice.

In addition, my admonition also goes to the ardent followers of political parties. They should think beyond the circle. They should know they may only be used by politicians as a stepping stone or a ladder to attain their aims. Once the aim is achieved, there is every likelihood that they may be dumped, like waste into the dustbin. Consequently, they should avoid violence. They should be phlegmatic and protect their names cum family backgrounds.

Nonetheless, I’m not saying that they should not fully support their various political parties they belong to within their capacities, but to act prudently in the course of performing any exercise or action they are saddled with.

If the above admonitions are taken seriously, there will be no disruption of tranquillity in the country and the mind of the citizens will be at rest as far as the elections are concerned.

I pray the upcoming general elections will be as free and fair as that of 1993, which can never be forgotten in Nigeria.

 

Olayode Inaolaji sent in this piece from Ogbomoso, Oyo State: [email protected]