Post-election: What happens to the mandate?

As voters, when we cast our votes for a politician we have our expectations from the person we give our mandate. Fulfilling the mandate requires the winners execute a manifesto on which basis election was fought and won.  But many do not. Hence, we must shun the trend of winning the election but losing the […]

As voters, when we cast our votes for a politician we have our expectations from the person we give our mandate.

Fulfilling the mandate requires the winners execute a manifesto on which basis election was fought and won.  But many do not.

Hence, we must shun the trend of winning the election but losing the mandate. Beyond election definitely, there is the burden of mandate which elected politicians must strive to win and fulfil the essence of elections.

The people’s mandate does not belong to an individual. It is a trust for which the bearer will be accountable to both Allah and the people. The mandate is meant to improve the quality of general living of the community.

Prior to elections, political soldiers build in our minds a strong optimism for fulfilling the mandate. But when the elections are over they abandon it.

The joy of a politician, therefore, should go beyond winning an election but ensuring that he fulfills the terms of the mandate given to him.

Elected politicians should be mindful and responsive that they have signed a political covenant with the electorate to improve their general well-being.

If we are to go solemnly by fairness, successful politicians are not those who win elections for winning sake, but they are those whose unflinching faith in mandate actualisation is quintessential.

Unfortunately, many politicians are jittery about losing an election but only a few are concerned of not fulfilling their mandate.

The mandate phenomenon occupies the central stage of governmental activities. It is pertinent to remind our politicians that in every mandate lies political compulsion and obligation.

It is important that the kind of unrivalled vigor, planning and mass resources deployed to win an election by candidate should be on the same level when it comes to delivering on mandate.

The best way to rank our leaders is evaluating the implementation of the mandate given to them. Is he the type who dodges responsibility to address the growing class of youths who are extremely ambitious and energetic, but exploited and oppressed?

It is heartening to hear President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu promising to form a  government of ‘national competence’. This can be a pointer to realising the mandate given to him. Indeed if competence is deployed very well, our mandate will not be sacrificed. The partial or total collapse of a mandate will not augur well for our democracy.

This is a clarion call to all our elected politicians that the campaign noise is over. They must begin to plan to actually justify winning the polls. In this, the mandate given to them must be pursued to its logical conclusion to improve the people’s living condition.

 

Abdu Abdullahi wrote via [email protected]