The 2023 general elections are fast approaching; it remains less than seven months. The dust of the running mate saga has settled. The next line of action is the public campaign and it is swiftly jugging 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 elections have lowered the keen contestants and their ardent followers to the pit of sleeplessness. They are all cogitating on the knacks to be utilised in actualising 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 nest rather than serve humanity. Nigerians should not forget that. In the space of about eight years, the rope and hen are in absolute discomfort as is being expressed in one Yorùbá epigram that states thus: Ara kò ro okùn, ara kò ro adìre.
Should I discuss the menace of insecurity in the country? Should I delve into mentioning 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 corridors of power, albeit, they have succumbed to the design of destiny.
The process of the general elections 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, pertaining to the country, the public campaign shall, as reported, kick off on September 28, 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 film of terror.
The federal government should, as a master of necessity, organise radio and television programmes that 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, hopelessly, been at home since February as a result of the strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), not to fall into prey of being sponsored by the political merchants, whose children are gleefully enjoying abroad, to perpetrate or engage in any sort of dastardly acts that may put filth to their white linen of integrity. Those politicians are brilliant in trickery.
Also, the government should fully arm the conventional security personnel to the teeth with a cache of arms to enable them to foil any political misdemeanour 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 that is grammatically designed in this paragraph.
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 as a stepping stone or a ladder to attain their aims. Once the aim is achieved, there is every likelihood they may be dumped, like waste into the dustbin. Consequently, they should hamstring themselves from imperiling their lives to engage in ruckus at the campaign venue. They should be phlegmatic and protect their names cum family backgrounds. Nonetheless, I’m not advising 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 admonition is taken important and permitted to guide both sides i.e. the youths, members of political parties and government, indubitably, there will not be disruption of tranquility in the country and the mind of the citizens will be at rest as far as campaigns are concerned.
I pray the upcoming general elections be as free and fair as that of 1993 elections which can never be forgotten in the annals of Nigeria’s history.
Olayode Inaolaji,
Ogbomoso, Oyo state
[email protected]
