On September 28, campaign for the 2023 general election officially began. Already, political parties and their candidates, some of whom had engaged in subtle campaigns even before the official kick-off, have been making frantic attempts to woo the electorate. In compliance with Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act (2022), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the election. The list released by the commission includes the names of candidates validly nominated by political parties for presidential, senatorial, federal constituency and governorship elections, as well as other vital details such as their party, age, gender and academic qualifications. The commission rightly urged the parties and candidates to play by the rules.
The commission has also been keen to warn all the political parties in the country to desist from collecting donations from foreign countries. The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, speaking during an interview with Trust TV, explained that parties were prohibited from receiving financial support from foreign countries, adding that in the event that such support was received, the funds should be transferred to the commission. Mahmood, who further explained that all the registered political parties were required to disclose the sources of their campaign funds and adhere strictly to the financial rules guiding election campaigns, added that individual financial support for candidates and parties must not exceed the commission’s approval threshold. As he noted, “There is a certain amount of financial contribution that a person can give to a party during the election campaign.” Mahmood urged political parties and their candidates to comply with all the campaign guidelines, as contravening them would attract sanctions.
Ideally, the official inauguration of political campaigns for 2023 should provide an opportunity for the candidates and parties to tell Nigerians how they plan to turn things around in the country. As things stand, the auguries are portentous: the country is virtually on its knees in every sector of the national life, and drastic change is required to lift the mood of gloom and doom that pervades the land. The candidates and their parties need to address key issues such as security, the economy and infrastructure in an atmosphere devoid of mudslinging, character assassination and pettiness. Indeed, if the country is to witness real change, the gladiators must conduct themselves in accordance with the statute books. They must eschew violence of any kind.
Besides, it is not enough to unveil manifestos; the candidates and their parties need to speak to them and provide the public with ample opportunity to ask relevant questions and thereby be in a position to make an informed choice. This is important if only because 23 years into the Fourth Republic, key issues around the national life, including the very question of a people’s constitution, devolution of powers, and security of life and property are yet to be addressed in any meaningful sense. It remains a legitimate question whether the political class has any real interest in the well-being of the people on whose behalf they occupy government office. And, sadly, if current developments in the polity are any indication, they will remain unaddressed unless Nigerians take the bull by the horns and take on the political establishment within the limits provided by law.
Nigerians are already starting to hear from politicians as they try to woo them with promises of what they intend to do if elected during the forthcoming polls. The reality, however, is that politicians in Nigeria have become adept at saying nothing concrete during campaigns, with the people learning nothing and becoming helpless, being forced to take part in voting that eventually changes nothing. This trend has to stop. Nigerians have to more critically interrogate contestants on their plans regarding the multifarious problems confronting the country, including the deepening and overwhelming insecurity, the collapsing economy and the dearth of infrastructure in spite of the commitment of humongous resources to them over time.
This is not the time to turn campaigns into mere jamborees. The campaign season should provide an opportunity for Nigerians to assess the capability and readiness of each contestant for public office. It is also important for the official structures for the elections such as the INEC and the security agencies to eschew partiality. They should act in a neutral and disinterested fashion while supervising the campaigns and the coming elections in order to guarantee success. We hope that they will do just that.
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