With just about seven months to the general election, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and a former presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Congress, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, has advised Nigerians to interrogate all the presidential candidates on the plans to tackle the rising spate of insecurity and terrorism in the country.
Moghalu in his tweet wrote: “It seems to me that the most important question for the 2023 elections and whoever wins the presidency is the existential matter of security and the shrinking territorial integrity of Nigeria under the threat of terrorism. We should interrogate all the candidates on this.
“I don’t think we’ve heard enough from them on this. We must not let the 2023 election be about stylish but empty slogans and emotional vituperations without a cold look at our fundamentals. A state is not really a state in international law if it’s not in control of its territory.”
This advice is coming amid all the brouhaha surrounding the coming elections, most of the presidential aspirants have deviated from the core issues that affect the people as a nation, but rather escalating tensions in the country by dwelling on matters that cause division and strive among the people of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate for the Labour party, Peter Obi had in an interview on News Central Television, said he did not promise to make anyone happy if he becomes president. According to the former Anambra governor, what he promised Nigerians was to take the country and restore it to its rightful place if elected president.
“There are so many people that will tell you this man is useless. Not everybody will tell you that I’m good, they will tell you he is useless. I heard somebody on TV yesterday who said ‘don’t vote for Peter Obi’. He said there is no way he can vote Peter Obi because the man is wicked and he doesn’t give anybody one naira. But nobody said Peter Obi is a thief.
“I have seen even church people say the man doesn’t give anybody anything. I have been in positions where I go around, come to Abuja and people say the people are not happy with you, I said why? In my heart as governor, I never promised anybody happiness. I promised to fix schools. Are the schools working? Yes.
“So, those who want to be happy can go to the people in entertainment who make people happy. I am not happy myself. We want to fix it and I assure you we can start with the youths.”
In a separate development, Campaign For Transformative Governance (CFTG) has accused political parties of strategising how to buy votes in the 2023 general elections instead of focusing on issues-based campaigns. The CFTG charged politicians jostling for political positions to ensure their campaigns focus on how to provide solutions to developmental issues.
The group, a combination of civil society and labour union, made the call at the West senatorial district 2023 elections dialogue programme held at the Women Development Centre, Agege in Lagos, on Sunday.
CFTG is an initiative of the TUC, AUPCTRE, FIWON and pro-Labour civil society organisations.
The theme of the dialogue was ‘The 2023 General Elections and the Quest for People-Centred Public Service-Focused Governance- Any Hope?’
Sina Odugbemi, CFTG chairman in Lagos, said a political eclipse had beclouded the nation’s democracy because many politicians do not base their campaigns on issues.
“In the past, after getting people’s mandates and authority, people assess politicians’ performances by all their manifestos and analysis during the electioneering, but today everything has changed. Politicians are now turning the table and limiting it with the ideas of the cash carriers take it all,” said Mr Odugbemi.
He added, “Most of them focus more on how much to spend on voters on election day than to engage the citizens on developmental issues and programmes.”
Gbenga Ekundayo, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria chair in Lagos, said
it was imperative to engage candidates jostling for political offices, to know their capacity and programme for the people.
He said, “Through this programme, people will know how much the candidates understand the challenges on the ground, the resources available and the best way to tackle challenges. This is a way we can build the future we all deserve as the programme allows the union and the civil society to advise their members aright in order to vote for the right candidates.”
Also, Oluwatoyin Shokunbi, chairman of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service, Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), noted that the union was coming out to sensitise the public on the coming general election.
Ms Shokunbi explained that all party candidates were only eager to get into power without considering the challenges facing the economy as Gbenga Komolafe, the general secretary of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON), urged labour unions to be united ahead of the 2023 general elections to keep issues on the front burner.
“We have the issue of basic security of lives and property as well as challenges of public service delivery in almost all the sectors. These are the issues we want to push forward to party candidates to say what they want to offer, but unfortunately, the major candidates and present political office holders are not here,” he said.
With Reports From NAN