The much talked about 2023 general elections in the country are now only few days away. The political parties are in the final weeks of their campaigns and obviously the polity is its fever pitch. The electorate who will have the final say on February 28 in the Presidential and National Assembly elections and in the March 11 gubernatorial, where they will hold, and state assembly elections are the most coveted bride at the moment. Promises compiled in well written manifestos are being made to the people.
It is a sad commentary, however, that the campaign activities by the political gladiators and their supporters across the nation had been marred with acts of violence, intolerance, unbridled blackmail, mudslinging, character assassination, calumny, and other rather unspeakable negative tendencies.
Indeed, the spate of violence in the run up to the election has rather become intolerable and worrisome and constitutes a grave threat to the electoral process. The level of violence and criminal destruction of INEC facilities across the country by the anti-democratic forces had apparently given rise to the leadership of the electoral body to raise an alarm and to issue serious warnings at various times that the electoral process might be in serious jeopardy unless relevant security agencies take prompt action to stem the ugly trend. If this trend is not nipped in the bud immediately, it’s impact on the nation will be indescribable.
It has become imperative and incumbent on the political parties and their candidates to halt the escalating violence and other negative tendencies among their gullible supporters that will pose a challenge to the smooth conduct of the elections. The political party candidates at all levels in the upcoming elections should focus and deploy their energies on issue based campaigns and diligently present their
manifestos to the electorate to enable them make their informed choices rather than engaging in negative sentiments, bordering on ethnicity, religion or region that only divides than unite.
Nevertheless, when all the right things has been done, Nigerians must be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances bearing in mind that this year’s elections are peculiar in many ways. The optimism and the level of engagement that has followed this process must be sustained to the end. Nigeria is at the crossroads and to resolve the dicey situation, Nigerians must be resolute now more than ever.
The coming elections obviously would be making or mar for Nigeria’s future which emphasizes the need for all stakeholders to do everything within their power to ensure there will be a credible, transparent, free, and fair elections. This is the time to be truly patriotic in word and deed. We must not fail to get it right this time around even as the global community is anxiously waiting for the “sleeping giant of Africa” to quickly arise from her deep slumber and take her rightful place in the comity of nations and among the developed and civilized nations of the world.
Written by NZE NWABUEZE AKABOGU (JP)
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