By Sunday Ani
Since June 2022, when political parties rounded off their presidential primaries, Nigerians have been anxiously waiting with bated breath for the September 28 official campaign take-off date.
Even though supporters of various political parties and their candidates have been launching vitriolic attacks at one another on various social media platforms, the official date set aside by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), remains September 28.
However, from the unofficial campaign already raging on social media, many Nigerians are worried that rather than focus on cardinal issues bedeviling the nation, ranging from insecurity in the land, to high cost of living, high inflation rate, poor economy, corruption in public institutions and youth unemployment among others, indications are clearly showing that religion and ethnicity may again dominate the campaign. Analysts predict that politicians, especially the old war horses, are still likely going to employ the old instrument of religious and ethnic sentiments to appeal to voters’ conscience rather than address the narrative of a new Nigeria where religion and ethnicity would be relegated to the background, while progressive ideas that will unite Nigerians of all ethnicity and propel the country to the 21st economic and scientific development, take the centre-stage.
But, the big question on the lips of well meaning Nigerians is: Are Nigerians going to allow political parties and politicians to anchor their campaigns on religion and ethnicity instead of serving them the narrative of a new Nigeria? The prospects for the new parties like the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the African Democratic Party (ADP, among others, as they go into the campaigns proper from September 28, is another issue that Nigerians would like to know.
Close watchers of recent political variables in Nigeria are saying that much as politicians would want to use religion and ethnicity as their major campaign tools, there seems to be a shift in the thinking of many Nigerians to the effect that 2023 will be a sharp departure from the past. They foresee a situation where the religious and ethnic appeals would be totally rejected by Nigerians, particularly the youths, who are bent on enthroning a new set of leaders with competence and sound track records of integrity, irrespective of their religious, ethnic or political leanings.
President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Dr. Pogu Bitrus, one of the proponents of issue based campaign as against the old use of religion, ethnicity or party affiliation made it clear that he and his group would not buy into any campaign that has ethnic or religious coloration. For him and his group, the issues are that the presidential candidate should be a southerner; the Muslim-Muslim ticket introduced by the APC remains unacceptable because that is divisive at a time when majority of the insurgent groups attacking Nigerians are alleged to be of Islamic origin and that only young, vibrant, and competent person with track record will be supported.
“After considering all the factors, we have settled for the presidential candidate of LP, Mr. Peter Obi, because we see in him somebody who will unite Nigeria, resolve the security situation of the country and solve the economic problems of the country. He also has a good track record and we have settled for him as the best person that can do the job. We won’t support people who want to be president because they want to be president. With the support of our people, we are going to mobilise for Obi so that we can have the better Nigeria which we are all aspiring for,” he stated.
He stressed that religion and ethnicity would never be the basis for the campaign this time around because the major issue would be about the survival of the entity called Nigeria. “Suppose, the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu did the right thing, we would have sat down with our people to debate whether or not we will take him or Obi, even though many factors are working for Obi more than Tinubu. Based on track record, age, equity, fairness and justice, Obi will be the man of the moment. Many Nigerians are of the opinion that religion will not divide us. There are people from the North who came in yesterday to have a meeting with us, and as far as they are concerned, the 2023 election is not about religion neither is it about ethnicity; but about Nigeria. And we believe that Obi will take us to the Promised Land,” he said.
He argued that Obi’s supporters are those who believe that a better Nigeria is possible. “So, we believe in a better Nigeria and the candidature of Obi not because he is a Christian or an Igbo man but because we believe he can do it and with Datti Baba Ahmed, who has a good track record and is very young on his side, they can transform Nigeria. All those preaching religious and ethnic sentiments like the APC candidate that brought in another Muslim as his running mate, thinking that such a move will get the Muslim North to support his people in the West to win the election, will be totally disappointed because even in the North, people are looking beyond religion and ethnicity. They are looking more towards capacity to deliver and capacity to take Nigeria to the Promised Land. In 2014, they came with a change mantra but we have all seen where the change has landed us. That will not happen again because in 2023, Nigerians are looking for competence and ability and that ability will take us to the Promised Land,” he submitted.
On the prospects of the new parties, Dr. Bitrus LP remained a party to beat today in Nigeria. “It is not APC; it is not PDP, it is LP. I am supporting LP because of what I know, what I have seen and what I have preached. Our people are mobilising and are mobilised for Obi and LP,” he said.
For the President of Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, the expectations of Nigerians are that the campaign should be issue-based. He urged Nigerians to be wise enough to reject any candidate that does not have anything to offer, irrespective of the candidate’s tribe, religion or party. “Let us look at competency because if we fail to get it right with this opportunity before Nigerians, it is obvious that there will be no country called Nigeria anymore,” he said.
Acknowledging that Nigeria is much more divided now than ever before, following incessant threats to national security and unity of the country, he posited that any attempt not to bring about leaders that are competent enough to unite the country and marshal out programmes to forge the country ahead, would spell doom for the country. “I hope Nigerians will realise this and be focused to get it right. Any candidate that does not have anything to offer outside religion or ethnicity should be left out completely. That has been our position over time and we are working and discussing with our counterparts in the southern part of the country; harmosing ourselves to ensure that we don’t allow them to derail the democracy they did not fight for. We cannot allow impunity to prevail on our national affairs; never again,” he warned.
Analysing the prospects for the new parties, he noted that following the current consciousness and awareness and with the present situation of things where nobody is happy in the country, nothing is impossible, whether new party or old party. “And that is why I am saying that the campaign should be issue based,” he added.
He also believes that with the new electoral law, which empowers INEC to deploy electronic voting and transmission of election results, particularly with the use of BVAS, the prospects for the new parties are massive as nothing is impossible. He called on Nigerians to support the electoral body because its chairman, Prof Mahmud Yakubu has demonstrated enough sincerity and ability to get it right and he would not be able to do it alone.
“Let’s ensure that Nigerians are sensitised to be very critical about this election because it is about their destiny and that of their children. We must not miss it this time around and Nigerians should also support the INEC chairman because he has demonstrated a high level of sincerity, integrity and capacity to get it right. So, Nigerians must support him because he cannot do it alone,” he stated.
Also lending his voice to what the campaign issues should be, the former National Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Monday Ubani listed security, economy, integrity, justice and equity, competence and character as top priority. He also said the campaigns should be about the candidate who has the capacity to ensure that the vast resources of the country would be deployed for the betterment of the citizens. “Nigerians don’t care where anyone comes from. All those who are playing tribal and religious cards are just wasting their time. The young ones have made up their minds that they want their country back and they want somebody that can turn around the image of this reputation that has been badly damaged and not anybody with any other sentiment apart from those already outlined. Development of key infrastructure in the country is another major campaign issue because there is no standard road in the country today; Nigerians do not enjoy even eight hours uninterrupted electricity supply; there is no efficient railway system, the country’s education system has collapsed – the seven-month-old ASUU strike is a good example and there are no medical facilities in the country. “So, any candidate that will come and address those issues is who Nigerians are looking for and not any idiot who is calling on people to vote their candidate because he is of a particular tribe or religion. Anyone who does that must have his/her head examined because Nigerians buy goods from the same market and nobody asks you whether you are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or any other tribe before you buy.
“On the prospects for the new parties, we know that the major parties are the APC and the PDP, so I will like all other parties to come together as a third force and provide viable leadership because we have tasted both APC and PDP. So, we probably need to taste another party. So, if we must give a run to the existing super parties, all other parties must come together, work together and provide an alternative option for Nigerians,” he submitted.