As campaigns for the 2023 general elections officially are underway, politicians are roaring to go, media houses are set for the vintage reports, the polity is excited, the electorate is seemingly ready and managers of campaigns of various political parties also seem prepared to unleash the good, the bad and the ugly political strategies to either bring their opponents down or win the hearts of the electorate.
It is therefore pertinent to remind the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as the umpire of the game its roles in regulating the gladiators and political parties to run decent campaigns as stipulated in the code of electoral conducts. They should avoid favouritism and partisanship and ensure that all concerned strictly observe the rules and regulations governing the campaign season.
More than any period in the country, Nigeria presently needs a clear direction on the way forward, especially now that the country is beset with myriads of challenges ranging from insecurity, economic crisis, unemployment, among others. How will these candidates deal with these challenges? All these and more should be what the electorate should assess each candidate on during the campaigns in order to get it right at the polls. Contestants at all levels should engage in issue-based campaigns other than attack on persons or personalities through name-calling, trading damaging allegations and brewing controversies on social media, among others. They should also reduce penchant for thuggery and brigandage. A situation where rival political parties exchange gunshots and destroy their opponent’s materials during campaigns do not augur well for our democracy.
Politicians should also realize that no position is as important as human life and therefore should avoid negative acts that accompany most campaigns. There have been scenarios in the past where political contestants are kidnapped or series of attacks on rally grounds -a strategy usually masterminded to disrupt the political gatherings. These should not be the case now.
The media also has a big role to play in the forthcoming election in ensuring the success of the electoral processes by tracking and publicizing the manifestos of contestants and holding them to account. Their political reporting should also be balanced and uninciting. Media houses should avoid sentiments casting aspersions on persons they do not like, their perceived enemies or those that they have been paid to demonize. Their reporting at this critical period should be fair to all.
There is definitely no doubt that most unconventional media practitioners who perpetuate fake news will be on the loose during campaign periods, because of monetary inducement. The traditional media with the army of gatekeepers, must play their roles as the watchdo
However, the electorate as the final deciders has a vital role in exhibiting good campaign culture during this period. The people should know that safety is paramount and therefore should avoid being used as destructive tools and thugs to whet the appetite of some mischievous politicians. They should brace with pertinent questions of what those politicians can do to alleviate their sufferings in the next four years. The electorate should seriously ensure it discourages money politics. A test case of that happened in Anambra State during the last gubernatorial election, where an aged woman reportedly rejected money given to her by a political party should be the culture for this new election seaso
All said and done, Nigerians cannot afford to fail this time in the match towards matured democracy. To help achieve this, security agencies should be on their toes by being proactive and initiating and re-strategizing good security platforms on campaign arena
Communities should discourage people from using their domains for politics of vendetta and thuggery. Town unions should also abhor such practices within their localities. Traditional rulers as the custodians of culture and traditions, should ensure that campaigns in their domains are devoid of tribal sentiments, nepotism and sectionalism. These will contribute meaningfully to achieving the Democracy that we have all dream of. So, all hands must be on dec
Written by STELLA IGBOKA
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