After months of intense campaigns spiced with poetic promises that half will not be fulfilled by the over 70 presidential candidates that will contest tomorrow’s presidential poll, it is now the turn of eligible Nigerian voters to decide who among the lot will carry the day. Tomorrow, the voters will be kings or king makers as they decide who will become the leader of Africa’s most populous nation.
Like bridegrooms seeking the hand of a beautiful bride in marriage, the politicians have literally swarmed and even knelt down before all of us begging profusely for our votes. They have remembered all abandoned projects and things they deliberately refused to do. Suddenly, they have remembered the women, the youths, students, teachers, workers and the poor.
They have also remembered the jobless and the homeless among us, the widows and widowers. Some of the politicians have exchanged phone numbers with the voters as if they will pick your calls when they win election. They have toured the states and major cities of the country begging for our votes with mouth-watering promises. They have even gone to every nook and cranny of the country dancing azonto and sikelewu and other enchanting dance styles available.
They have sung songs of hope and defiance.
Because of election, they now know all the problems facing the country and how they can magically solve them if elected into power overnight. Nigerian politicians are incurable optimists. They believe that they cannot be defeated. They believe they are immortal. They believe they are invisible. They believe that they can turn stone into bread and water into wine in order to win election. They have filled our ears with love and messages of hope and El Dorado.
They have raised our expectations so high again. That is indeed the nature of politics and political campaigns. They will tell you what you want to hear, those sweet nothings. They will tell you that they will provide hospitals, schools, roads, water, light, jobs, food, and practically everything under the sun. They will tell you that they will provide free education at all levels and free health for all.
We have taken elaborate notes of what each presidential candidate promised us. We shall use those promises to hold them accountable after the election, especially the winner. Nigerians should document each of their promises and use them to check their performance in office. If they deny, show them evidence. We must start holding our leaders accountable.
We should be tired of this promise and fail. If the politicians campaign in poetry, they must govern in poetry and never in prose. Despite the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not given to many Nigerians, including me their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the electoral agency still sent me and others message urging us to go and vote.
INEC’s text message reads: “Are you a registered voter? Presidential & National Assembly Election is on Saturday, 16 February 2019. Make your vote count. Go out & vote!!!” How can I vote when my PVC is not available for collection? Although the aim of the message is to remind voters of the election day, date and the need for them to vote, it will amount to nothing to millions of Nigerian registered voters without PVCs.
To those without PVCs, the message does not mean much because they have already been disenfranchised. This matter is worse with those that transferred their PVC from one part of a state to another as well as inter-state transfers. I think that INEC must find ways of remedying the situation before the March 2 Governorship and State Assembly polls.
Tomorrow’s poll will witness about 84 million voters across the country filing out to cast their votes. This should be the highest number of voters recorded in the history of the nation’s polls. The security agencies, especially the police will ensure that the poll is peaceful, fair and credible. The voting procedures should be simplified to make voting a pleasurable experience, especially for first timers.
Election is about choice of leaders and never an act of warfare. Let us eschew violence and do or die approach to election matters. This election is the first major assignment of the electoral umpire under the watch of its present helmsman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. All eyes are, therefore, on him to ensure that everything goes well tomorrow.
Since Yakubu has assured that the election must be credible, he should just do that. INEC must also ensure that all electoral materials arrive on time. The card readers must be made to function effectively.
The story of malfunctioning card readers should be a thing of the past. This election must be devoid of both vote buying and vote selling or any other electoral infraction.
The electorate should be allowed to vote according to their conscience and preferences. The voters have the right of choice which must be respected. With over 70 presidential candidates, Nigerians have a choice tomorrow. Let all Nigerian voters go out tomorrow and cast their ballots and watch them until they are counted and the outcome known.
Therefore, the issue of election boycott being rumoured in some quarters does not arise. Election boycott is not even an option at all. Voters in the South East must participate in the elections like their counterparts in the other geo-political zones. Voting is a civic responsibility which no one should abdicate. Voting remains the only right you have to choose your leader. Nobody or group should deny you such a right.
The local and international observers are already on ground to monitor the polls. They will be allowed to perform their duties without antagonism or threats. Nigerians do participate in election monitoring in other parts of Africa and the world.
Nigeria is part of the global community and we must be willing to do things according to global best practices. Those countries asking us to conduct a free and fair poll should not be antagonized. They should be regarded as our best friends. Above all, let the votes count.
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