By Kingsley Ogba Nwokoro
Sooner or later, all political parties, Presidential candidates, House of Representatives candidates, governorship candidates, and House of Assembly candidates must have constituted their campaign councils and flagged off their campaigns. And will be in the fields, speaking to the electorate, campaigning for votes.
So, this season comes in the heat once every four years. We also have off-cycle elections which do not attract as much heat and attention like the governorship election that took place a while ago in Osun State. Campaigns give political parties and individual candidates the opportunities to sell their parties and candidates to the voting public.
So, under normal circumstances, what is expected is that the electorate are given the chance to hear out the manifestos of the individuals and political parties. The major essence is for them to tell the people what they will do for them if allowed to be their representatives or govern them, as the case may be.
The implication of this is that from the President down to the House of Assembly member, there is the contention that the voters have the constitutional right to recruit the politicians through the power of their voter cards. At least, that is the concept; the consciousness. The voters, on their part, must accept the enormous power their voter cards confer on them.
During this campaign period, there is role differentiation and role assessment. While the politicians on their part should adhere strictly to campaign guidelines as provided by the Electoral Act; the use of civil and civilized diction, ensuring aversion to foul language and insisting on issues and not on attack on personalities.
Ironically, less than two months into the campaign window period, we have started observing outbursts in vituperation and name-calling with candidates almost close to saying some people were given birth to by concubines or born out of wedlock.
This is entirely out of place and must be corrected before things get out of hand. But there is an exciting development in the Abia political space. Hitherto, there was this restriction limiting the use of facilities for campaigns to only the government in power, but Governor Alex Otti has graciously opened the space and opposition parties can use Abia facilities for campaigns if they meet the minimum requirements. This is a novelty.
And on their parts, the Campaign Directors-General should prepare their principals sufficiently with quality manifestoes, making sure they give them opportunities to let the voters have inklings into what they can do differently, while those occupying the elective positions should justify why they must be voted to continue to represent the people.
The voters must be good listeners. They should, beyond the brown envelopes, insist on being convinced of the implementability of the manifestos. The campaigns should be rancour-free and healthy, aware of the fact that only the living can lead and be led.
Together, let us make Abia and Nigeria a model of peaceful campaigns.
- Kingsley Ogba Nwokoro, Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahua
