After the past election scandals of 2003, 2007, and 2011 … how will you vote in 2015?
Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor and the winner of the May 24 Nigerian Governors’ Forum election (NGF), forewarns us of the potential election rigging in 2015.
After the past election scandals of 2003, 2007, and 2011 … how will you vote in 2015?
Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor and the winner of the May 24 Nigerian Governors’ Forum election (NGF), forewarns us of the potential election rigging in 2015.
“The way things are going,” Amaechi says, “2015 elections will end in this manner [referring to the NGF election scandal] where people will win democratic elections and those in power will not accept the results.”
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Imagine how fraudulent all past elections were, and picture the upcoming elections to be just as the same. Picture how your vote will be ditched and dumped again in the trash of rigging, withering away all your hopes, and smashing your rights in this 21st century democratic world.
Every proud citizen wants to have his or her voice heard through voting exercises. If you don’t fight for your rights in the upcoming elections, you’ll remain what you always were: that still dummy in the columns of this great Republic.
Well, if you want to vote like every proud citizen, here is how to do that in 2015:
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Arm Yourself
Nigeria is a country governed by power-mongering rulers … a den of corrupted leaders. It’s a country where free and fair election is a farce.
Because people like you have no problem with the way things are going in this country, election irregularities will continue to flourish. In 2015, you must stand up and say:
• No to corruption
• No to election irregularities
• No to bloodshed
And then arm yourself to defend what you say … what you believe in. In order words, you must be prepared to vote who you want, and stay behind the polls to make sure that your votes are counted.
How do you do that?
Of course, not with machetes, swords, Kalashnikov rifles, or Impoverish Explosive Devices (IEDs) – our modern-day politics doesn’t tolerate that. To arm yourself properly, you need to be honest with yourself. Clearly, you can’t do that by sit-in program; the one you’ve been doing for decades – keeping mute on your rights and hiding behind the walls of faith singing “it shall be well” in diffidence.
It’ll never be well!
We know better from both our scriptures – the Bible and the Quran – that faith without action won’t work. To make some changes in 2015, you must equip yourself with the ammunitions of willpower, brevity, and resistance.
If you need change, you must act. And if you must act, you must get up in the way and engage in some fighting to stalk the claim of your choice.
Be Neutral
How can you measure the strength of your candidate?
Surely, you can’t do that if you already label them as some power-gripping Northerner, a trouble-making Southerner, or view them through the lenses of other heinous eyes. We’ve been voting along these lines, and still look at where we’re …
If you stay neutral, not minding whether the candidate belongs to your party or community, you’ll develop a sharper, smarter mind to:
• Understand your candidate better
• Study their manifesto; and
• Make an unbiased judgment about them
When the candidates start hitting the campaign trail, don’t make up your mind on anyone… yet. Just stay neutral and watch the game with critical eyes. See who’s got the clouts. See who understands your needs … Watch who’s got viable policies and clear visions. Watch who’s got solutions to your problems …
You’ve been there. For once, don’t suck yourself back in!
Drop Traditional Sentiments
One thing that’s killing our democracy is sentiment and ethnic grudges, the feeling that “we’re better than them,” or the believe that “there religion is the problem.”
The real problem of this kind of thinking and belief is that they follow us right at the corners of our polling booths, and whispers raging sentiments in our ears, luring us to vote for candidates based on some personal grounds, not based on their fine characters.
Do you ever stop to wonder why we’re yet to produce a competent President that has the leadership qualities to move our country forward?
Now in 2015, our thinking and perception has to be changed!
Understand that there are times when dreams are ripe enough to become real; 2015 is the time… It’s that moment where sentiment and religious bigotry will be buried, and unity and harmony will ensue.
In 2015, we’ll come together under one platform, vote together as one family, and choose that qualified, competent candidate who knows our dreams and is capable enough to make them real.
Assess Your Candidate
The last thing you want to do is to vote for a candidate just because he’s the former governor, or because he’s the incumbent president. This is wrong way to vote!
To vote rightly, you need to assess your candidate thoroughly to know if he’s capable enough to lead you. And the best way to understand that is by seeking answers to the following questions:
• What is the educational qualification of your favorite candidate?
• Are they experienced?
• What’s their past record?
Education is very important. It’s that brighter light that guides a leader on how to act and react to complex problems. Here in the Republic, we’ve two university graduate Presidents so far: late Umaru Musa Yar’adua and the incumbent – President Goodluck Jonathan.
But they’re no better. Their educational qualifications haven’t manifest in their leadership. They’re unable or unwilling to help improve the lives of the Nigerian masses. When voting in 2015, look for the following qualities:
• Team player
• Competence
• Decency
Make sure the candidate you’re voting for is a true democrat both in words and action, and not a staunch dictator in practice!
Cast Your Ballot and Defend It
Anytime election is held in Nigeria, rigging and indiscretion overshadows it, lives and properties are lost, and the votes of the common man are stolen along the way. Hence, the cabals select whom they want.
You can change all that. This time, you don’t have the luxury to vote and drive back to your home… waiting for results to be announced on NTA or AIT. In 2015, you must wait behind your polling units to defend your vote from being snatched.
Remember: this is a big chance to change your life. Understand that all the sacrifices you and your family have made – from joining that long queue to get registered to the stresses you endure on Election Day – will all be in vain if you didn’t brave some extra hours to guard your vote.
Again, keep in mind that those political vultures are around – eying to suck your blood once you falter. Stay fit and strong. Be vigilant. Defend your right.
Never Vote for Money!
Despite the growing unemployment and poverty in the country, you’ve no justification to sell your vote.
If you sell your vote for N1, 000 or even N100, 000 to a corrupt politician, it’s as if you sold out your rights … your future.
What benefit will you drive from selling your rights for the money that won’t sustain you for a month? Can a thousand naira or a hundred thousand naira bribe construct the dilapidated roads in your highways, the very ones that kill more than 100 lives of your country men? Can a thousand naira buy you the medical care you need? Can that hundred thousand naira secure your precious life from those armed robbers attacking your community?
Think about that.
This world is so sweet but our leaders make it extremely bitter for us. We need to change that in 2015, and we must start preparing for it now. When the time comes, don’t let any politician fool you. Join the lines to vote the right candidate, and never change your mind for anything else.
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Suhaib Mohammed is a professional freelance writer. He loves to write on politics but hates Nigerian politics. He’s the founded of Haibtext – a training resource for writers and anyone who wants to start freelance writing business. Subscribe to his blog here: http://haibtext.com and connect with him on Twitter – @Haibtext and Facebook – http://facebook.com/haibtext.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of SaharaReporters
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