If I Were President

A mock presidential debate by ordinary Nigerians to provoke demand for competitive debate among political aspirants as a sure-fire way to resurrect the dying culture of programme-based leadership, galvanize Nigerians to demand change and raise the stake for good governance come 2011 and beyond.
2011 Elections are around the corner…

Politicians and political parties are gearing up to occupy positions at all levels of government even as national and international outcry for credible elections in 2011 rages on as the only way to arrest the country’s final descent into a failed entity.

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However, good governance is the key and Nigerians can finally hold that key if they demand a compelling platform for critical and competitive debate that will throw up the best and brightest candidates of the aspiring lot through intelligent and informed articulation of their visions and plans to move the nation forward, in order that an informed citizenry can make good decisions about who to lead them at the polls.

As an illustration of such platform, IF I WERE PRESIDENT is created as a MOCK or SHADOW PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, better still, a serious-minded national competition, to promote robust debates by brilliant Nigerians aged 18 to 45 on what they would do in all areas of the political economy, IF THEY WERE PRESIDENT.

IF I WERE PRESIDENT will take the form of presentation of “Presidential Campaigns” to Nigerians via the electronic media at the end of which the “President” will be “elected” by the highest number of SMS Votes.

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IF I WERE PRESIDENT will be running side by side the real programs of the 2011 elections and therefore will do the following:

•    Create the need for a real national platform to debate the country’s political and economic problems and also decide which Presidential Candidate will provide the best solutions to the problems through the strength of their agenda.

•    Arrest the trend and travesty of visionless leadership while also waking Nigerians up from entrenched apathy, indifference and disenchantment, so as to demand sustainable change and good governance.

•    Help activate the right of Nigerians to elect credible people who will serve them based on what they can offer.

•    Help sensitize Nigerians that the power to change bad governance belongs to the people. In short, the people hold the power.

•    Galvanize the people to challenge the ability of aspirants mentally and intellectually through broad-minded debates.

•    Encourage Nigerians to question and hold their leaders accountable on their promises.

•    Contribute to ensuring that the 2011 elections are decided on the strength of intellectual and mental capacity and proven credentials to deliver.

The launch of this MOCK Presidential Debate is coming up soon.

IF I WERE PRESIDENT is an original initiative of Proactiv For Change. For enquiries please call 0803-3135-747, 0805-4063-997, or email [email protected].

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