By Efio-Ita Nyok| March 3, 2015| 10:24 am
In view of the realities that characterise the campaigns of both the presidential candidates of the leading opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Major General Mohammadu Buhari(Rtd) and Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan respectively; and in view of the fact that these campaign styles can profoundly make or mar the fledgling democratic experiment going on in Nigeria; it has become extremely important to address this phenomenon, albeit, from an objective and literary perspective.
Recently, the opposition political party, namely, the APC as well as media houses have inundated the airwaves with insinuations that the presidential candidate of the ruling political party, the PDP, intends to clamp down, in a rather undemocratic way, on the campaign strides of the opposition party.
It has specifically been mentioned that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan who doubles as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the forthcoming March 28 elections and the President of the Federal Republic called Nigeria, intends to explore some unholy alternatives, as means to frustrating the APC and its presidential flag bearer in the said elections. Worthy of note is the fact that the president is alleged to be considering the postponement of the general elections further beyond 28 March, remove the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega to replace him with a stooge, do away with the use of PVCs, freeze the bank accounts of Buhari and his financiers resident in the country, ground the jet which Buhari boards for campaigns, and even assassinate of the APC Presidential candidate, Mohammadu Buhari!
Though these allegations may be dismissed as mere allegations begin for substantiations, the fact still remains that in every rumour there may be an iota of certainty. Looking at GEJ's style of dealing with dissidents like Barr. Amaechi of Rivers state, etc one could readily understand why he would resort to unscrupulous means at instances like these.
Anyone would agree with me that in a democracy, the onus lies on the people to determine who should occupy public offices, and not the elites. The reverse suggest autocracy or dictatorship; and if Nigeria professes being a democratic enclave then that tradition should be sustained. I am of the opinion that the PDP and its presidential flag bearer should allow democracy a place in our political climate.
Democracy secures freedom. It ensures that the voice of the people, which is the voice of God, should be heared without any form of mutilation. I think neither of the APC nor PDP presidential candidates would want to be seen to be opposing their Creator. If the masses say they are no more comfortable with you, they cannot all together be wrong. It does not mean you are bad, it means they acquiesce to the ideology of your neighbor. And humans, including Nigerians, they say are rational.
Allowing Nigerians the safe environment to demonstrate this rational nature, through the ballot box is the best thing that could ever happen to our democracy. We have the right to vote wisely and without coercion.
These March 28 and April 11 general elections should be adjudged to be free, fair and credible. Nothing more, nothing less!
