Issues
2019 Elections: Appraising The Nigerian Voter
In most constitutional and representative democracies the world over, the Voters’ Ballot is the most potent weapon in determining the level of confidence or otherwise the electorate has in a political dispensation. If a political dispensation performs creditably well to the satisfaction of all and sundry, the electorate/voter reserves the constitutional right and power to allow it continue in office by their verdict via the ballot box.
In contrast, if the administration ill-performs or fails to fulfill its electoral promises as contained in its party manifesto, which it presented to the people prior to going to the polls, such administration is voted out of office by the electorate through the ballot.
It is common knowledge that every succeeding political dispensation has the tradition of presenting to the electorate (via its manifesto) a thousand and one programmes and projects which it intends to execute as soon as it comes to power. But is this really the case in the true sense of the word in the Nigerian political system? The answer is obviously No. This is because the reverse becomes the case no sooner they mount the seat of political power.
The present administration, prior to coming to power in 2015, hinged its manifesto on a three-pronged electoral promises namely: to ensure the security of lives and property of Nigerians which is very cardinal as contained in chapter two section 14, sub-section 2 (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; to fight endemic corruption and to ensure economic transformation and empowerment, especially for the teeming youths. But today the reverse is what we see; the state of insecurity across the nation, particularly in the north-east, north-central and in fact some other parts of the country, is better imagined than described.
We are all living witnesses to the spate of wanton and senseless killings in Borno, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Zamfara States to mention just a few by the Boko Haram terrorists and more recently by the armed herdsmen, which have led to countless loss of lives and property.
The level of insecurity in this dispensation is worse than all the past administrations put together. It is quite alarming and disheartening to note that most of the inhabitants in the areas aforementioned have been practically displaced and rendered homeless in their own ancestral homes.
The survivors of the Boko Haram and herdsmen onslaught are daily living in fear and have been exposed to all forms of diseases, hunger and starvation as a result of these incessant attacks and killings, and it does seem the nation lacks a strong and vibrant security architecture as well as a sensitive political and proactive leadership direction to put a stop to all of these barbaric killings and destruction.
The irony of the entire scenario is that the current dispensation has sworn to secure and protect the lives and property of the citizenry – which is its constitutional primary obligation – amongst other political and socio-economic responsibilities to the people. But, unfortunately, it has failed in this fundamental responsibility to the citizenry.
The present Federal Government has equally ill-performed in its fight against corruption, which it vowed to execute. What is happening today is indeed a far cry from what it promised the Nigerian populace and in fact the electorate who came all out in their number to vote them into office. This is in spite of the violence that characterised the electoral process before, during and after the elections; as well as the harsh weather conditions they had to contend with during these periods.
Regrettably, since the inception of this administration, not one political/public office holder alleged to have indulged in corruption or embezzlement of public funds or even money laundering has been brought to book or prosecuted by the EFCC and such other agencies charged with that responsibility. What we often see is the shielding of political allies by the leadership of those who were found culpable and exposing only those who are not their political affiliates to media trials.
Again, the present administration has not fared any better economically contrary to its electioneering promises of economic improvement, particularly in the areas of youth empowerment, job creation and infrastructural development. Rather than make better economic policies and decisions that would go a long way to transforming and improving the nation’s economy and its people, it resorted to making policy decisions that are not people-friendly.
For instance, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the Federal Government, though intended to block loopholes for looting of public treasury, has the negative effect of reducing the volume of cash held by the commercial banks to a single account and consequently limit the amount of cash in circulation. This, in turn, adversely affects people’s purchasing power as well as their businesses and investments locally and internationally.
Other notable impacts are it caused the management of most commercial banks to embark on retrenchment of some of its workforce thus, heightening the already bloated unemployment situation in the country, as well as creating economic hardship for the populace. This is in addition to the high inflation rate brought about by this unwholesome economic policy.
Besides the foregoing, most people could not access credit facilities to finance their business ventures, owing to high interest rates charged by the commercial banks. More than that, the high level of hopelessness among the people in this political dispensation is by far incomparable with other past administrations. This is on account of the harsh economic conditions which impacted negatively on the people to the extent that some people had to take their own lives and till date, others are on the verge of committing suicide as a result of unemployment, delay in payment of salaries and pensions.
Going by the inability of the present administration to fulfill its promises to the electorate prior to their assumption of office and coupled with the insecurity of lives and property of the citizenry, it becomes quite evident that it has failed and as such, it is time the voting population used their ballots to change or remove it as it is the case in other representative democratic climes, especially now that politicians have started gearing up again for yet another electioneering year come 2019, which is some few months from now.
The Nigerian voter is, therefore, urged to consciously and wisely make good use of their permanent voter’s cards (PVCs) in exercising their power to unseat an ill-performing administration which neither has regard for human lives, nor could make people-friendly economic policies and elect a selfless and sensitive political leadership, which would give priority attention to security of lives of the people and help them to realise and advance their potentials.
It is more dangerous and suicidal to sit on the fence and remain indifferent to the political process of electing those who would man the helm of affairs of the various arms and tiers of government. We must all actively participate in exercising our franchise to voting out an unpopular and insensitive government through the ballot.
It is often said that if good men who have the potential for selfless service and good leadership sit back and do nothing, bad leaders would continue to perpetuate themselves in our political offices. Therefore, the ultimate power and authority to allow a bad political leadership to remain in office or to change it for good, lies squarely in the power of your ballot. Exercise your voting power wisely!
Fombo is a public affairs analyst.
Iyeowuna Fombo
This is an open letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Your Excellency,
Sir, ordinarily, I would not be writing an open letter to you, but like a wise man once said, “Silence would be Treason.” So I prefer to stay alive than face the consequences of silence in the face of crime. With each passing day, and as the socio-political tides continue to turn, it has become more pertinent that more people speak up in a concerted MANNER to prevent the death of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as we appear to be, in the words of W. B. Yeats, “turning and turning in the widening gyre” heading for an end where the falcon will no longer hear the falconer
It is unfortunate that since losing control of the Federal Government, with the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the poll in 2015, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has continued on a downward spiral. It is much more painful, that where it is expected that leaders within the party should rise to the challenge and put an end to this decline of our great party, some have instead taken up roles as its undertaker.
It will be hypocritical to claim aloofness to what I believe is your grouse with the PDP and I am not a hypocrite. It will be uncharitable on my part to discountenance the role you have played in strengthening the PDP from 2015 up until the last Presidential primaries of the party. It is my belief that your grouse against certain members of the party who you perceived worked against the party and abandoned it in 2015 and then came around much later to take control of the party, is justified. Also know that your decision to remain in the Party and stifle its progress on the other hand, as a sort of payback, stands condemned. For a man of your pedigree and stature, it is a dishonorable act, highly dishonorable and stands as testimony against all you claim to stand for.
At least, it can be argued that those who you hold this grudge against, abandoned the party completely and did not sit back while actively working to destroy it from within. But what then can be the argument on your own part, seeing that those you are currently working with against your party are the same people who set in motion, and executed surgically, the plans that not only ended our Party’s leadership at the centre, but ended up dislodging the first Niger Deltan to occupy Aso Rock as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Is this not akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face?” That will be worse than folly. Let us not throw away the baby with the bath water because we do not like the soap used in bathing the baby. It will be a grave mistake.
Honourable Minister, sir, it is rather unfortunate that of all people, you have also decided to play the role of an undertaker not only for our party, but for our dear Rivers State.
I will like to take you down memory lane a little. Let me remind you of your emergence as Guber candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, against all fairness and justice in 2014. You will remember that despite the reality being that you as an Ikwerre man was poised to replace a fellow Ikwerre man in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in our multiethnic state, Rivers people overwhelmingly stood by you and pushed for your emergence as Executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015. I dare say that your popularity in the entire Niger Delta region was at an all-time high at this point.
I want you to understand why you were loved across board leading to your eventual emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015; it was because when it looked like all were against the second term ambitions of the first Niger Delta man to emerge as President of Nigeria, you became not just a pillar but a beacon of resistance by standing for Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers people, as grateful and rewarding as they can be, paid you back by ensuring your electoral victory against the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) led by your predecessor. On your emergence, where there were second term Governors in the region, you, a first term Governor, was seen by the people as not just the leader of the PDP, but the leader of the entire Niger Delta region. You earned it, and no one could dispute it.
In 2019, when your re-election bid was being challenged ferociously, Rivers people once again stood solidly behind you. Many were killed in the process of defending your votes. Do you remember Dr. Ferry Gberegbe that was shot and killed while trying to protect your votes in Khana Local Government Area? There are many more unnamed and unrecognised sons and daughters of Rivers State who sacrificed their lives so that you could emerge as a second term Governor of Rivers State.
In 2022/23, Honourable Minister, you oversaw a party primary across board that saw some candidates imprisoned and internal party democracy jettisoned for your wishes, leading to the emergence of flag bearers of our party all singlehandedly picked by you. You have on more than one occasion publicly stated that you paid for all their forms. Even those shortchanged in this process licked their wounds and continued to play their roles as party members to ensure the success of the party at all levels. In what will go down as one of the most keenly contested elections in recent Rivers history, with formidable candidates like Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the vibrant youth driven Labour Party (LP), PDP emerged victorious across board except for Phalga Constituency 1 that was lost to the Labour Party. (Not that you did not loose in some other LGA’s but let’s stick to the official figures declared by INEC).
It begs the question, why then do you want to burn down Rivers State, when everyone who now holds political office emerged through a process designed and endorsed by you? Is it that you do not care about Rivers people and you are all about yourself? If so, I am forced to believe that those around you are not telling you the truth. The truth being that in a state where your words were law; where houses and businesses could be demolished or closed down without any recourse to legalities, where Executive Orders could be deployed to stifle the opposition, that your popularity is now at an all-time low. Probably because they are afraid of you, or of losing the benefits they gain from you, they fail to tell you that what you might perceive as a battle against your successor, has slowly but gradually degenerating into a battle against Rivers State and Rivers people. You know, there is a popular saying that, a man can cook for the community and the community will finish the food, but when a community decides to cook for one man, the reverse is the case.
LEAVE FUBARA ALONE
You have gone on and on about being betrayed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. You point fingers forgetting that some of those same fingers quick to spot betrayals point straight back at you. It is not Governor Fubara that has betrayed the PDP by working against it in the just concluded General Election, and working with the opposition at the State and Federal level to destabilise the party. It is you, Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that betrayed Rivers people by instigating a political crisis with propensity to escalate ethnic tensions in Rivers State. It is you Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that has declared himself God over all in Rivers State and has no qualms with burning the state to the ground to prove a point. It is you Honourable Minister. It is you Honourable Minister who told the world that the APC was a cancer and you can never support a cancerous party. It is you Honourable Minister who ended up facilitating the emergence of the same “cancerous” APC that has accelerated the economic decline of this country and further impoverished our people with no remorse. All so you can be a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? The lack of self awareness is gobsmacking.
Some days back I came across a video where you talked about death and how you do not cry when you hear about the death of some people because you have no idea what might have caused it considering many a politician swear “over dead bodies” and still go back on their words. Those words made me think, and I could see the reason behind them. You see, in chosing to be God in the affairs of Rivers people, you have closed your eyes and ears to reason; you see nothing and hear nothing that can cause you to rethink on the path you have chosen. In your quest to “show Fubara” you have unwittingly united a vast majority of Rivers people behind him, so much that even those who despised him because of you, now like or love him, because of you too. In your scheming, I will advise you not to forget that “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Note that the war which you have or are waging against Governor Fubara, has gone beyond being merely political as you might see in your minds eye. It is now one that, fortunately for some and unfortunately for others, has evolved into a war against Rivers people. It is good to point out that no one has taken a stand against Rivers people and won. No one has gone against God and won. In your defiant characteristic manner, it will be unfortunate if you believe your own hubris and that of those around you on the possibility of you being the first to successfully go against Rivers people. It will be a needless gamble; one where if you win you create more enemies for yourself than you can withstand on your political journey, and if you lose, your legacy becomes an inglorious and irredeemable one in Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large. For your sake as regards posterity, it is my greatest wish that you have a moment of sobriety and a deep reflection and introspection on this path you have chosen.
Honourable Minister, sir, what is left of your legacy is on the brink of being completely desecrated and relegated to the dustbin of our political history, and it will be a sad end to what I will say has been a wonderful political career that many can only dream of. The ball is in your court, and may God Almighty have mercy on us all and forgive us for our shortcomings.
Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson
Dr Pidomson is former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and former member, Rivers State House of Assembly.
In 2015, I made a conscious decision to invest my financial resources, my time, and energy into supporting Nyesom Wike’s gubernatorial campaign. I poured my heart and soul into ensuring Nyesom Wike emerged victorious even at the risk of my personal safety.
Again in 2019, I doubled down on my commitment. I invested a significant amount of money to procure campaign outfits for all twenty-three Local Governments Areas of Rivers State. I spared no expense in supplementing Wike’s election efforts in my own local government, and once again putting myself at great risk to safeguard the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
However, despite my unwavering loyalty and sacrifices, I found myself abandoned and forgotten by Wike. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he failed to acknowledge my contributions or fulfill his promises and agreements. Even as a former Deputy Governor, Wike denied me my severance benefit.
My investment in Wike’s governorship was not just financial – it was a commitment of passion, dedication, and belief in a better future for Rivers State. Yet, his leadership style of dishonesty, greed, drunkenness and rash abuse of senior citizens brought me nothing but disappointment, misery and losses.
By the grace of God, today I speak not as a victim, but as a hero. I have accepted my losses, and I have moved on. And as I reflect on my experience, I cannot help but urge Wike to do the same and allow peace and development to reign in Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, when you speak of investing in Governor Sim Fubara’s election, remember those like me who also invested in you. Remember the sacrifices I made, the risks I took, and the promises and agreements you left unfulfilled.
It is time for you, Wike, to let go of the past and allow Governor Sim Fubara the breathing space he needs to lead Rivers State forward. Allow him to focus on the challenges of good governance and the aspirations of the people. Spare him these unwarranted and ill-conceived political manoeuvrings founded on personal agenda and not for general good of Rivers State and her people.
I may have lost my investment on Wike, but I have not lost hope in the future of Rivers State. And together, we will continue to strive for a brighter tomorrow.
Long Live the Governor to Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara!
Long Live the Good People of Rivers State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Engr Ikuru is former Deputy Governor of Rivers State.
Tele Ikuru
