Cultivating Orderliness in Political Campaigns to Meeting Electorates’ Expectations
Solomon Olali-Igabo writes on Cultivating Orderliness in Political Campaigns to Meeting Electorates’ Expectations.
[dropcap]E[/dropcap]lections has always come and gone. The forth coming general elections in 2023 is not different. However, there were prevalence of unruly and disorderly behaviours among some political actors and their supporters in previous campaigns and elections which have become a concern to well-meaning people of the country.
Politics and governance is a serious business and a call to service. Those with the capacity and ability to perform are required or qualified to venture into it. Politics is not for underdogs or mediocre.
Sadly, these days most politicians lack character and integrity. They are self-seekers who want power at all cost and live in affluence at the expense of the people that voted them into office. Politics has become all comer’s affairs, where every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to grab power through the barrel of the gun.
No wonder! A popular songwriter and musician, Tony Wilson defined politician as a man of many words. What he said, he never did. The Trinidadian music maestro added that politician paints picture while he is not an artist. He exposed politicians as people with bogus lies and over magnified themselves.
Infact, the 74 years’ soul-funk music star is not far from the truth as compared to the present crop of politicians and leaders in corridors-of-power.
The essence of political campaign is to woo the electorates to vote for particular candidates in a given election with clear manifesto where policies and programs stated.
However, such campaigns usually marred with one ugly story or another such as assassination of perceived political opponent, destroying of poster/billboards of opposition party, falsehood and propaganda were some of the gimmicks most politicians and their supporters always used to gain cheap popularity.
Greed and inordinate ambitions by some unscrupulous politicians are the causes of most violence and killings. Unfortunately, youths were used as bait to fuel political violence during elections and political rallies against perceived opponent or party is unacceptable and condemnable.
Election or campaign should not be seen as a do-or-die affair but an avenue or platform to canvass support in order to better the life of the citizenry should be paramount irrespective of party or the candidate in question.
Politics is a privilege and call to service and not where the winner or party in government arrogate everything to themselves without considering others, should be discouraged in Nigeria. Men and women of conscience and integrity should be voted into elective offices instead of those who do not mean well for the people.
In the past, politicians hired thugs and criminals as foot-soldiers during and after elections. Most youths lost their lives without achieving their God’s given destiny and vision, manipulated by demonic forces.
Indiscipline and gunboat politics have been introduced into the political scene, hence, there is need for a paradigm shift in order to safeguard the sanctity of lives during political campaigns and elections.
Political campaigns should be organized in an orderly manner devoid of hate speech intended to cause public disorder and acrimony. The electorates should look out for patriotic leaders with vision who are prepared to make the difference when voted into office and will not abandon the people. Any politician richer than the people or nation has questionable character. There are political leaders who are richer than their Local Governments and States. Where did they make it? Every selfish leader is good at dragging projects to his or her community at the expense of others. This mindset should be discouraged.
Leadership is not about accumulation but how you distributed or impacted on the people. The likes of former Late President Shehu Shagari, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Late Chief Melford Obiene Okilo, King Alfred Diete-spiff, Mobalaji Johnson among others are role models to many because they have written their names in gold and their legacies are still speaking on their behalves.
Political gladiators and their followers should stop playing politics with human lives because of material power or gain, it is demonic and vanity at the end. It is time to rebrand the pattern of political campaign with innovation and excellence. Focus of campaign base issues and not to antagonize political opponents. Make use of the weaknesses of your opponent to attract vote. For instance, the hardship in the land, such as high cost of living, prices of goods and services have sky rocketed.
Besides, the prevailing insecurity, educational system like ASUU Strike, Depreciation of the Naira currency, the Niger Delta issue among others should form the front burners of campaigns to woo the electorates, not in words but such promises must be fulfilled and implemented when such leaders finally take control of the government after the election.
If the youths are the leaders of tomorrow, then they have to be prepared and focus with vision. They should ask God to give them their areas of callings. In politics, pastoral, carpentry, academics, trading public service etc.
Regrettably, the youths are prone and vulnerable to the manipulation of the devil especially when it is time for elections or campaigns and the end result is that most of them were cut short without fulfilling their God’s given destiny because they lacked vision and wisdom.
Instructively, parents and leaders of all aspects in the society should inculcate discipline and order in their children and wards including politicians and their followers as the evil days are here. Most of the crimes are most of spiritual than the physical. The supernatural dominates the natural.
Above all, political leaders should be accountable and fulfill their political manifestoes they promised the electorates. When the use of a thing is not known abuse become inevitable. The Holy Scripture in the book of first Corinthians, chapter 14:40 said “let all things be done decently and in order”. This means orderliness is the art of doing things in a peaceful and orderly manner. It is the state in which people behave well by doing things in line with best practice and not the way animals do.
It is high time we cultivate the attitude of orderliness in our political campaigns devoid of violence and hate speech in order to sustain democracy.
Solomon Olali-Igabo, a public affairs analyst and opinion leader writes on Cultivating Orderliness in Political Campaigns to Meeting Electorates’ Expectations.
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