Nigerians turn newsstands to debate grounds as elections knock

Few days to the rescheduled general election, heated arguments are now the order of the day around newspaper stands in most Nigerian cities. Those who involve in the debates are members of the ‘Free Readers’ Association’ made up of mainly semi-literate self-employed businessmen and artisans who read all the national dailies on display at the newsstands by paying just a token of N20. Most times, they correctly analyze the goings- on in the nation’s political space. Last Sunday, our reporter captured an army of analysts in the mould being described above. As expected, they were divided in their views on who should win the presidential election slated for March 28.

On that day, some of the national dailies on display had some news items on allegation of the APC that the PDP was plotting to clamp down on some of the opposition’s national leaders, using the EFCC; the set battle between Buhari and Jonathan, pieces of advice from groups and eminent individuals on the need to eschew violence at the polls and other sundry reports.

While some of them said Jonathan should return to complete the two terms of eight years in line with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’s arrangement, some said the ruling party did not deserve fresh mandate. Some others said their only problem with Buhari was his alleged excessive inclination to his religion, they also expressed fears that Buhari could Islamize the country and expose it to manipulation by the Arab world; some complained about perceived overwhelming influence of Bola Ahmed Tinubu over APC and his likely hijack of the presidency if Buhari is elected as president.

Ethnicity also came into discussion with some group talking about Igbo’s alleged individualist and ‘politics of the stomach’ which they believed had robbed the south east geopolitical zone of its opportunity to make appreciable impact in the nation’s politics in the last 15 years. Some others insisted that Nigeria needed change no matter where it could be found.

Yet, some of the free readers expressed disappointment at what they termed “medicine after death”. They could not understand why President Jonathan abandoned addressing issues of Boko Haram, high electricity tariff, and provision of meaningful governance, only to remember them when the Rubicon had been crossed.

They questioned the essence in “sharing money” instead of seeking re-election through sterling performance. Some of the newspaper readers accused the Yoruba race of working against the Igbo when it comes to politics, wondering why
the Igbo must continue to suffer neglect. They spoke glowingly about the Fashola administration for its performance in the first four years, lamenting that majority of the states under PDP are barely existing, needing to be privatized if they were companies. Many of them expressed fears over the likely outbreak of violence following the level of desperation that is being manifested by politicians across board. Some vowed they would not go close to the polling units on the day of the presidential election as neither the PDP nor APC has the candidate of their choice. Some said they have so much lost confidence in the system that they did not even bother to go for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

They complained that nothing has changed in terms of provision of succor for the suffering masses of the country even after they went to the polls in 2011 and voted overwhelmingly for the candidate of their choice at the presidential poll. One of the members of the ‘Free Readers’ group, who spoke with our reporter at one of the news- stands on the popular Ojuelegba Bus stop in Lagos State believed that had the presidential election held on February 28 as earlier scheduled, Jonathan would have lost his seat. “You are a journalist; I don’t need to tell you that if the presidential election had taken place February 28, Jonathan would have since started packing his load from the Villa. Before the postponement, his defeat was palpable. Everybody smelt it, and Abuja also noticed it; that informed the shift.

“You see, every morning we come out here (Ojuelegba) to read papers, to hear what other people are saying about the coming election. One thing you must realize is that Nigerians are now more aware about elections and government than they were in 2011. Before the postponement, the ruling party’s rating and that of the Presidency was far below pass mark. The question was why must we return the PDP to power after 16 wasted years? “Look, for me, I am neither for Buhari nor for Jonathan because all the parties have disappointed me. My greatest annoyance is that most of those in the APC today were the same people that destroyed the PDP. So, whether head or tail, we are still at square zero. “The push from the APC and the inroad it was making in every part of the country, I think made PDP afraid that they insisted on postponement.

I think, it will save Jonathan,” the man who introduced himself simply as Mike, said. Some other free readers, who gathered around the reporter while he was speaking with Mike, insisted that the shift in date may have helped the ruling party. According to them, prior to the postponement, the PDP and its candidate were yet to address the nagging issue of the rampaging insurgents in the North East; they were yet to convince many people on why they must return Jonathan, they were yet to make consultations across the country, including reaching out to important groups and individuals across the country, and some people were nursing grudges that the huge campaign funds had not got to them. “In the last few weeks, a lot has happened and the party appears set for the election,” another chipped in.