In less than two weeks, the world will bid farewell to the current year, 2022. Nigeria will also join the world in doing so, but most importantly, the country will be facing the reality of 2023, a decisive year when the citizens will be going to the polls to elect new political leaders.
Already, the presidential candidates of various political parties have been on the move in and outside of the country for campaign, canvassing for votes, support and selling themselves to the same people with the same promises and same attitude.
But the question remains how sensitive are Nigerians towards the 2023 general election?
The question is relevant because the very bad economic, social and security issues that have almost crippled the country, especially since 2015, require leaders whose manifestos are real; leaders who are truly sensitive to the plights of the masses and leaders who will be sincere enough to promise what they can deliver.
Of course, the reasons to be sensitive to the 2023 elections abound.
As of today, Nigeria has declined in most developmental indices. At 16.95 percent, the country’s inflation rate has climbed to a new 17-year peak, while the unemployment rate keeps soaring at 33 percent today.
Also, the incessant depreciation of Naira against major global currencies has left our currency almost valueless, leaving importers at the mercy of the Central Bank as the black market exchange for, especially for the Dollar, is unimaginable.
Apart from the economy, which has been struggling, especially after the pandemic, insecurity has taken an unprecedented turn, with many dead, more likely to die, properties lost, businesses closed, local and foreign investments declined as bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram seem to have overrun the country.
Yet, the government keeps borrowing to fund security without result. Again, Nigeria’s debt profile has once again risen to an all-time high under the present administration, leaving a bleak future for the country.
The last seven and half years have also left the country more divided as the leadership has made less effort at building bridges.
To truly be sensitive to the 2023 election, the Nigerian electorate is expected to be asking the right questions now, probing failed promises embedded in past manifesto, among others.
Observers have raised the questions about how familiar Nigerians are with the manifestos of the presidential candidates.
Similarly, what role would the agenda of the presidential candidates play in determining the voting pattern?
Ahead of the next year’s polls, it is interesting to note that there is increased consciousness among Nigerians to hear from the candidates at all levels about their policies and agenda.
This is shown in the attention given to various dialogues organised by different platforms to give opportunity for the candidates to speak to Nigerians about their policies.
With the reality on ground, one can say that Nigerians, especially the youths, are more conscious of elections now than before; they ask questions and are ready to engage politicians.
In his view, Chijioke Umelahi, an Abuja-based lawyer, thinks that Nigerians seem to have woken up, they are interested in party manifestos, considering the kind of questions they are asking now and also the boldness on social media in challenging the status quo.
The onetime Abia lawmaker noted that the electorates are not interested in the campaigns and the well-stocked and smartly presented manifestos, but the execution of, at least, the major promises of the manifesto.
“I think Nigerians are more sensitive to the 2023 election than any previous election for obvious reasons. With the hyper inflation, worsening insecurity, epileptic power supply, high rate of unemployment and other challenges, it is obvious that campaign promises since 1999 and particularly, of the ruling party at the 2015 and 2019 elections have not been kept.
“So, it is not manifestos again, but execution after winning elections,” he said.
Toeing Umelahi”s line, Cephas Bello, a senior lecturer at Nasarawa State University, Keffi, noted that Nigerians are truly more sensitive to the 2023 election than in the previous elections because even the politicians and looters have been hugely impacted by the bad shape of the economy, insecurity and social unrests.
“Those who looted the country’s funds have realised that the value is going down every day because of inflation, they cannot enjoy their loot because of insecurity, they cannot do certain business because of the many policies of the CBN, among other challenges, all because someone has failed to fulfill campaign promises. People are wiser now, they will openly support a party or candidate, but are following their conscience in real action. I have seen many big people now belonging to a party and supporting another secretly. The situation is also affecting Mr. President, his government has been the most criticized in the history of Nigeria’s politics,” Bello said.
For Sam Onikoyi, a Nigerian researcher and academia in Brussels, Belgium, Nigerians are now more sensitive to the forthcoming election than before and are ready to make the right decisions with their votes this time and the politicians have realised that.
“Why are there more pre-election violence, especially clamping down on opposition, refusing them venues for campaigns, and stopping their campaigns half way in some places. They know the change is here and are fighting for their survival. No doubt, people will sell votes, but most votes will count in 2023. I am from the Western part of Nigeria, but the reality is that 2023 should not be to support my region or kinsman because Nigerian will finally sink if the masses are denied the opportunity to save it through their votes in 2023.
Since we have been selling our votes, have we become richer, since they have been presenting doctored manifestos, have there been executions? Nigerians are ready this time, forget the propaganda of politicians, those threatening violence, the country is in a very bad shape now courtesy of the present administration’s failed promises. If it is here in Europe, they cannot campaign because they will not get votes,” Onikoyi said.
Efe Agemah, a medical doctor and pharmaceutical stores owner across Niger Delta, said the masses have been following the campaigns and debates, but that the manifestos do not matter any more, but matching action after victory because Nigerians have been severally deceived in the past, especially by the ruling party.
“I have read most of their manifestos, all the candidates have made good promises, good healthcare, stable power supply, fight insecurity, no corruption, revamp economy, and more, but their predecessors made such in the past without fulfilling them. All we need now is to vote out those who failed to deliver. We did that with Jonathan and his PDP, let’s do it again with the APC and continue until we get it right. It is not about manifestos, but fulfilling the contents of the manifestos, “ said Agemah, who lamented the exodus of Nigerian doctors abroad because of the situation at home.
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According to Tunde Daramola, public affairs analyst, the electorates are more sensitive to who becomes their leader, his pedigree and the reality and probability of the actualisation of his promises.
Daramola noted further that the landscape of Nigerian politics shifted positively, attracting many ordinary people and making them more interested and more sensitive to politics now than in the past.
“Thanks to the #EndSARS protests in particular and the ravaging poverty in the country, generally. They are top among factors that have contributed in raising awareness and sensitivity of many in politics now,” he said.
Unlike in the past elections, he expects Nigerians to be more involved in the 2023 polls with increasing political consciousness among the people.
“Nigerians will be politically involved with increasing political awareness among the people, maybe because poverty is high now,” he added.
Similarly, Adeola Adelaja, a former national publicity secretary of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), said the failed promises of the past government is not making any manifesto to make sense to many Nigerians.
He stressed that candidates should be profiled based on their performance in previous positions.
According to him, “Like I have said before, candidates should be profiled based on their past track records because the three top contenders; Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a governor in Lagos for 8 years and also a Senator from Lagos West for 22 months. What was his track record during that period?
“Peter Gregory Obi was a governor in Anambra State for eight good years, how much impact did he make on the state?
“Atiku Abubakar, was the vice president to the former president Olusegun Okikiola Obasanjo, how well did he deputise and was his direct impact on the economy?
“These are the questions that Nigerians should ask themselves before venturing into electing the next president.
“There are other very brilliant candidates, who can also do very much better in other political parties, so, Nigerians should not be carried away with the three names above.
“Yes, it is very important to ensure that the next president is elected based on capacity, competence, and character because a president with human feeling will put tribalism, religious sentiment and other personal interests aside and bring unity, prosperity and turn around the economy.
“Nigerians are desperately looking forward to electing a new president that will turn around the country for good but the search must be thorough and this is where knowledge and sensitivity come in.”
Yusuf Umar, an entrepreneur, said the tough state of the economy has made life unbearable for Nigerians, adding that it is time to vote out the present leaders.
“Personally, I am not happy with this government despite the promises, you can see the high poverty and unemployment everywhere,” Umar said.
In their conclusion, the political, economy and public affairs experts are of the opinion that Nigerians are truly more sensitive to politics now than before and are also probing manifestos being presented at campaigns ahead of the 2023 election.
Considering the sad realities trailing the country in the past seven and half years, concerned Nigerians are insisting that there is an urgent need for a change of guard in which the 2023 polls offer an opportunity.
Unlike in the past, many observers are insisting that the electorates have to be more careful in the choice of the leader in 2023, which has become necessary because of the myriad of socio- economic problems that have plagued Nigeria and failure of those elected in the last dispensation.
The bottom line, according to them, is that expectations are high among Nigerians that the next president would reposition the country and put it back on the pact of prosperity, hence people are probing the manifestos of the major presidential candidates and are critiquing them effortlessly to avert a repeat of 2015 election, where the APC unseated the ruling party with sweet promises that many alleged have not been fulfilled after almost eight years.
