The Vice Presidential candidate of PDP and Governor of Delta State , Senator Ifeanyi Okowa in a rare moment of political illumination said that the next president of the country is only known by God Almighty. He made the declaration in Aboh, Ndokwa East Local Government Areas of Delta State. The message is about imperatives of election and that the wishes of the electorate as expressed in election remain supreme. It is the supplication of this newspaper that the presidential candidates and the various political parties respect the views of Nigerians come February 25, 2023.
Despite the warts and shortcomings of democracy, it remains the best system of government with its checks and balances. There is clear separation of powers among the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. And the press, the Fourth Estate of the Realm is constitutionally empowered to hold the government accountable. However, the fundamental underpin of democracy is election where the people periodically decide who should be in charge of governance. There are other elections this year but the presidential election remains the be all and end all because of the powers of the president and overwhelming influence of the federal government.
We passionately appeal to the presidential candidates of the APC, PDP, Labour Party and others to abide by the rules and shun all forms of violence. This newspaper is disturbed by the spate of killings that are politically motivated. Equally unsettling and deeply troubling is the use of money to buy the voters. If politicians could use money to influence their getting the tickets of their parties, there is very credible reason to believe that money may play ignoble role in real elections. The poverty ravaging the nation makes it impossible for people to resist the lure of money during elections. Let people not sell their future for mere porridge of the moment.
This newspaper appeals to the security agencies to remain apolitical and let democracy takes its course. INEC must remain above board and conduct credible elections within the province of human weaknesses. It is hoped that the electronic transfer of election result shall reduce the plague of election rigging. Election should be seen as competition among brothers and not war. Any politician beating the drum of violence under whatever veneer should be rejected by the voters. The welfare of the people should be the driving force of politics and not the present primitive accumulation of money and power.
We frown at negative campaigns of some parties and the hauling of insults as ways of campaigns. Let Nigerians reject politicians who see the office as personal estate. The choice, Nigerians would make in the February presidential election shall decide between prosperity and penury. Let the best presidential candidate win springing from the wishes of the masses.
