"Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities show up in the polls." - Peggy Noonan
Shortly after we published the first article on the coming election in Ondo state as regards Ondo North senatorial district, we have earned some accolades and more hot seat accusations ranging from "we are both the competent and popular demand". While others believe we are fronting for a presumed candidate. Nay, we are committed to bringing good governance to the good people of Ondo state, this we might have to do in the spirit of elevating the people from undue hardship, unwarranted poverty, unsolicited pains, the list go on.
We stood our ground that competence should trump popular demand when we get to the bridge to cross to a new dispensation of politics in Nigeria. Ondo state has always been a place of reckoning when it comes to Nigerian politics, our forebears have paid that price, and the duty placed on us is to continue from where they stopped. This should not be too much of a job to do. And it's, therefore, a duty for all citizens to act by electing the right candidate for each seat come 2023.
Why must we all participate in politics
Recently someone asked why must we all participate in politics, my team of resounding political gurus answered simply "Politics determine all you do!"
Seeing the answer too complex, I asked, have you watched a video from Tedx when a lady spoke about politics, she said No, you need to, I replied, you too can Watch it here. This is one of the best speeches by a woman in the world.
Honestly, when we fact checks through history, and old prints we see that politics is the tool through which the world was established, run, and the last standing pillar upholding the same. The Bible further gave a distinct expression, when it said in Isaiah 9:6,
"For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder...",
there stands no better expression.
How to select the right candidate
Come 2023, enemies of the people will go in miles to do cheap propaganda or claim the right choice based on the peanuts given and monumental gains which will all see after the election. My friend does give an illustration, ' if you are given a sum of money, say Twenty thousand naira or slightly above, on election day to vote for a particular candidate, He said go to the market immediately and see if the sum will not be eaten up by the market prices.
Market prices and government policies do not affect only the opposition it affects everybody altogether and even the last generation of the party in power.
Therefore, to elect the right candidate you must do as follows;
• Be part of the nomination process
• Join in during the primary elections
• Eschew money politics, rather, the people policy-oriented candidate.
• Observe and go through the public idea of candidates presented by political parties.
• Know the public record of each candidate, if they are not EFCC regular customers, and also if they are not prison returnees. Here, you must be sure if their allegations are not government orchestrated, see the case of Nelson Mandela, Olusegun Obasanjo even Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had to go into exile because of political struggle.
• Know the power of deal and power negotiations in getting your preferred candidate to power. Lobby traditional leaders, lobby the rich class, lobby the influencers, and a lot more groups.
• Educate the younger generation, particularly those clocking the voting age to vote and participate in the system.
• Preach against violent elections in all facets.
• Encourage more women in active politics and electioneering. Women take the higher percentage of voters in Nigeria, making good use of that fact. Also, encourage them to vote and be voted for.
Above all, if Nigeria will be better we need to vote for people who have disregard for corruption, people who say yes and it's yes come rain come sun. We might not get it all to come in 2023, it's one step after the other.
To make a change requires taking the first step, one at a time, note, that a child never grows just once, she goes from weaning to crawling, to then walking before knowing the right from left.
One good decision will bring a better option and further correct politician opinion about the people. " We the people" - the constitution reads.
God bless Ondo state,
God bless Nigeria.
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