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Omoyele Sowore, founder of SaharaReporters, has declared his intention to run for the office of the president of Nigeria. Last week he was in Kano to pay a courtesy visit to His Royal Highness, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); the emir advised him to stick to the rules of the game and he encouraged more youths to come out and contest for positions.
Campaign and election in almost every country raise a lot of interest and a mixture of feelings among people and Nigeria is not an exception. Usually, a year before a general election, politicians intensify their campaign for different political positions. During this period, lection year politicians come out with all manner of promises.
What really does campaign mean? A political campaign is an organised effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaign often refers to electoral campaign by which representatives are chosen or referendums are decided. In modern politics, the most high-profile political campaign is focused on general election and candidates for head of state or head of government.
It is very important that campaigns in every part of the country should be conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner. People’s excesses and those of the politicians should be checked in order to ensure a very peaceful campaign.
These days, you get to see lot of commotion during campaign period, especially during the election year, which posses fear and intimidation not only in the minds of the politicians but also to innocent members of society.
Keen watchers of the Nigerian politics have begun to express fears over the likelihood of a tension-soaked and crisis-ridden campaign ahead of the 2019 general election.
These fears are direct offshoot of the high level of intolerance in the polity and the equally unfortunate level of hate in society.
For some time now, prominent Nigerians have said that the country was more divided now than at any other period in the history of Nigeria. They believe that even during the civil war, the country was not as divided. Today, the polity is being poisoned as citizens are divided along ethnic and religious lines.
Today, campaigns are done and votes solicited, not on the basis of people’s capabilities and competences, but on the basis of religious affiliations or ethnic leaning.
When Sowore got to Kano State, they were allegedly resisted by an army of youths that attacked them.
People campaigning for positions should be able to come out and do so without blockage or any form of hindrance.
Politicians that are sponsoring thugs and all manner of people to intimidate their opponents or politicians contesting the same positions with them should be identified and necessary sanctions meted out to them.
One surprising aspect of the actions of the youth in the Kano episode is that it was allegedly sponsored by the President of Kano State Youth Council, Kabiru Lakwaya, and the question is why would the president of a youth council be sponsoring a protest against a politician? Are there no other positive activities he should be engaging himself into rather than sponsoring a protest against a politician and causing a breach of public peace?
As we all know, leaders have an influence on the people they are leading. It is important therefore that they show them the right way; it is important that leaders should have a positive influence on the people. It is very wrong for a youth leader to allow his people to protest openly against a person who has come on a visit to his people. At this point in time lots of political activities are taking place in different parts of the country, it is important that various political parties must get themselves ready towards the 2019 election in a manner that is devoid of rancour and unnecessary bitterness.
The youths must not lend themselves to be used as canon fodders which has always been the case. And politicians must learn to play by the rules. This is the way to go before, during and after the elections in 2019, all in the interest of the country.
LANATU JOY SHELTON
