By Lateef Adegbite
Barely 82 days to the 2023, Presidential and National Assembly Elections, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra state and Candidate of the Labour party, LP, has released the party manifesto, tagged ‘’its’ possible’’, to the Nigerian public.
The party manifestos was said to have been launched on Sunday, December 4, 2022, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, amidst large presence of supporters. Diran Onfade, the party spokesperson, had said that Obi and Senator Yusuf Datti-Ahmed, the party Vice Presidential Candidate, were part of those who had produced the working document .
The LP manifestos, was said to have been anchored on seven thematic areas, which include ‘’security, production, institutional reforms, industrial revolution, infrastructural development, and robust Foreign policy’’. The duo, were said to promised, as contained in the party manifestos ‘’to secure and unite Nigeria, which had been disunited by the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, with the rise of ethnic militias in different parts of the county.
This is more pronounced in the north eastern geopolitical region where the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, BokoHaram, the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, are operating and the Bandits Group, operating in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Katsina and the north central state of Niger, including the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a separatist group operating in the south eastern geopolitical region.
As part of the programmes to be implemented by the party if elected to form the next government after the 2023, general elections was Human capital development through robust investments in STEM education health, and laying emphasis on wealth creation, distribution and sustainable development.
The party may have carved a special place for the he Nigerian women and Youths in its manifestos as it had promised to improve their access to finance, to fund Small, and medium scale enterprises, SMEs, as a way ‘’to significantly reduce unemployment in the country’’.
The LP, Presidential Candidate, and senator Ahmed, his running mate, appear to have thrown a bigchallenge to Aswaju Ahmed Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state and Flag bearer of the APC and Atiku Abubakar, a former Nigerian Vice President, during the Administration of erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Flag bearer, to release their party manifestoes instead of making empty promises that has no meaning.
Many believe that the LP, Presidential Candidate and his running mate, Senator Ahmed, had towed the line of political activities in the second Republic where the presidential Candidates, the had released party manifestos to which the Candidates had use in their electioneering Campaigns sell their Candidacy to Nigerians. Take for instance, the then ruling National Party of Nigeria, NPN, before it was overthrown by the military I December 31, 1983, had promised in its manifesto provision of houses, and fulfilled it.
While the LP, Presidential Candidate and his Vice , are taking their Campaigns to the nooks and crannies of the country based on what is contained in their party manifestos, the Opposition PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation, appear more concerned in consulting former political leaders to guide them I their Campaigns.
Only recently, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a former Speaker of House of Representatives, and now governor of Sokoto state, who incidentally is the Director General of PDP Campaign Prganisation, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta state and the party Vice Presidential Candidate for the 203 general elections, Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa state, Prince Olangunsoye Onyinlola, a retired Army Brigadier General, Liyel Imoke, a former governor of Cross river state and Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, a chief of the party , at the instance of Atiku, the party Flag bearer had visited former President Obasnjo at his Abeokuta residence to seek his support.
Tambuwal had said that they had ‘’very fruitful discussion with the former Nigerian President’’, stressing that’’ it was part of the build up to win the 2023, Presidential elections’’. Without any working party manifestos for now, Tambuwa, the PDP, Presidential Campaign Organisation, Director General, had said that the PDP, will provide Leadership that will ‘’stabilise the country, revive the economy and foster more of national unity’’.
Onhis part, Tinubu, the Flag bearer of the APC, had promised ‘’to create opportunities for the Nigeria Youths to achieve their potential in life, provide free education from primary to University level, including free health services if voted into power in the forthcoming Presidential election.
Kola Abiola, son of Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, popular, MKO, the preferred winner of the 1993, Presidential elections, and Presidential Candidate of People’s Redemption Party,, PRP, had promised to reduce the country’s unemployment, which the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, had put at 33.30%.3% as at the fourth quarter of 2020-2023, by 50%, if elected in the 2023 pools. Hear him: it’s all about sustainable growth and creating market -based economy to create liquidity first’’.
Many believe that it’s not enough to make such promises but for the parties which have fielded Presidential Candidates for the 2023, general elections to release their party manifestos to the public, to peruse.
Determined to conduct a fair, free and transparent 2023, general elections at both the state and Federal levels, with the electronic transmission of the results, may have informed why the Leadership of INEC, has scheduled ‘’to meet with the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, under the close watch of Prof. Umar Gaba Dambatta, the Executive Vice Chairman, and the Chief Executive Officers, cCEO, of the four major Telecommunication companies: MTN, Aitel, Glo and 9mobile, operating in the country on Tuesday, December 6, 2022.
Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor and National Chairman, of the Electoral umpire, had assured Nigerians voters that they have no cause to worry as the commission will use its two years’ experience in transmitting results in real time from polling units which was said to have commenced on August 8, 2022, to do so in the 2023, general elections, where election was conducted off-cycle and by-elections for 105 Constituencies. Cording to him, the Commission had transmitted results from all parts of the country and will do it again.
What may be giving the INEC, boss the Confidence was that the Commission had transmitted election results in rural Zamfara state, Ilaje and Ese Odo of Ondo state as well Oporoma in southern Ijaw of Bayelsa, former President Goodluck Jonathan home state, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
He had told those that cares to listen that the Commission never had any issues with the transmission of the results’’. It is not surprising why he could confidently say that the Commission is going ‘’to transmit results of the 2023 general elections from 176,846 locations without hassles.
Given an insider information, he had said that ‘’there is enough connectivity for INEC to deploy and transmit the results of the general elections’, meaning there will be no room for those who derive joy in rigging elections.
For those expecting Prf. Yakubu, the INEC National Chairman to say that the Commission is not ready for the 2023, general elections because of the frequent attacks on its facilities in Ogun, Eboyi and other parts of the country, may have to wait endlessly.
This is because the INEC national Chairman had made it clear that they have ‘’resolved and determined ‘’to proceed with the 2023, electoral business because that is what the Nigerian people want and expect the Commission to do’’.
