Now That Campaigns Are Here…

Ahead of the February and March general election this year, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, officially commenced its open-air campaigns last Monday. The ruling party in the state successfully launched the campaigns in Omoku, the headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area. Yesterday, the party moved to Omagwa to campaign in the Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Other political parties have been mobilising and sensitising the electorate across communities in the 23 local government councils. As the drive intensifies, we implore politicians and political actors to play by the rules set out by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines. We also charge them to ensure compliance with extant state and community rules and regulations for peaceful, non-violent electioneering campaigns.
We ask them to be tolerant and deferent in the choice of words and characterisation of issues. They should get around using inflammatory and acrimonious words during campaigns in the state. We equally apprise them to concentrate on issues of utmost significance to Rivers people, rather than trivial comments, allegations, and bombastic and unrealistic claims. As the ruling and oldest party in the state, the PDP, in particular, should be a worthy example for others to emulate.
Political campaigns should be conducted in a benign, orderly and mature manner. The Electoral Act 2022, Section 92 (1-6) prescribes how political campaigns should be conducted. The law provides that “a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly, especially such is likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.”
We note that this election will not be as effortless and uncomplicated as some people might think. Several developments in the country and around the world are likely to shape the choices the electorate may make during the elections. Many independent voters now inhabit the communities and states. Most are not likely to vote for political parties, but individual candidates based on their personal convictions in the characters and pedigrees of the candidates.
Here in Rivers State, political gladiators should tailor their manifestos to address the frantic needs of the people and residents of the state. While campaigns are merely contests of ideas and questions, campaign managers may be inclined towards inflicting buckshot bruises on one another. As such, it may be crucial for INEC to remind all contestants and their parties of their responsibility to campaign decently, heeding the code of conduct for the elections.
The electoral umpire has to work with security agents to ensure there are no violent outings. This has become necessary because politicians are desperate to obtain votes for themselves and may not take an issue-based approach to the campaigns. This is going to hurt the people deeply and the development of our democracy. These politicians are striving to employ a variety of anonymous tactics to launch varying degrees of smear campaigns against their opponents.
In a way, the essence of political campaigns is to help voters make the right choices from a broad range of options. This time, Rivers people deserve more than the usual allotment and purchases of musicians, comedians, crowds, and dancers to entertain the assemblages for political rallies. Those aspiring to lead need to figure out that when campaigns are vicious and chaotic, the results do not serve the public good.
Therefore, it is of most significance to ensure that the rules and regulations governing the campaign season are binding on all involved and that all key stakeholders compete on a level playing field. Candidates should elaborate on matters about ordinary people. They should tell us how they will deal with the challenges of the state. Key issues such as the economy, security, agriculture, education, and health, among others, should feature prominently in the 2023 polling campaigns.
Accordingly, political parties in the state must look at practically every sector of the economy and society. They must specify how they will raise funds and, possibly, new ideas to invest in the sectors. Will they ask for special assistance or budget funds to improve infrastructure? What are their short, medium and long-term plans? What are the means and logistics to achieve this dream? The candidates need to provide answers to these questions.
There is no doubt that Rivers people are looking for a firm commitment from political parties and their nominees to address the challenges they face. The problems we encounter in the state are well known. Unlike in the past, we would rather not see candidates give superficial explanations of issues or romanticize concerns about them. We think that the quality of campaigns is a precondition to the quality of governance when a winner emerges in the end.
All the candidates now have the opportunity to fire from all cylinders in a bid to sell and market their programmes to voters. However, in doing so, the need to emphasise issues should be the sole focus. Elsewhere in advanced democracies, this is hardly a concern. In those climes, political parties and candidates, sensitive and responsive to voters, set a great store on investigating the issues facing them and proffering solutions in their manifestos. This is possible in our state.
Issue-focused campaigns are germane to concretising our democracy.  They will provide the electorate with an understanding of the plans in store for them, thereby helping them make informed decisions as to whom to vote for. This will take away the bad blood created and the predisposition towards violence at the least provocation among rival political parties. Issue-oriented campaigns will also assist the people understand that what is vital when electing their leaders, is not their ethnic background or religion, but their ability to deliver good governance.