By Afolabi Aribigbola

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In an effort to comply and fall in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline on submission of candidates for the 2023 general elections, the political parties are presently preoccupied with the conduct of their primary elections. Since the beginning of this week till June 3, the last day for the submission of candidates for all elective positions, parties will be busy electing candidates that they would present during the general elections in the country.

Indeed, in the last few weeks, prospective candidates have been traversing the length and breadth of their constituencies presenting themselves as qualified, competent, and best candidates to represent them either at the state or federal level.

This exercise of electing candidates by parties delegates is  important, if not more important than the general elections. Whoever emerges from the delegates elections are the ones from which Nigerians would be opportuned and constrained to make a choice from. It therefore beholves on delegates to elect credible and competent candidates imbued with capacity to reverse the dangerous trend of degeneration in all essential sectors of Nigerian milieu.

Suffice it to say that we need good and morally upright individuals to be elected in 2023 and the precursor are the parties’ primary elections designed to pick candidates for the crucial general elections. If peradventure during the primaries of the parties, delegates elect weak, poor, incapable, and corrupt individual that cannot deliver, then the country will be in for another circle of years of hardships and indirection and bad governance that has been identified as the bane of socioeconomic development of the country in recent times. Thus, the onus is on the delegates to elect credible, forthright, and capable candidates in their respective party primaries. This is a responsibility they owe Nigerians now and the next generation.

The reality is that the political terrain in the country requires men and women imbued with courage and discipline to rise up to tackle or provide solutions to the multivarious problems confronting the country at the moment. In a nutshell, the obvious expectations of the generality of Nigerians is primary elections outcomes that will produce good and credible candidates that will be committed to the success of Nigerian project. Not politicians that will continue the looting spree of the commonwealth of Nigerians. Therefore, we are devoting today’s write up to reminding the delegates of the importance of the parties’ primaries by all the political parties in the country to the success of 2023 general elections as well as the survival of the nation. Anything short of this will spell a doom for the country and her people.

Indeed, some are quick to point out that all the delegates already know who they will cast their votes for because they were responsible for securing the position of delegates for them in the first place. And that they will also cater for their trips to and from as well as their accommodation in Abuja for Presidential primaries and other venues designated for it across the country.

That at the moment and prior to the delegates elections, several of the delegates have been assembled and camped by candidates to secure their votes and ensure that other aspirants don’t have access to them. Of course, we are not oblivious of this obnoxious practice that have been used to purchase votes to circumvent the choice of the people. This retrogressive tendency must be discarded. However, there are still few courageous and conscientious, independent and sincere delegates that are free from the malady of being bought and guided to vote for particular candidates. This group provides added impetus for this write up.

Party primaries to elect candidates are essential in accomplishing an important general election such as the 2023 general elections according to the Nigerian constitution and electoral law as amended. It must be undertaken as a prelude to actual general elections. Therefore, the delegates in exercising their responsibility and legitimate duties it is good and in the right direction to inform and impress on them to carry it out in a way that will make for the good of the people and Nigeria.

Thus, ability to perform by the prospective candidates should the guiding rule and not immediate personal gain derivable from monetization of the exercise as was witnessed in recent electoral exercises in the country. This has been the bane of elections and good governance. Electing good candidates imply that Nigerians will have a pool of good people to choose from or otherwise.

The consequences or implications of the forthcoming and ongoing election of party candidates by all parties are variegated and wide. It has the potential to have far reaching consequences on the socio-economic development of the country now and the future. On a positive note, if the delegates can be very dispassionate by electing good, competent and committed individuals as candidates, it has the potential to improve the poor state of affairs in the country. Conversely, peradventure the delegates permit only primordial mundane sentiments such as sectionalism, ethnicity or money to direct their sense of judgement to vote weak and poor candidates, it will continue to aggravate and enhance the sliding downward fortune of the country and the consequential effects in lack of good governance and further suffering of the masses of Nigeria.

This is the time for people that have the priviledge in determining who eventually becomes leaders in the country to exercise such opportunity with utmost discretion and do what is right for the good of all Nigerians. Election of credible candidates by the parties’ delegates will ultimately avail the electorate opportunities to elect good candidates. However, electing not too good candidates will constrain the generality of Nigeria’ voting population to electing mediocre and people that will invariably not make any impacts in governance. It is therefore instructive to employ them to be discreet in their choice of candidates to elect only credible and competent leaders during the upcoming primary election of the parties.

They should reject absentee legislators, those who after election will not visit their constituencies until another election is around the corner where they will come around to dole out money to bribe the delegates. The delegates should reject people who after their elections as Governors, prefer to rule from Abuja instead of their states or will devote their time to flying around in chartered aircraft politicking instead of discharging the assignment of their high office. Also, they should reject money bags especially those whose source of sudden wealth are questionable and will become a bad reference point in the future. Unfortunately, this group of people seem to be dominating the political landscape of the country to the chagrin of hard-working people. Therefore, we are advising them to elect good candidates from which the entire citizenry can make their own final choice.

On a final note, this is the time to change the unacceptable negative narratives associated with elections and its outcomes including dismal performance by many of the politicians that have not been beneficial to the country in recent times. And this can begin with better and rational actions and decision of party delegates to exercise their power by electing good candidates for people to choose from. They should allow national interest to override their personal interest and needs at the moment. Therefore, they should not abuse the priviledge as the usual practice in the past. They hold the ace to shape the future of this country.