Of Nigerian Politicians And False Campaign Promises -By Isaac Asabor

There is no denying the fact that to any patriotic Nigerian, this piece is well-timed while those whose collective conscience it is aimed at will see the piece as a calculated attempt to de-market them from the axiomatic electoral market. Unknown to them, it is for their own good as not doing the right thing is more chancy to their political careers and more de-marketing enough than this very piece, which is invariably a personal opinion. After all, Nigerian Constitution in chapter 4, section 39 says “Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference”. Above all, it is expedient to add voice to that of other Nigerians that have over the years been urging politicians in government to eschew making false promises to the people by each passing electioneering dispensation.

In fact, we have since September 28, 2022, when Nigeria’s political umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blew the whistle for political parties to commence electioneering ahead of the 2023 presidential and general elections. Against the foregoing backdrop, it is no more illegal or unlawful to see politicians, delivering lofty speeches and making pompous promises they know would be difficult to fulfill. However, while passionately appealing to them to eschew the somewhat deceitful and mischievous electoral pranks, it is expedient to also make them realize that they need to be extra careful. The reason is that some concerned sections of society are keeping audio and video recordings of the speeches made by them during electioneering so that they can be held accountable later on.

With political parties gearing up for the general and presidential elections, come February 2023, it is enough to, in this context, inform the politicians that various social and voluntary organizations as well as individuals; particularly the Netizens, are ready to counter the usual superficial claims and promises they will make ahead of next year’s elections.

At this juncture, it will be recalled that when President Muhammadu Buhari was campaigning for the 2015 general elections, he and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) made several promises to the electorates. Not only was he seen by many Nigerians; both physically and on Television sets as he mount the soapbox waving his party’s symbolic broom while he reeled out some of the promises that are yet to be fulfilled almost eight years down the line, the promises were contained in the APC Manifesto and in other campaign documents even as they were publicly canvassed by the party.

In fact, the manifesto and campaign materials which contained all the party’s promises were made available to the media and the public at the time, even as the party’s campaign was based on the catchword “CHANGE”.  To anyone that has a dispassionate and non-partisan mindset, it was obvious that the “CHANGE Campaign” was implemented in a most malicious, scratchy, and propagandistic forcefulness that somewhat obliterated every message disseminated by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the then President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Despite the non-fulfillment of the promises made ahead of the 2015 elections, the party, APC, unashamedly went ahead in 2018 to aggressively campaign ahead of the 2019 elections, gave itself pass marks; even in some areas where it was glaring that nothing was done. 

As you read this, the party is yet on another round of campaigns ahead of the 2023 presidential and general elections. This time around, its affiliates are using a variety of devices to prove themselves more trustworthy and credible than the others. Apart from devising acronyms, participating in TV debates, and organizing massive rallies, there is a monumental drive toward using the social media platforms and mainstream media owned by key stakeholders in the party to give affiliates of other parties, such as the Labour Party, a bad name and mischievously hang them. For instance, the “Area boys” tag they have been attempting to wear the “Obi-Dients” is almost getting stuck. 

In as much as this writer is not expecting some readers that have partisan mindsets to concur with him on his views in this context, it is expedient to say that two cars were in collision at an intersection. There were four witnesses, one on each corner. While two of the witnesses were sympathetic to the driver of Car A, the other two were sympathetic to the driver of Car B. When called to testify as to what they had seen, the accounts were so varied that the Court was left to wonder whether they had witnessed the same accident. So it is with Nigeria’s situation at the moment. The facts may be undisputed, but how they are perceived is legitimately conditioned by the position of the beholder.

Without a doubt, the foregoing anecdote clearly points to why some ministers and special assistants in the ongoing APC-led government will never subscribe to the views expressed in this context.  But one thing is sure, God sees everything anybody does; good or bad.

Be that as it may, it is expedient to say that our leaders have from one political dispensation to another being unaccountable to the people, particularly as Nigerians are not holding them accountable for their actions or inactions. If they were been held accountable, it would have been the surest way to ensure that only credible leaders are elected to lead at all levels of government.

At this juncture, it is expedient to recall the words of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in this piece. Speaking at a colloquium to mark the 10th anniversary of the African Centre for Leadership Strategy and Development, three years ago, Omo-Agege noted that holding leaders accountable based on unfulfilled promises remains the way out to ensure that only credible leaders are elected to be in government at all levels.

Omo-Agege, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Speech Writing, Dr Chuba Keshi, identified two central areas where Nigerians can develop leadership models and strategies to include national spirit and effective political participation by the led.

He said: “It is pertinent for the purposes of good leadership that we firm up a common consciousness as a people in what we can call the Nigerian spirit. This is just as we hear of the American spirit, the French or English spirit, or the Indian spirit.

“A common national spirit is the easiest vehicle that accords legitimacy to any leadership. It is the easiest vehicle that commands patriotism and it is what galvanizes the people to go the extra mile to selflessly pursue and accomplish tasks that pertain to national duties and development.