2019 Vice Presidential Debate - Aftermath

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The vice-presidential candidates’ debate for the 2019 general elections organized by Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDB) and the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) is a commendable move by Nigerians towards 2019 general elections.

The debate which is first TV debate of its kind took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Friday December 14 2018 had five candidates from five political parties in attendance namely:  APC (Osinbajo), PDP (Obi), Young Progressive Party (Umar Getso), Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (Ganiyu Galadima) and Alliance for New Nigeria (Kadijah Abdullahi- Iya).

A debate of this kind will help Nigerians to view and listen to their candidates at one place to know who they really are and what they have to offer. It will create an avenue for Nigerians to question their political aspirants and judge them by their reactions and words of mouth, and really know who is who or who is better qualified.

This is not expected to end with the vice presidential candidates; candidates at all levels should be involved: presidential candidates down to governorship candidates and councilors. The people we elect to lead us should be made to be accountable and the time is now.

NEDB and BON should exercise their powers, organize and invite all candidates for every political office, one group at a time, to answer questions that borders on Nigeria; its economy and the way forward, and any candidate that did not honour the invitation when it is their turn should be counted out of the race. Human rights activists, youth/students representatives, entrepreneurs, teachers/lecturers, etc should not be left out during such a press conference/debate. Selected well meaning Nigerians should all be invited because it is the right of Nigerians to know who they are voting for.

It is high time our leaders be made to account for the powers we give them. Nigeria will be better if Nigerians work hard to make it what it ought to be. The power is in our hands to give out to somebody, but who? Debate/Press conference for all political candidates can go a long way to help us. Once bitten, twice shy!  We should look before we leap! Good people great nation!

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

You may also wish to read "2019 Elections: Who Are Your Suitors" 

President Buhari’s Declaration: Any Better Rival?

General election in Nigeria is fast approaching and many politicians are warming up to take their stand; to be voted for, to vote, to rig the election or to engage in one form of diabolic activity or the other, etc., in order to win election, or make sure their person wins. President Muhammadu Buhari has declared his intention to run again come 2019 and no law can stop him. We can only criticize his move to contest but cannot stop him.

Ideal Olive gathered that President Buhari declared his intention to seek re-election at the closed-door meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting at the national Secretariat of the APC in Abuja. According to him, he was responding to the clamor by Nigerians to re-contest in 2019. He can as well ignore the clamor if he so wishes, but he chose to succumb; he was not forced.

We admit that President Buhari’s administration achieved much in the area of fight against corruption but we cannot fail to say that that fight was greatly marred by hate, tribalism and sectionalism among others. In addition to that, a lot of discrepancies surround his administration that many Nigerians have been in doubt about his intentions; the mystery behind the adoption of Chibok and Dapchi school girls. Why was it easy for the President to recover the Dapchi girls, though one is still in the captive of the so called boko haram, but not the case for Chibok girls? If the confession of Mama Boko Haram is true as it seemed, then the release of the Dapchi girls is not to be credited to Buhari’s administration. Recall that ideal olive earlier reported about an interview involving Mama Boko Haram, as regards the activities of Boko Haram and the release of Dapchi school girls. What about the herdsmen killings which intensified in Buhari's administration, and which the federal government or the presidency has been handling lackadaisically and nonchalantly? President Buhari’s administration indeed has a lot of question mark, but then, this does not alter the fact that he is coming for a second term.

The heat of the President’s declaration has generated a lot of controversy; people have been thinking of what Nigeria will be like in another four years of Buhari’s administration, when the country is yet to come of the nightmares of mass killings and burials, abject poverty and hunger in the name of recession, etc. that his present administration has thrown Nigeria into. The past leaders on the other hand have been in the business of criticism; either constructive or destructive, to make sure his second term agenda is ruined.

The problem at hand is not the president’s declaration to run in 2019 for a second term neither is it whether he will be voted for or not but who is fit to compete with him. Who is better than Buhari among other past leaders that are also popping out their ugly heads to rule Nigeria come 2019? Are they not all the same? We admit that Buhari is not fit to rule Nigeria for another four years from 2019 but who can take the mantle from him?

Among Nigeria’s numerous problems which are insecurity, corruption, unemployment, poor infrastructures, incessant power failures, mismanagement of public funds, etc., who is fit to solve at least half? It is not about wanting to answer president, it is about service and who is ready to render this service? If such a person did not emerge to be voted for or emerge and win the election, then voting President Buhari out is not an achievement. Until we find such a person of integrity as a nation and encourage him, we are still where we are. Meanwhile, as Nigerians, we have the power to fish out and support such leaders among us; that is, if we can deal with I, and focus on WE.

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi

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