2019 Elections and The Need for Caution

2019 Elections and The Need for Caution

For everyone who stays in Nigeria and even out of the country, the fireworks already setting the pace for the 2019 election is one that has been admirably creative and great. 

For a country that boasts of so many political parties but two parties running the system , there has been huge attempt to swing the country from being a two-party dominated one, the 2019 election is going to go down as one of the most interesting in the Nigerian history.

The recent attempt to have a third force also brings a new drift to the elections , many although have said  the third force led by Fela Durotoye, Oby Ezekwesili, Omoyele Sowore and Moghalu cannot unseat any of the All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party, the efforts have created some unique moments for the 2019 election.

Particularly, with over 84million (Eighty-Four Million) Nigerians billed to vote at the election , the electoral interest is one commendable and could only be marred by non-collection of the permanent voters card by Nigerian electorates. In the 2015 Elections there were 68,833,476 registered voters.

Having looked at all this intricacies, the major issue on the lips of Nigerians is, will the election  be free and fair?

There has been allegations of insincerity to hold a free and fair election levelled against Independent National Electoral Commission. Many believe that we may not have the Attahiru Jega standard and we may have many “Orubebes” in the 2019 election.

Above all with the international community expecting deeply alot from the elections , one can only appeal to the Independent National Electoral Commission to eshew values that will promote peace in the country especially with the disagreement on the electoral guidelines still eating much into the polity. 

The readiness of the leading political parties to abide by basic principles has become very essential.

The campaigns has been less provocative atleast going by standards set in previous campaigns but this may just be another fluke if on the day of the election starting with the February 16 Presidential election,  intimidation is allowed to run the show.

We should not forget in a hurry various issues that arose from the Osun state gubernatorial elections and the Ekiti state elections. With the happenings there, we need a bigger mindframe and readiness to sustain our Democracy beyond 2019.

I posit fully that the election in 2019 , will be more participatory and anticipatory but how well can we conduct our own systems? 

Can we have the Abiola election again? This time that won’t be cancelled?

There has been lots of caution raised by major personalities in the country including erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo, while we are fast to say the former President conducted an unfree election, it should not be hard to note that we cannot keep referring to our past in the face of some truth and need to advance from the ugliness of it.

The regional issues are just on one side especially with persons suspecting that a particular region maybe outplayed in favor of another region. 

All this are factors that may want to mitigate against the 2019 election but can we outplay the challenges to give the Nigerian and international community an election to behold?

Aroghalu Chidozie Law

Writes From Abuja
He can be reached via
chidozie.law@live.com