Labour Party presidential candidate
The 2023 Elections is like none ever experienced before in our checkered existence as a nation. The citizens have experienced unimaginable difficulties under the present administration.
The standard of living of Nigerians have reached an all-time low, food prices have soared like kites beyond the reach of the citizens. Life expectancy has nosedived to the lowest level recorded in our national history. The value for human lives became worthless as people have been murdered, slaughters and killed like flies all across the country.
The level of insecurity in the country can only be compared to the period of the Nigerian civil war. Even more worrisome was the apparent inability of the Nigeria military to tackle the insurgency, whereby the armed forces have lost more of its high-ranking officers under a civil dispensation than they did in the civil war.
The trauma that Nigerian families have undergone under this administration is mind bugling, and no one needs to be told the party that needed to be voted out. Anyone who had lived in the country in the last seven years has experienced enough hardship to think and act right during the elections.
The introduction of the Labour party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi into the political sphere have provided a considerable alternative to the majority of the people, who are disappointed, but hitherto were constrained to choose between the deep blue sea and the desert.
My dear Obidient citizens, let us be focused, because there are many things in our favour, of which we do not need to expend precious time worrying about during this campaign. We have to our advantage of being provided the failure of the ruling party as follows:
1. To deliver on its election promised to the citizens.
2. The government’s consistent disposition to falsehood and misrepresentation of facts about the state of the nation.
3. The high indebtedness of this administration and the complete absence of physical infrastructure to show for it.
4. The government hard stand position and unwillingness to resolve the ASUU strike.
5. The rising wave of crime and the near absence of police protection.
6. The worsening state of our roads, power supply, health sector and other social amenities.
7. The general ineptitude in the management of our resources and high rate of corruption.
8. The blatant disregard of the constitutional provisions and the lopsided appointment of federal executives.
9. The unabated increase in the exchange rate of the Naira to the Dollar and the devaluation of the Naira.
10. The food crises and the lack of government intervention.
The people of Nigeria know all of these and even more and have decided that they want a change of government, which they have demonstrated by the massive support given to the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, through the Obidient movement, and they are still willing to replicate that fit at the ballot.
The intense social media work and rallies in support of Peter Obi across the country, in exception of a few northwest and northeast States, have ostensible accomplished 90 percent of the campaigns. Hence, the party should focus on PVC collection, voters’ education, especially, identification of the party logo, thump-printing and protection of their votes, and to project the party as the family party.
The party should deploy technology in election monitoring, to forestall any foreseeable malpractices by either INEC returning officers or party agents, especially, in volatile areas, classified as red states.
It is also worth mentioning that the party’s governorship, senatorial and house of representative candidates have not done enough to take advantage of the strong presence of the Obidient support groups to work with them, and to enable them ride on the present momentum and gain traction in the grass root.
The Nigerian people want a change of government and the Labour Party had provided a formidable platform, and it must do all within its means to motivate the support groups and incentivize the electorates.
Comrd. March Oyinki is President, Movement For Change Worldwide, MFCW.
