‘Another year has come, and now you want my trust once more…’
Those lines, which emanate from Nigerian singer 2baba’s 2006 song, ‘E be like say’, come to mind once more as Nigeria’s 2023 election campaigns heat up.
The song was dedicated to politicians who lie to the people during campaigns and do something else when they are in office.
Election season is here again and politicians are filled with rhetoric and promises to Nigerians, even though the country is still taunted by unfulfilled campaign promises from the present administration.
Struggling economy
The state of Nigeria’s economy today is in a shambles; with global commodity shocks, a depreciating currency, trade restrictions, and monetisation of the deficit, surging inflation pushing millions of Nigerians into poverty.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s economy was projected to grow at an average of 3.2 percent from 2022 to 2024, but the growth outlook is subject to downside risks including further declines in oil production and heightened insecurity.
Security concerns
There has also been a steady rise in insecurity in the nation; as armed actors have established new killing fields, and regular violent hotspots have continued to record new incidents.
Violent conflicts in Nigeria have resulted in several communities being turned into piles of ruin, with their residents forcefully displaced.
Rising insecurity is the order of the day as not a day passes without reports of kidnapping, banditry, robbery, murder and wanton killings.
It is quite sad to know that in spite of huge resources being injected into the Nigerian defence, the Nigerian government seems unable to curb the insecurity menace.
Buhari’s promises
Before President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, he promised to address the country’s insecurity and economic problems if elected.
In his words, ‘The fundamental issue facing this country is insecurity and the problem of economy which was being made worse by corruption.
‘I assure you that we are going to finally assemble a competent team of Nigerians to efficiently manage the country’.
Over seven years later, Nigerians are living in regret as a result of failed promises from the Buhari administration and several state governments.
Failed promises
The realities of the campaigns in 2015 and 2019 saw the president and his party dishing out promises upon promises that are yet to be fulfilled, and the president has barely eight months to the end of his eight years in office.
It is on the basis of this failure of campaign promises that Nigerians have become concerned about political candidates’ promises for the 2023 elections.
To this end, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD West Africa) and Arise Television organised a political town hall meeting for presidential candidates to tell Nigerians what plans they have for the nation’s economy and security.
Candidates make fresh promises
Former Governor of Kano State and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, promised to increase the number of military personnel from 250,000 to one million.
On the economy, Kwankwaso promised, ‘We will create necessary palliative even if we take subsidy away, which is very necessary in the long-term…’
He also said if elected, his government would stop stealing of oil and other assets owned by the nation.
For his part, former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, said his government, among other things, would dialogue with genuine agitators in order to engender peace and tame insecurity, while criminal elements among them would be made to face the law.
On the economy, Obi said his government would remove subsidies to develop other critical sectors of the economy.
As for the Governor of Delta State and vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa, who stood in for his principal, Atiku Abubakar, he said two of the most important things on their dashboard were ensuring state police and devising technology to tackle crimes across the country.
On the economy, Okowa said the government’s resources will be used to develop entrepreneurs, make people’s lives easier, and grow the economy so that people will live in better conditions.
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Kola Abiola, also spoke on the need to review Nigeria’s inherent security architecture.
On the economy, Abiola said if elected, his government would stop subsidising consumption, but would rather subsidise mortgages.
Citizens’ expectation
Generally, what Nigerians expect of the presidential candidates is to be specific in their responses of how to fix the nation’s ailing economy and curb the insecurity situation which has spiraled out of control.
There should be no more room for the usual rhetoric which Nigerians are used to during campaign periods like this.
It is high time candidates started giving properly detailed plans of how they intend to tackle Nigeria’s challenges, so they can be held accountable based on these detailed plans should they fail to meet up after getting into office.
Photo source: BBC
