With less than 20 days to the Presidential Election, the four major political parties, All Progressives Congress, (APC); Labour Party, (LP); New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their Presidential candidates, Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Atiku Abubakar respectively, have intensified their campaigns.
The campaign for the presidential and National Assembly election kicked off last September and since then, a good assessment of the campaign of the four leading candidates revealed that in terms of geographical coverage, they have done tremendously well.
It is amazing that even with the harsh economy; Tinubu, Obi, Kwankwaso and Atiku have been physically present with a high number of their supporters in every nook and cranny of the country, speaking to Nigerians.
They are currently rounding off their campaigns, they have been seen to have followed religiously their campaign time-table that covers all the six geo – political zones and they have few states to cover in the next few days.
Despite warnings from INEC, however, Tinubu and Atiku’s camps have been more engaged in mudslinging than campaigning on issues. Their actions have been rebuffed both by INEC and eminent personalities like the Sultan of Sokoto, and President of the Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs, Sultan Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III.
Obi Promises End to Insecurity
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has reiterated his pledge to unite and secure the country if elected president in this month’s election.
Obi, who reiterated his position recently while flagging off his campaign in the North-West, has once more blamed the security situation in the country on bad leadership.
According to him, “the security situation is not because bandits and other criminal elements are more formidable than the government, but because of bad leadership.
“That is why the bandits are everywhere and operating almost freely, killing and causing unimaginable destruction of valuables.”
He promised to restructure the country’s security architecture and ensure the welfare of security personnel who were making sacrifices for the nation.
“We will restructure the security architecture, security personnel will be well taken care of, we will ensure their lives are taken care of so that their families are taken care of in the event of death,” he said.
He further restated that he will change the country from consumption to a production country if elected.
He said, “Datti and I will change this country from consumption to production country because of the high prices of things.
“All the vast lands in the north will be centres of agriculture. Kaduna State again will become a processing centre. The Bank of Agriculture, (BoA) will finance food production in Nigeria and all the support groups, youth, women and all Nigerians, their labour for the party will not go in vain”.
Obi also promised to create a new Nigeria where every citizen would be proud to belong. He said “We are about to bring back that Nigeria where everybody was happy to belong”. “We will secure and unite Nigeria. Security will come back again,” he said.
He also promised to rebuild the country if elected president. “We will stop people from looting the nation’s treasury,” he said.
Also, during a campaign in Jalingo, Taraba State, Obi promised to bring a permanent end to the incessant strikes by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if elected president next year.
He also promised to utilise the human and natural resources to end poverty in Nigeria.
“The insecurity in the country is persisting due to lack of job opportunities. I will bring the country back to her days of greatness and the citizens will smile again”, he said.
Kwankwaso to Guarantee LGs Autonomy
The NNPP Presidential Candidate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, has promised that Local Governments in the country will become autonomous if he becomes the president.
He decried the rising poverty in Nigeria, arguing that there is the need to look at the Constitution with a view to making provisions for local government authorities to get allocation directly from the Federal Government’s coffers.
Kwakwanso has also promised to transform the nation’s maritime sector, which he said, had been neglected by successive administrations.
He said, “The maritime industry gave birth to our great party, the NNPP, so my being here is largely to listen, appreciate and understand the expectations of maritime operators from me and our party should we eventually emerge winners of the 2023 general elections.
Kwankwaso pledged to ensure that all entry examinations into tertiary institutions were free for Nigerians.
According to him, “Examination bodies are service agencies that facilitate access to higher education and training for our teaming young population.
“For our administration, no Nigerian child shall be denied the opportunity to write WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc., because of their inability to pay exorbitant registration/examination fees. These examinations shall be free and all application forms for admission into Tertiary Education Institutions shall also be free, Kwankwaso said;
Tinubu Prioritises National Security, Improved Economy
The APC Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has said his plan if he wins the February 25, 2023 presidential election will be to ensure national security, good economy, improved agriculture, and education.
Tinubu said his objective is to foster a new society based on shared prosperity, tolerance, compassion, and the unwavering commitment to treating each citizen with equal respect and due regard.
The former Lagos State Governor has promised to build a Nigeria, especially for youth, where sufficient jobs with decent wages create a better life; Manufacture, create, and invent more of the goods and services we require saying Nigeria shall be known as a nation of creators, not just of consumers.
“Under my administration we will export more and import less, strengthening both the naira and our way of life”, he said.
Tinubu promised to protect Igbo businesses if elected President in 2023.
He said, “I believe in the entrepreneurial spirit of the Igbo. I encouraged a lot of Igbo businesses and investments in Lagos and will even do more if I become President.
“If elected, there will be no discrimination. Igbo interests will be respected and protected.
In November during a campaign rally in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Tinubu promised to establish an industrial hub across the nation and modernise the existing ones when he is voted into power.
He said he was trained by his mother who was a trader and a market leader, saying that “I’ve been progressive in governance, not a backward thing. I want to give us our tomorrow.
In December, during a presidential campaign rally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Tinubu promised to renew the hope of Nigerian youths by creating thousands of jobs if elected president of the country.
He said: “The Poverty Development Party, you know them, have collected your money since the creation of this state, and couldn’t provide the roads. Where is the job? I will create thousands of expert employment, technical hubs to link you to the rest of the world.
Atiku Abubakar Emphasise Private Sector Driven Economy
The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has released a 5-point policy document tagged, “My Covenant with Nigerians’’.
Some of the promises contained in the document include strategies to end insecurity, speed up economic growth, as well as create jobs.
While flagging off his campaign he has promised to revive the Nigerian economy and promised to move Nigeria to the right direction.
He said: “We are here today to restate our five-point agenda, which includes to re-unite Nigeria; restore security; establish compulsory primary education and ensure our institutions of higher learning don’t go on strike and revive the Nigerian economy.
He said, “I want to pay tribute to the press for their role in the restoration of democracy in Nigeria. Many of you have sacrificed your life and career”, he told the media at a media gathering in Lagos.
“If you look at the thriving economy in the world, they allow the private sector to run the economy. If you see the amount of work the government has to do in terms of constructing and decongesting our ports, railway, and you have to borrow, I will rather concession most of these projects to the private sector and give them tax incentives. This will bring progress, prosperity and peace”,
Atiku promised to revisit the Oronsaye report on merger of federal agencies and remove the fuel subsidy that had been a drag on the economy.
He said, “I was the chairman for the removal of the fuel subsidy committee and I recall how we removed the phase 1 and phase 2 of fuel subsidy.
“I will continue from where we stopped, remove fuel subsidies totally and channel the subsidy funds back to the economy. In other words, it’s just a fraud.”
Each of the candidates pledged to end insecurity, which is one of the serious problems facing the country.
Speaking with THEWILL, a member of the Campaign for Democracy, Comrade Sola Olawale, said the election is drawing nearer and urged the presidential candidates to sell their manifestoes to Nigerians rather than attacking each other on social and traditional media.
“Let me tell the major presidential candidates in the coming election that we are not interested in mudslinging. We know their past and they should not remind us of their dirty deeds of the past. What we want from them is to tell us what they will do for us.
“This election will not be like the other ones before, with the introduction of BVAS; we will have the right to elect those who will govern us. We won’t tolerate rigging of any kind. So you have the time now, tell us what you want to do and assure us by telling us how you will carry them out “, he said.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
