Some key civil society organisations (CSOs) and lawyers have accused politicians of using permutations, debates and even campaigns for the 2027 general election to distract Nigerians attention from their failures in office.
They bemoaned the worsening insecurity in the country which has resulted into killings, kidnapping and maiming of innocent and hapless Nigerians, as well as the deteriorating economy that has inflicted untold hardship on the people.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday, some of the CSOs and legal practitioners expressed disappointment that instead of focusing on how to tackle these challenges, politicians were only concerned about capturing or retaining power in 2027 which is more than two years away.
The executive director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said he was not surprised by the politicians’ preoccupation with 2027 because their concern has never been effective and responsible governance or managing the economy, diversity, peace and stability in the country.
“It is not surprising because the whole idea is not to be involved in elections for effective and responsible governance and also managing the economy, diversity, peace and stability in the country. It is more of a transaction or business to capture power at all means to continue to siphon the tax prayers’ money and to involve in impunity and recklessness.
“That is what election in Nigeria is all about. It is not about delivering good, responsible or transparent governance or accountability. Therefore, we are not surprised that the only thing that you can see happening is the struggle to capture and retain power,” he stated.
Rafsanjani said instead of focusing on the challenges facing their states, governors of both the ruling and main opposition parties were busy endorsing the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Bola Tinubu for a second term so that they would continue with their unholy alliance against Nigerians.
“Governors of the APC and the PDP appear to be endorsing the continuation of the ruling party for the collaboration to continue in emasculating Nigerians. So, it is not about governance. Nigerians know because we are running a wrong democracy; a democracy that has no ethics, no value, no public ownership and participation,” he lamented.
On his part, an Abuja-based lawyer, Emmanuel Ayongul, said any politician, elected political officeholder or his supporters talking about 2027 is already a failure as there are a legion of challenges ranging from insecurity to a biting economy.
Ayongul argued that it is not even up to two years since the present leaders were elected into office and it is not right for them to even start talking about the next election when there are a lot of governance issues; security issues and social issues to be tackled.
“So, if you hear any person or their supporters talking about 2027, he or she is already a failed person. So, for me, I think there are more critical issues to be handled by these people and anybody talking about 2027, you should know the person is already a failure because the insecurity in Nigeria is just too much to be mentioned. So, they should be more focused on governance than election.
“I want to state clearly, you know Goodluck Jonathan once said, ‘nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian’ but if you look at what is happening now, the peoples’ ambition is what is killing governance. Once they come in, they start looking at the next position they are going to occupy and then they will not be doing that which they are supposed to do for the benefit of the people and it is killing the system,” he maintained.
Similarly, the advocacy officer, West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS Network), Austin Aigbe said it is common with Nigerian politicians that the next election begins with the previous polls, saying the government is not sincere about stopping those who started the early campaigns.
“The thing about politicians in Nigeria is that the next election began with the previous election. So, what you see them doing, particularly the incumbent leadership, talking about the APC, and even the PDP, once they are in power, the moment it is two years before the next election, campaigns start.
“Campaign started because everyone wants to be playing a role for the president or the governor to see that they are the ones who began the campaign ahead of the next election, recognising that incumbent power is very powerful because you should understand that ‘after God, it is government.’ So, when incumbent power can interplay in an election, it means that the possibility of an incumbent winning an election is very high. So, if you are the first to begin the campaign, you have leverage because there is usually funding for it.
“That’s why you see right now, the same way we saw with the PDP, we are seeing that of the APC. We saw that in the 2019 election with former President Muhammadu Buhari. They don’t care about the governance architecture. The next thing you will hear, which of course this government has also made the announcement is, No! No! Stop campaigning, we are not talking about campaigning now.
“You are not prosecuting the people who are doing it. Are there not pictures on those billboards? Can’t you go after those people who have put those pictures on the billboards? They have their names there. Why must you tell us you are not ready for the campaign whereas your names are used for the campaign and there is somebody’s picture under who is sponsoring it. There is a group which is sponsoring it. Look at the airport road; billboards are full with a campaign organisation with a name on it. Are you telling me you don’t know that name?
“The sincerity is not really there because they always use non-state actors to campaign so that you don’t get tied up with their political parties. That is also how they avoid campaign financing. That the president is not supposed to spend beyond N5 billion but you and I know that N5 billion in Nigeria for the president will be too small. I do agree that it is too small but that is what the law says. So, what do they do?
They pump money into non-state actors, into so-called civil society organisations but we know that they are not civil society organisations.
“They register all kinds of pseudo-organisations and use them to sponsor campaign posters. That is what is happening now. The government is not directly involved but those billboards are from individuals; they are from so-called citizens but I tell you, they are all funded and you can’t count it as part of campaign financing because campaign finance regulation does not include what is happening at this time,” he noted.
However, the APC director of publicity, Yusuf Bala Ibrahim, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the ruling party has not started campaigns as the president is focused on tackling the challenges confronting the country, saying the presidency has since distanced itself and warned those campaigning for Tinubu’s re-election to stop forthwith.
“The issue of early campaigning does not arise. I don’t think there is anywhere the ruling party has come out to campaign against the provisions of the Constitution… The Presidency has issued a statement distancing itself from those billboards and posters that are circulating in major cities of the country. The Presidency has stated clearly that the president is not interested in 2027 for now because he has a mandate given to him by Nigerians that will expire in 2027.
“So, he is busy trying to deliver on the promises he made. All the people that are putting up those billboards and posters have been asked to desist from doing so and the public is warned to steer clear of those early campaigns. It is not time for the campaigns. When it is time for the campaigns, INEC will issue guidelines and the Presidency and the party will oblige INEC but for now, whatever you see going round with regards to 2027 is the handiwork of mischief makers.
“The government may not be doing 100 percent according to the expectations of the pubic but, the government is confronting the challenges in its best ways and it is doing so with all the seriousness the situation deserves. As you know, the president is currently out of the country but even as he’s out of the country, he remains connected and he is busy addressing these challenges; security, economic and what have you in a way and manner that is best for the country,” Ibrahim said.
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