Nigerians have been charged to champion an electoral process where the power to determine who wins elections resides with the voters, and not the current scenario where politicians dictate the pace.
The Coordinator, Human Rights Volunteer Corps, Larry Oguego, stated this in Enugu while reviewing the state of the nation in the last one year.
He said the opposition in the country had not been at their best because of internal wrangling, adding that unless the voters stand firm and elect leaders on merit, devoid of political parties, “the Nigeria of our dream will remain far”.
He said, “The opposition is in disarray. The ruling All Progressives Congress is winning most elections, but not free and fair. We need to interrogate how elections are won in Nigeria.
“The year 2025 will surely witness political alliances. It is the last chance for the opposition to re-align, but I don’t see an Atiku of the PDP bowing to Obi of Labour Party, or Kwankwaso of NNPP succumbing to become a vice, even though he is the better bride. His credentials make him a potential vice president.
“But to outwit President Bola Tinubu requires more than alliances because it is a game Tinubu knows how to play well.”
He recalled that Tinubu’s calculation led to the formation of APC which defeated the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in 2014.
He however regretted that while APC wanted the power at all cost, it did not plan for leadership, adding that “it was why the APC presidency of Muhammadu Buhari could not appoint ministers for about six months after the inauguration”.
He advised the electorate to disregard politicians and promote politics of ideology. He said, “Our politicians are after what they get. That is why LP elected lawmakers are defecting to other parties. Nigerians are suffering.
“The common denominator is hunger as witnessed in Oyo, Anambra and FCT where about sixty-five persons lost their lives in search of rice.
“Therefore, Nigerians don’t need political parties to choose leaders. Politics should not be left for politicians alone.
“Let’s learn from the Obedient Movement where patriotic Nigerians came together without considering political inclinations to make a difference in 2023.
“Because of a lack of ideology, politicians elected on the LP platform are defecting to other parties.
“Otherwise, LP would have been the platform where Nigerians would have expressed their grievances against our leaders.
“However, LP can still re-enact the same might if it puts its house in order.”
He said President Tinubu would likely appoint somebody from South West as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission when the tenure of the incumbent Mahmood Yakubu elapses in 2025.
According to him, “Tinubu will disappoint most Nigerians if he does not appoint his kinsman as INEC chairman. There lies our headache.
“What Nigerians want is to change the rule of appointing INEC chairman and the commissioners.
“Once politicians are the ones appointing these electoral umpires, the mantra of ‘nothing will happen and go to court’ will continue.”
He called on members of the National Assembly to sit up to their responsibilities by enacting laws to make the appointment of INEC chairman not the sole responsibility of the president.