2023:Why You Must Vote For Benefit Or Friendship Matters Arising By Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah 

2023:Why You Must Vote For Benefit Or Friendship Matters Arising By Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah

The 2023 general elections are just around the corner and many Nigerians are at a loss on how to proceed, on what grounds are we supposed to vote? Are we voting leaders because of the pecuniary benefits we stand to profit personally or because of the relationship we share with the party or the aspirant, and finally are we voting for a conscience?

I started writing on the 2023 general elections as far back as two years ago, when I started many were of the opinion that it was not ripe to be talking about elections when the country is not going on as planned.

Some told me to go get a job and stop being idle, others said I was fighting to be noticed, so many shots were fired at me and I kept on doing what I was doing day in and day out.

Today the elections are just around the corner and these same people are unfortunately still unprepared. Many are still confused to date, they are ignorant and may finally be the victim of misgovernance because they don’t know what they want, in other words, they are CLUELESS.

Before I go further when I speak of monetary gains please do not misunderstand me for vote-buying, vote-buying is a crime and I am in no way in support of vote-buying either by the buyer or the seller.

When you sell your vote is akin to selling your birthright.

This article is about non-party members that have refused to join a political party and campaign for its aspirants but are nevertheless campaigning for some individuals because they feel they are the Mr perfect.

Today is Monday and by all standards the beginning of a productive week. Only clowns begin their Mondays with unproductive tasks, when I speak about pecuniary gains I am talking about getting paid for your services and not stipends to sell your vote.

Going forward I have seen so many people not down with my political opinions attack me personally for being a stomach infrastructure individual, some say Osigwe is anywhere Belle Face, others say where is your conscience and still, some say you are the problem we have in Nigeria, by extolling the political class.

The purpose of this article is to set the records straight as regards partisanship in the coming elections and I would go out of my way to call the names of some presidential aspirants to buttress my points.

So let us take our minds away from political sentiment and economical bias and focus on the reality. Why won’t you get paid for the services you rendered?

Ask yourself have you ever seen anyone excel in his trade without getting paid? The pastors that are the richest amongst us get paid through their ministry, the politicians that are successful get paid through their politics, the doctors that are rich got their wealth through the health crises of others, it goes on and on.

So why won’t you that is influencing and campaigning for your fellow perceived MR PERFECT ASPIRANT not get paid? You be MUMU?

Let me break this down, you get on platforms and you see people shouting you are useless for campaigning for Tinubu, how can you be campaigning for Atiku? What did you see in these old leaders that have spoilt Nigeria that you are working for them?

Funny people and when you go further to ask who their alternatives are they start calling the same politicians that were once governors or present leaders and the rest as Mr Perfect just because it’s their choice.

You hear names like Peter Obi, Osinbajo, Fayose and others. These names mentioned were once public servants in their various states and yet their states are not as developed as Abuja.

What is the budget of the FCT compared to Rivers State? Why is Rivers State not as organised as the FCT? Why don’t they have a good road network and security like the FCT? Why don’t they have better and maintained street lights than the FCT?

Please forget this crap of the FCT is the capital territory, money makes all these things works and the FCT can never be as rich as some states with their IGR and Allocation and donations combined, so why is the FCT better than these states if their so-called heroes have performed in their states or whatever they represented when in service.

You call Osinbajo saying he’s an alternative yet Osinbajo is a part and parcel of this government, he collects salaries and allowances as the Vice President and yet you say he is not part of the problem we have in Nigeria?

So who then is the problem if not you?

Everybody that works for me remotely or directly gets paid for their services, who takes care of my dogs, my security guard, who helps in my laundry, cleaning services etc all get paid so why should I not be paid for campaigning for these people?

It is very sad that these same leaders we so much praise and eulogize are closer to these same villains we indict and malign because we do not agree with them.

Three things should come first when sticking out for these aspirants in the coming general elections…

1. The benefit you stand to gain, this could be in monetary terms or in-kind, but there should be a benefit.

2. Your relationship with the aspirant, the blood they say is thicker than water, only a fool would leave his friend aspiring for an elective position for an opponent he knows nothing about.

3. Your conscience, in the absence of the two above then your conscience becomes the last alternative.

Today we have two dominant political parties the APC and the PDP, you that have refused to be amongst any of these two parties are busying campaigning for individuals in these two parties for free because according to you they are the best choice we have in the country.

You insult your fellow brothers and sisters campaigning for these people to any length and yet you feel you are being patriotic. Ignorance would kill you for nothing.

I promised to call names, the APC just held its last National Convention and against all odds former Nassarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu who was not in the race earlier just bumped in and was anointed as the National Chairman of the biggest political party in Africa, against all the grandstanding by the other aspirants prior to the convention they eventually made up with him and accepted him, today they frolic with him.

Today I see people that are not card-carrying members of the PDP and APC shouting that it must be this particular candidate or nothing, I see so much hate against others because the other person is not on the same page with you.

You insult him and call him names because of his choice and yet you are praising a perceived hero who may just be in the race to negotiate with your evildoer that you so much loathe.

Many of these aspirants are in the race for their pecuniary benefits and you that do not even know them in person are courting enemies because you feel you are patriotic.

Let me ask Peter Obi fans that are insulting everybody that is not in favour of Peter Obi, how would you feel in some few weeks when this same Peter Obi with all smiles raises the hands of Atiku or Wike as the PDP presidential candidate?

Would you go back to eat your vomit? How would you feel when Osinbajo comes on air to campaign for Tinubu saying he’s the best candidate for the APC?

The election is not a tea party, there are budgets for elections and everyone gets paid according to his or her contributions, so if you decide not to get paid because you are patriotic then that is your cup of tea. The electoral cycle in Nigeria is a big economical value chain.

As we have interior decors to food chandlers, Djs, praise singers, drummers, tailors, graphic designers, transporters, bouncers, ushers, you just name it, that is how so we have content creators, writers, musicians etc. It is their professional work and they must be paid as well.

Your emotional blackmail is foolish because the heroes you are shouting for are in the race to get an appointment or to associate with these villains you are vehemently castigating.

Do you think if Tinubu fails to become the presidential flagbearer he would sit at home and be sulking? NO way he would shift to the anointed candidate that once worked against him in the primaries.

If Atiku loses out on the PDP primaries he would as well throw his weight behind who the party gives its ticket to.

Let me sign out by lifting some excerpts from this trending piece making rounds online.

“DEAR YOUTH, KINDLY LISTEN!

Understand that the world is governed by the old; even if the youths get in, they rule till they die.

The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari is 79 years old,(started as a youth, was a Governor @ 30)

The Vice President, OSINBAJO is 66 years old.

The leading APC candidate, TINUBU is 70 years old.

The leading PDP candidate ATIKU ABUBAKAR is 76 years.

The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu is 76 years old.

The National Chairman of the PDP, IYORCHIA AYU is 69 Years old.

Even if you hate their age but you don’t have what it takes to fight them, the hate is just a timely waste!

The APC sold their party chairmanship form @ N20 million, anticipating selling the Presidential form at 70 Million.

The PDP sold theirs @ N40 million.

Irrespective of parties. Where’s the hope for the youth? Politics is a game of POWER; ruled by money and influence!

You may hate the APC or PDP, but they are still the ones to lead Nigeria in 2023. Let’s stop deceiving ourselves, let’s get to work.

Fellow youth, don’t be too angry about Nigeria, don’t allow anger or ignorance to push you to think something will change today.

Don’t be deceived by online campaigns of YouthOClock, NotTooYoungToRun blah blah, the real game is bigger than all that.

The real Youth that has the vision to change things doesn’t have the capacity, finance and connection to get there, so forget about the hateful campaigns!

One day, we’ll wrestle power out of these old men, but it must be GRADUAL and SYSTEMATIC.

98 most powerful countries in the World have old men ruling them, don’t allow motivational speakers to destroy your inner peace.

Don’t go to war with too much anger. Don’t just fight what you can’t defeat, have the wisdom, the patience and the tact to know what you should do.”

The above piece says a lot.

My name na Osigwe Omo-Ikirodah and I am the Principal/Chairman of Bush Radio Academy.

Call Line 07032341798
Whatsapp Only +234 901 064 9814
Source iReporteronline.

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