Those seeking re-election are expected to demonstrate why they deserve another term, while challengers have the additional responsibility of explaining why they should replace those in office
By Emeka Alex Duru
I spent the greater part of the last two weeks in my hometown, Orlu (Kponkwem), Imo State, for the burial of my elder sister, Mrs Priscilla Nwanze (née Duruokpo), which took place on Tuesday, September 8.
The exit of Pee, as we fondly called her, remains a painful loss for me and my two other siblings. She was the kind of person who could easily be misunderstood from a distance and accused of being overbearing. Pee insisted on being seen and respected as the eldest child in the family, a disposition that often made her want to have her way in virtually everything, sometimes to my discomfort.
But beneath that tough exterior was a pool of compassion and a deep well of kindness. When it came to caring for us or taking up our battles, she was the proverbial mother hen.
Last February, when I experienced some frightening health challenges, I was told that she went into serious prayers and fasting for two weeks. I was particularly touched to learn that, in her supplications, she asked God to take her life and spare her brother.
I sometimes wonder whether her willingness to surrender her life in exchange for mine — a solemn sacrifice of sorts — had anything to do with my recovery and her unexpected departure. In African traditional belief, such sacrifices are considered potent.
Since her burial, I have struggled with recurring memories of the moments we shared: the fun, the fights, the disagreements and, eventually, the reconciliations. Nothing quite prepares one for the loss of a sibling, regardless of age. The wound is always sharp and deep.
Being away from the news also meant that I missed some of the developments leading up to the 2027 general elections. On the other hand, that period shielded me, albeit temporarily, from the trauma associated with some of the worrisome dimensions of Nigerian politics.
That relief, however, was fleeting — much like the temporary escape alcohol offers from one’s problems, only for the reality to return with the hangover. The truth is that, no matter how much one tries to ignore or manage the fears, the trajectory of contemporary Nigerian politics remains disturbing.
With barely four months to the January 2027 presidential election, Nigerians deserve something better than the tantrums, distractions and needless controversies being served by political actors and their foot soldiers. It is time to place real issues at the centre of the political conversation rather than the incoherence currently being passed off as political engagement.
Elections are important. They are, in many respects, celebrations of democracy. They provide opportunities for stock-taking, validation, renewal or withdrawal of mandates. Those seeking re-election are expected to demonstrate why they deserve another term, while challengers have the additional responsibility of explaining why they should replace those in office.
For voters, elections should be periods of introspection: Has life improved since the last election? Has government delivered on its promises? What are the candidates offering, and how credible are their plans?
The answers to these questions ought to shape voting decisions.
That was largely the pattern during the Second Republic and, to some extent, at the beginning of the current democratic dispensation. Unfortunately, the build-up to 2027 appears to have taken a different direction. Instead of issue-based politics, propaganda, innuendo, character attacks and inflammatory rhetoric have increasingly dominated the conversation.
Those who describe the current political engagement as a charade may, therefore, not be entirely wrong.
In some instances, violence has also been introduced into the contest. With the government and political office holders struggling to convince citizens about their performance, and the opposition battling questions of cohesion, the political process is increasingly resembling what is dismissed in local parlance as “motion without movement”.
Name-calling has consequently become a staple of political communication.
Nothing perhaps illustrates the depth to which the political conversation has descended more than the time and energy being expended by the Presidency and its image managers on the cost of the handbag reportedly used by Mrs Margaret Obi, wife of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi.
Obi has, by his own account, accumulated substantial wealth from years of entrepreneurial activity before entering politics. His wife has also never held public office. Moreover, the office of the First Lady did not exist in any formal constitutional sense during Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State.
How a private citizen chooses to spend her personal resources, or the accessories she chooses to wear, should not occupy the centre of a serious national conversation.
As my colleague, Dr Promise Adiele, asked in his article on Wednesday: how does the cost of someone’s handbag affect the living conditions of millions of Nigerians struggling with hardship and poverty? How does it address the rising cost of fuel? How does it respond to the continuing concerns over electricity supply?
These are the questions that should occupy Nigerians and their leaders as the 2027 elections approach.
Nigeria is facing profound socioeconomic challenges. Available estimates from international and domestic institutions paint a difficult picture of poverty and vulnerability. Humanitarian agencies have also continued to warn about food insecurity, while millions of Nigerians remain displaced by conflict and insecurity.
The problems extend beyond poverty. Weak infrastructure, unreliable electricity, insecurity and the high cost of doing business continue to place enormous pressure on households and businesses. Insecurity has disrupted agriculture, education, trade and investment in many parts of the country.
The situation calls for sobriety and serious political engagement.
Unfortunately, instead of confronting these challenges, Nigerians are often presented with conflicting statistics and competing claims about economic performance. While government officials highlight achievements and positive indicators, many citizens continue to grapple with hunger, rising living costs, unemployment, business closures, inflation and insecurity.
These are the issues that should headline campaigns for the 2027 presidential, governorship and other elective positions.
Candidates should explain, directly and clearly, their understanding of the country’s problems and how they intend to address them. The task should not be delegated entirely to proxies, social-media warriors or political attack dogs.
This is not the time for political violence or inflammatory rhetoric. It is also not the time for officials and politicians to turn elections into contests of personal boasts, insults and theatrics.
Nigerians are facing serious challenges. They need serious answers.
What is at stake is the future of the nation. The contest should be about ideas, policies, records and the capacity to provide credible solutions to the problems confronting citizens.
Any candidate seeking the mandate of Nigerians should be prepared to stand before the people, explain his or her agenda and answer difficult questions.
Aso Rock Villa is not a rehabilitation centre, nor should it become a forum for dispensing patronage to idle cronies and fleeting sycophants.
Emeka Alex Duru, Ph.D., is the Editor of TheNiche Newspapers, Lagos.