Can the widespread hunger truly influence voters decision in favour of candidates rather than strategy and manifestoes?
- egunjobi samuel
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Many online pundits have claimed that the 2027 election is an election between hungry Nigerians and unemployed youths against the current administration of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nigerians are experiencing severe hardship due to rising inflation, untamed cost of living, prevalent insecurity and growing youths population without commensurate employment opportunities to harness their talents and capabilities.
Some internet politicians have abandoned grassroots mobilisation, strategic positioning, ward engagements, active participation in constituency programmes and other development driven activities that can strengthen their candidacy and influence their luck, but resorts to wishful thinking and sentiments that angry Nigerians will vote them due to perceived anger against the ruling party, without providing a clear manifestoes, scorecard, track record of impacts and visions.
Unemployment and need for recognition have truly pushed some individuals into electoral race, adopting winning strategies of students union Government election for State assembly and National Assembly elections.
These sets of jokers are quick to criticize rather than provide solutions, they thought enjoying the patronage of party leaders in their wards and local governments will amount to vote on election day, or enjoying large followership on social media channels will results to cult-like followers in real life without doing the necessary work of mobilization, engagement, awareness, alignment, cooperation, empowerment and inclusiveness regardless of differences in faith and ethnicity.
They want the title of honorable for pasting posters in their streets but neglecting the core values, ideals, principles and act that truly qualified one to be regarded as an honorable.
Posting copied rhetorics and graphics across media platforms without organized campaign organization and offices to attend to inquiries from their constituents, but hoping on sympathy votes from hungry Nigerians that will forget their challenges on election day and embrace the #10, 000 inducement from polling agents and bags of rice some days to election from party chieftains across wards.
Voters inducement and vote buying are not ideal for democracy and people's representation, but in a society where poverty has been weaponized and periodic election turned to warfare, all is assumed to be fair and just as the end will justify the means.
Cheating, vote buying, threat, chaos, violence, stomach infrastructure handouts, snatching of ballot boxes, manipulation of results and other form of electoral injustice have been redefined as a winning strategy and working formulas in Nigeria election since time immemorial.
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