BY KANMI ADEMILUYI
- Should be a pivotal campaign
IT had better be. Of course, political campaigns ride on the trajectory of the calculus to put together a winning majority, a lot of effort and certainly money is involved nevertheless, this should be a defining election.
Defining because we are in a decisive nay make or break decade for the nation. For example, current and projected economic growth rates measured alongside population growth rates cannot but induce a feeling of foreboding as well as unease. It is alarming when one reflects that a lot of this it is more about ill-defined growth as opposed to jobs propelled sustainable development. Furthermore, we are not turning the demographic bulge into an opportunity for advancement.
To compound matters, the none resolution of the issue of the nationalities (the national question) acts as a brake on development. Spending on defense is currently at twenty percent and is bound to increase. Increased expenditure on defense will take place within the context of the terms of trade turned against us and the lack of preparedness of our manufacturing sector for the coming into the reality of the Africa Free Trade Agreement.
Whoever wins next year takes possession of a poisoned chalice. He (sadly unlikely to be a she) had better be prepared.
It appears that the traditional APC and PDP duopoly will be challenged with vigour. Disenchantment and the registration in relatively large numbers of the first-time preponderance of who are youths are factors.
Unlikely as it is a first-ever run – off cannot be completely ruled out. The currents propelling Kwankaso and Peter Obi reflect a momentum against the establishment and cannot be wished away. The choice of running mates by the duopolies will take this into effect and It will affect the permutations and scenario planning for a pathway to the electoral calculus to achieve victory.
Now that they have been given the party tickets the contestants should avail the electorate of real well costed programs with implementation timelines attached. Any candidate that cannot by November this year produce a preliminary 2023 to 2026 medium term economic framework is clearly not serious about governance.
The republic is in peril and the myriad of crises must be responded to with “the fierce urgency of now”. This is not the time for vacous sloganeering. It is the time for vigorous debates by the candidates accros the six geopolitical zones with an emphasis on local concerns.
The candidates all look well prepared but they go further and show the electorate that they are made of the real deal to handle the crisis and turn the country around. For what the country desires is a ‘turn around’ manager very much like what a failing corporate entity desires. Ideally, after it’s all over there should be a government of national unity which will galvanise political and civil society around a program of reconstruction.This is not going to happen of course so we might as well make the best of what we have.
It’s game on and good luck to us all.
