February 10, 2025

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2023: It’s time for Abians to vote Character

2023: It’s time for Abians to vote Character
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By Benjamin Kalu

By next year 2023, our democracy would be twenty four years. In real world, a twenty year old is supposed to have grown to a full fledged man or woman which will make him/her eligible to vote. In the eyes of law, he is deemed responsible and therefore answerable to the law, can marry and be married. At twenty four, whether in Nigeria or abroad, a twenty four years old man or woman is an adult with full compliment of rights and obligations.

On this basis, it is correct to say that at twenty four, Nigerian democracy ought to have come of age, but this is not so.

According to indicators
in terms of our electoral process, actually, the governance and delivery of services to the people, our democracy remain a crawling baby.

The reason for this ugly experience is because of the bad leadership, which is the bane of democracy. In last two or three decades, we have had the misfortune of being governed by wrong people, most especially the incompetent leaders, both in the State and at the federal level.

The consequences of this tragedy is all about the zero level, the quality life of the people, and infrastructure deficit abysmal economic development which
Is a laughable democratic and electoral process, amongst many other shortcomings.

Agreed mis-governance is a natural issue, it has how ever found home in Abia State in the past years. Abia State is currently adjudged the poster of bad governance and the laughing stock in the comity of Nigerian States.  This time around, Abians should not be making mistakes again.

We have been yoked down by poor leadership, because of the type of system we operate. Our democracy is one in which any thing goes. We do not set nor demand standards, neither do we demand same from the leadership.

Infact we don’t have templates in for choosing our leaders and this is absolutely unfortunate and worrisome, because no positive stride can ever be achieved this way. So for those wondering why we are where we are in Abia today, can see the reason.

We should start setting standards for those eyeing for leadership before voting them into power. However, in whatever form or shape this would come, the most crucial requirement is for us to look for character first, as it is the most crucial element of leadership. It is so because character naturally embodies virtues, this is why, when you sow a character, you reap a destiny.

As we approach another election, the only panacea to what is going on in the State of voting some body of good character into an office because that is what Abia State urgently needs, and its more than money, because our future come first, especially at the governorship levels, because with humongous funds, a governor who is deficit in character would sink the State further into abyss. Surely, is only a strong character will cleans the suffocating mess of the past administrations of the State.

Picking the ideal man may not be easy having reached the stage, where all that glitter are not gold, but a little effort on our side can make a difference come 2023.

The silent questions are these, do all these governorship aspirants have good character? Then who among them has demonstrated it beyond all reasonable doubt.?

Abians know all the Guber contenders. They need no forensic experts, nor spiritual marabout here as regard, because most of these people have been with us. So every Abian can authoritatively talk about them and their antecedents, with their track records which will help us imagine what they will do with our mandate. If eventually elected, meaning historians are saying that the past should help us to shape the future.

Looking at the major contenders for the governorship, if strictly on character, I think it is easy to say that my own man stands out distinctly, like every other candidates. He has his fair share of human foibles and shortcomings, but when placed side by side with others in this acid test, you will obviously differentiate too conspicuous. Certainly few rabid sycophants blinded by sheer sen.

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