Focus: INEC, politicians and their choice of language

    Eligible voters getting set to vote at a          polling unit. (File copy.)

By Bernadette Idalu

Despite continued calls by the independent national electoral commission (INEC) to political parties and their candidates of choice presently jostling for public office to mind their language during campaigns to cut down or rid the system of violent incidents in the buildup towards the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, politicians are yet to comply with this directive in the field of play.

Already, videos of unknown masquerades have started trending as they go about crashing political gatherings, flogging hapless masses at campaign gatherings to make them take to their heels even when ancestors are not known to belong to any political party nor cast their votes. Perhaps, even as spirits, they have an urge to vote in this present dispensation. INEC has to make provision to register them first.

Bigwigs from the three domineering political parties in their peculiar style are already slurring opponents, dishing out jibes which relate to age, health status, transparency or corruption index while previously in office juxtaposed by a personal avowal to do better. A classic example being the promise by a candidate to give Nigerians a hundred percent (100%) of of his time if voted and not fifty percent (50%) in Nigeria and the other half in Dubai like the opposition candidate.

This has not stemmed rising profiles of social media support base who attack political opponents. One could come across references and classification of a particular candidate who gets classed as a religious bigot, ethnic, clannish, a villager who suddenly dons black outfits and hides the presence of the Nigerian Police during campaign trips, who fails to campaign on Mondays in his geopolitical region.

This is not limiting the intra party intrigues in the key opposition party in Nigeria. It had to come out with stern warning to perceived detractors as they embarked on a national rally to a state. Incidentally, there were no reported cases of violence. This is a party that overwrites what the other side of the same divide says due to its internal political intrigues while analysts watch to see if and when the fence sitters shift ground.

As dramatic as things are already, an icing was put in the pudding with  the announcement by a governor of slipping into the unemployment markey by 2023 haven delivered on his mandate to his people hence his wife has the opportunity to kiss him till she gets tired. Za oza room has become a powerful reference and rallying point in Nigerian politics.

For a candidate to affirm that even if a gun was put to his head, he will not reveal how he intends to counter terrorism in Nigeria if voted into office as president speaks volumes about the copy and paste kind of politics in circulation in society. People have become bereft of ideas hence manifestos are replicated. It has become a case of 'see one, see all.'

Despite veiled references and below the belt jibes at political opponents during campaigns which provide comical relief to immediate audience, but generate discuss, it opens the door to the freedom and right of reply on raised issues by opponents.

However, it must be observed that when it comes to the nitty gritty, Nigerians are tired of listening to high sounding election promises. All they desire is the access to qualitative education. They wish to see a crash in unemployment, ability to put food on the table for their individual families, affordability of healthcare service, elimination of inflation and eradication of insecurity to make life worth living.