Nigerians are worried about the increasing number of attacks in Kaduna state and other parts of the country as the 2027 general elections draw near. They have accused the Nigerian government and security services of “total negligence of their constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property of the people.”
Terrorist attacks have persisted in most of the north, killing, kidnapping, and displacing thousands of people. Serious worries have been raised about the possibility that many people won’t be able to use their right to vote in the 2027 elections by choosing the candidates they want.
Labour Party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 Kaduna State election, Mr. Jonathan Asake, in an exclusive chat with DAILY POST said that the present government cares little about the welfare of the people. He said it’s only preoccupied with strategizing on how to rig the elections and retain power.
According to him, “This present government is not thinking about how insecurity affects the people. If they were, they would be more serious in tackling insecurity in the state and the country as a whole. Looking back at areas that had insecurity, election results were returned from such areas, and nobody questioned them.
We currently live in a society like that. Will you be surprised, then, that insecurity is not a concern for any level of government official? The people do not care if they are killed, kidnapped, or uprooted from their communities because they have alternative means of regaining control. They are preparing to rig elections in order to retake power, not to prepare for elections.
He bemoaned the fact that elected officials are not raising awareness of the issues confronting the populace, adding that Kaduna State’s situation is so pitiful that everyday people are finding life more and more challenging.
“What do you say when we are heading toward a one-party system and other political parties are being frustrated?” he said. When people are compelled to join a specific political party, democracy loses its beauty. The beauty of democracy is that it gives people a choice between various political parties and ensures free, fair, and credible elections so they can make their own decisions.
“I am sorry, but our democracy is going to die out in a short time with the way we are moving towards a one-party system,” he said.
Mark Jacob: They’re getting paid for remaining silent.
Mark Jacob, a former Kaduna State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General,
“We have representatives from the communities where these attacks occur on a daily basis in the State House of Assembly and the National Assembly,” he said. Speaking out on these issues is their primary responsibility, but they are not doing so. Oddly, they are receiving a 4+4 reward. I find it extremely difficult to comprehend how representatives who fail to speak up for and represent their constituents can still be rewarded.
“Those currently holding political office do not anticipate an election. They don’t seem to want to hold any elections, but if they did, they ought to start doing so this year. In order for people to be free and able to take part in the elections, they are expected to be at their best this year in maintaining peace in the state, especially by offering security to all citizens.
No one is getting ready for any elections given the ongoing attacks and the number of people being killed, injured, and displaced.
According to Jacob, a former National Legal Adviser for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), given the current circumstances, there might not be an election next year, but rather an appointment or endorsement in which the ruling class simply declares themselves victorious.
He maintained that the problems of hunger, poverty, and insecurity would be significantly lessened if the government was genuinely getting ready for a legitimate election the following year.”This government’s policy is that nobody should talk about it,” he said. It is the body language of politicians. That this should be the current government’s standard procedure is startling. Those in political office serve as the government’s ambassadors, and if they have chosen to remain silent, we are not getting ready for elections.Government officials and security agencies are aware of what to do. It is disgraceful when security personnel wait for an attack to happen before pursuing the perpetrators or when security organizations provide misleading information about rescuing kidnapped individuals. The fact that we are using Nigerians’ lives for political purposes is disgraceful. How in the world can security personnel say they have freed kidnapped people, only for the victims’ families to refute such claims?
According to Mr. Salisu Usman, a security expert, many leaders don’t give a damn about the well-being of the populace. He told DAILY POST that politicians don’t give a damn about what regular people are going through as long as they can do everything in their power to retake power in 2027.
“It shows the level of ignorance, especially in the northern part of the country, where people continue to hail those they believe to be close to them, irrespective of what they stand to gain as a community,” he said. Politicians understand their constituents, so they don’t take anything seriously and act however they see fit.
He emphasized that in order to guarantee that common people have the chance to exercise their right to vote and choose the candidates they support, the government must take immediate action.
He noted that in order for people to carry out their civic responsibilities and go about their daily lives, the government must be more receptive to their needs by offering sufficient security.
In the meantime, the government of the All Progressives Congress, or APC, has persisted in stating that the security of Nigerians is their first priority and that all security issues are being addressed.
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