Hello my fellow country pipu. Following the different comments I have gotten through emails, tweets, Facebook posts, WhatsApp messages etc, I want to start this open letter to you by appreciating you for always taking out time to read stuffs I write. I must also use this medium to say as much as some differ or concur with my view in my write-ups; I am not and will never in anyway be offended for whatever stance you take as regards the topics I write about.
Last time I checked, you and I are still entitled to whatever our different opinions are so far the opinion does not disregard the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is not such that instigates others to disregard said constitution. Just know I will always respect your opinion since my write-ups are not written to discredit anybody, but rather to act as a basis for others who are yet to form an opinion to form theirs, and for those who already have, to analyse theirs.
By now you probably have
read my OPEN LETTER to the contestants of the two major parties in our beloved country Nigeria. If you haven’t, please send me a mail to lobinco@gmail.com and I promise to forward this letters that have generated so much debate since it was written to you.
I have now just discovered that it is imperative for me to write you at least this one more open letter after reading, observing, watching and hearing what the 2 most popular political players on both sides (PDP and APC though I know there’s more than this 2 political parties in existence) have been feeding us through all the available and non-available media, through which you and I can be reached. Our elders will always say, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers it. They are the elephants and we are the grass.
I don’t know if you have been observing some things in the rundown to this election that hopefully should come up from March 28. Well for me I have observed some things and I wish to share them with you. Most time recently, information had always reached us of things that will happen before those things happen and truth is this events play out exactly the way they were earlier reported. Some of such reports are stated below:
1. As of almost 24 hours before the INEC boss announced the shift in elections, I read online that the elections have been postponed to March 28 and April 11 respectively (Please note that INEC had not even started the meeting from which Jega later addressed us). Some hours later INEC released an official statement that the information was not true as their team is still in a meeting and the outcome of this meeting will be communicated in due course. It is marvelling that much later into that evening, the supposed false information spread by those who were not privy to the meeting turned out to be actually true.
2. Last week there was so much media hub about GMB’s visit to Chatham House in the UK. I had also in about 24 hours before the address read online that some people had hired some people to stage a protest against the former military dictator. Now it is days after the Chatham house discuss and though same house yesterday hosted Nigeria’s Aviation minister Chidoka Osita amidst less fanfare and publicity, no one has yet refuted the protesters’ hiring claim, though what started as a rumour eventually became a reality as it were. Any way this is just 2 amongst the many of similar cases
3.So many other disturbing information had been made public in recent times, that though we as the ordinary citizens may want to see them as politicking by the political players, but I as an individual who has no other place to go can’t help but wonder and accept the authenticity of these information.
My thought is, if this information had not been leaked before hand, is it not possible that they eventually may have played out as leaked?
Some of such information is the capture of Shekau the Boko Haram kingpin and him confessing about someone sponsoring him all along, INEC boss being sacked, Obasanjo wanting to head an interim government, Osinbajo signing a deal to resign once APC wins election etc.
Having this thought in mind and coming across this news headline;
How Jonathan, IBB, Are Plotting Interim Govt Instead Of Presidential Polls
David Mark, Gusau, Abdusalami, are the top contenders to head the Interim Government. Former Lagos Governor Tinubu rejects offer of Interim Government Vice-Presidency.
You can read the news through this link: http://saharareporters.com/2015/03/03/how-jonathan-ibb-are-plotting-interim-govt-instead-presidential-polls
Something in me snapped and it is that same thing that is causing me to write you this open letter. Nigeria belongs to all of us and it is our duty to protect her. If we do, even if we suffer for it now, posterity will live to praise us. But if we don’t protect her, not only will we suffer for it now; our unborn generations will also bear the brunt.
I am actually saying this now to mobilize every well meaning Nigerians to the dangers of not taking your destiny in your hands. We can no longer be on the fence. We must be active in the process. Before the elections, I believe every Nigerians should react to every rumour based on how they want it to pan out. Some may be positive and some may be negative. Let us make the politicians know we are their boss. We can sack them if we want and we can retain them if we so wish. During the election let your PVC conscientiously speak for you while you guard your votes and after the elections let’s watch the performance of those who emerge winners.
As far as this election is concerned, please let’s vote whoever we so desire based on two factors. Someone who has had a term should be voted based on record he had created so far and not promises being made, while someone who is a new face should be voted based on promises and personal integrity since there are probably no records we can refer to. Let’s not forget CHANGE is the only constant thing in life if we are to move forward.
Let’s make this election be won based on records we have seen and that which the masses and not just the elite have severally benefitted from.
Let us shine our eyes so we can differentiate between a bribe to secure our votes and a bargain to secure our votes.
In a situation where all the candidates have proven past records, let’s analyze the records based on its effect on the common man in every sense of it, and not how those who have the money to buy the press wants us to see the records.
Don’t forget we must perform our civic right on 28th of March and 11th of April respectively by staying under the sun and the rain to cast our votes. Afterwards we must demand that those who win through our votes must come back into the sun and the rain to fulfil the social pact they had with us, while we would have gone back under our roofs to observe them. This is because; it’s only there first term tenure that is guaranteed. Performance of this first term is what guarantees their second term or extinction from the political sphere.
To this end my fellow country people, I’d end this letter to you by telling you its time you probably CHANGE your attitude towards election and politicians.
Don’t vote along religious lines, political lines, ethnic lines, social lines but vote along a better Nigerian line. Vote your conscience and make sure it’s not a prejudiced conscience.
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