Story by Dili Utomi.
Positions, anticipations, expectations and hope, all are in the fray as direct fallouts from the proposed amendments to the electoral act and the subsequent announcement of the 2027 election timetable by the umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Nigerians generally have a very long memory on the shenanigans of the 2023 elections and are very keen to avoid the pitfalls of those elections which threw up the sets of political leaders that we have in place in the country today.
They are generally of the opinion that the electoral reforms should reflect the aspirations of the average person in ushering good, visionary and dedicated political leaders and not the kind of reforms that can only aid the political class into engaging in electoral manipulations and ultimately creating worse assualt on the people’s psyche and commonwealth.
It is on the consideration of these prayers of Nigerians that we decided to sample the opinion of a leader of men, a manager of resources and president of the Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association (NPMA), an umbrella body of about 58 major markets in Lagos, he is Comrade Chinedu Ukatu.
Again, several political pressure groups have been emerging even before the INEC timetable was released and it was a great moment to ask Comrade Ukatu questions about where the focus of his group will be over the next one year especially as it concerns their interests.
The Comrade enthused “Well, I will tell you that I am a trader and as a trader, I as well as my members would like to see the interest of traders properly protected and there lies our interest. We are apolitical, non-partisan, but we are also Nigerians and our interest is supposed to fall in somewhere, if you ask me where our interest falls, I would say that it falls in where the interest of the trading public is prtotected.
His words ” Our interest falls into where the interests of Nigerians of all Creeds fall, the protection of our sovereignty, economic development and growth and the enhancement of our trade value chain. If you ask me about the activities of the ‘city boys and girls’, ‘village boys and girls’, those are of no interest to our members. The electioneering process and the emergence of credible, visionary and capable political leaders matter more to us as traders and not the question of joining any bandwagon”.
Comrade Ukatu emphatically advises INEC that they should make sure that “the votes count. There is this brouhaha about real-time transmission of results and I would want to urge our distinguished senators and the honourable members of the house to have the interest of Nigerians at heart and make sound amendments to the electoral law for posterity”.
The market leader pointedly says that “if there is any impediment to free, fair and credible election, we as Nigerians shall vehemently oppose it. We shall support all structures meant to bring in free, fair and credible elections and whoever wins through these processes gets the support of all Nigerians. We do not endorse any political party, but do advise our members to vote their conscience while making the very best of choices in the character of the person to vote in”.
He also weighed in on the feelings of the trading public on their most recent experiences saying that “Our markets have burnt down, destroyed and sometimes demolished with little care about the investments of the people involved. We want to see political leaders who are sympathetic to the plights of Nigerians in places of authority”.
“Our political party is ‘propriety in thoughts, words and actions at all times and by all concerned especially political leaders’. We would like to see people of compassion in power, people who are capable, problem solving thinkers who will not take advantage of public office for percuniary interests, but for the welfare of the collectives”.
On the question about collaborating with the INEC in any area that will help bring about credible elections like the INEC did in 2023 with the NURTW, Comrade Ukatu fired back sayig “It is rather unfortunate that they are not even talking to us”. Traders are not recognised as the economic power houses that they are, we can play various important roles for the INEC in the areas of supplies, logistics and manpower support, but like I said, We are not being recognised for the good parts that we play in this country”.
“The government agencies are supposed to have strategic engagements with us but we are not being carried along, we can even help in certain areas that have not been considered. We are ready to engage with the umpire in order to make for credible electioneering processes and outcome, always”.
We also asked Comrade Ukatu what they intend to do on their own to make sure that members are sensitised for the upcoming elections he said ” We have already set up the political and engagement committee to sentise members about the performance of their civic right of voting. They should prepare to vote and make their votes count. On the part of the INEC, they should do all in their powers to give Nigerians the deserved gift of free, fair and credible elections come 2027.
It is apparent that Nigerians are now more politically aware, what with so many lending their voices with regards to what should be contained in the amendment of the electoral Act, the discussions around the performances of different incumbents and their desire for the solidifying of political alliances and the creation of new ones. Things are evidently tough now, but Nigerians are showing the willingness to ride it out to new horizons of political and economic realities.
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