Note to the undecided voters – consider voting for a third force

by Abimbola Adelakun

One of the effects of the postponed elections is that sheer anti-climatic numbing may discourage some voters and worse, concretise the apathy of those who had sworn off this election cycle.

The non-voting voters, for multiple considerations, are not bothered as they already view the political terrain murky and uninspiring; they find the leading candidates of both the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party so unattractive they will rather not touch them with a walking stick; they deem their promoters and backers corrupt and self-seeking. Overall, they think the entire landscape too vapid for them to invest efforts.

There is not much that stimulates them to go through the tedious process of voting and so they pass off the chance by convincing themselves that neither of the candidates represents the change and continuity Nigeria needs.

It must be stressed that apathy, as Bertolt Brecht pointed out to the political illiterate, is not a choice because the consequences of non-participation will eventually catch up with us all. Their indecision decides for everyone and unless they are sadists who delight in seeing the rest of us stuck in the muck we are presently, they need to shake off their lethargy.

First, let everyone who has not done so collect their Permanent Voter Cards. It is important because they are produced with public funds and abandoning them at the collection centres is a waste of the nation’s resources. We cannot complain about the waste in government while also contributing to it through our inaction.

Second, whatever the reason, let everybody who can, vote. This is a critical period in the life of our country and the decisions we make or fail to will make and unmake us in the years to come.

Third, nobody should assume they do not have a dog in this fight. All Nigerians, metaphorically speaking, are the dogs in this fight. Whether we fight or not, there is going to be a fight and a dog that stands aside to only watch will get seriously hurt.

Fourth, politics is like religious belief. We believe what we want, seek evidence to plank our faith and ignore contravening factors. For the 2015 elections, you only need to look at the array of candidates, make a choice, find reasons to believe and vote your candidate! It is really that simple.

The plea is that all must vote come March 28 and April 11.

If the leading presidential candidates do not inspire, you want to champion a new beginning and you need a recommendation, consider voting for the Kowa Party candidate, Dr. Remi Sonaiya.

From the obtuse to the ideal, here is a range of reasons you should vote for her.

If you are a Yoruba person who votes only when the pendulum swings in the direction of your tribe, then vote for her. If you want a Christian, she is one. If you want a candidate that has not been contaminated by pervasive corruption, can stand on a pinnacle and preach morals to the rest of us, vote for her. If you believe change is a departure from the well-beaten path that other candidates represent, vote for her. If you are one of those enamoured by certificates, and you want a PhD president, vote for her. Her certificates are not missing and her PhD will never be called to question.

 If your choice of presidential candidate is based on a moral economy that seeks a minority candidate, an underserved population that has been – to use a Nigerian lingo now – historically marginalised, go ahead and choose Sonaiya.

Yes, if you are one of those who believe women should be on top, vote for her. She is a female with a male running mate. And no, this is not about gender for gender’s sake, this woman can hold her own. Yes, her presence in the race as a lone female candidate in an arena controlled by men cannot be shaved off. That is highly significant and I am proud of her.

The Goodluck Jonathan administration takes pride in its paternalism towards Nigerian women. This campaign season, we have been beaten on the head multiple times with the administration’s generosity at handing out a certain percentage of positions to women. Their condescension is insufferably offensive.

The First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is being used to promote the tokenism of a “gender-friendly” President. These days, she yells at campaign grounds that her husband will give women 50 per cent appointment – up from 35– as if that is what the agenda of equality is about.

What of the structural imbalances embedded in the system that grant men such power that they sit in lofty positions to hand out offices to women as their share of the national cake? Why not address the fundamental issues – the social, cultural and political factors that grant men the advantage of being the hand that holds the knife that cuts the cake? The whole idea of males giving women implies a vertical gender relationship that favours men. If you believe it does not always have to be this way, then take a step of faith by supporting the effort of Dr. Sonaiya.

Each time I see a woman run for a political office, especially one that is not climbing on the shoulders of sugar daddies who allocate spaces for women from their arrogant height, I see a victor. In 2011, Sarah Jubril contested with two male Goliaths. She was no David and she lacked the spectacularity her opponents – far richer and more privileged– were robed in but her presence was a demystification of the political space and the myth of who can occupy them.

If you have not been convinced so far, and you are still wondering why you should vote a candidate whose chances are slimmer, here is one more: A third force.

Some of us have complained about the constraints of only two political choices. We have argued that we need a third space that can serve as refuge from the two giants who are now mirroring each other. We said we needed the luxury of an option so we can perform our civic duties without using our votes to further strengthen the arms of those who have oppressed us in the past. If you are one of those who lament the choices the bigger parties have offered, and think a third option is desirable, you can either set up one or invest in an existing one. If you find the former impractical, do the latter.

Even if they lose at the polls, you still have not lost anything. You were not going to vote initially, remember?

-  This Piece was written by Abimbola Adelakun/Punch