Let us have a press interview for each of them, male or female, to explain to the voters what makes each and everyone of them the best candidate to fill the vacancy they are seeking and what are the real duties and responsibilities of the position they seek and what they plan to do to make a difference in their new position, if they all get elected.
We all believe that the status quo of Nigeria while not totally condemnable has a whole lot of room for improvement in the caliber we currently elect into office. Where someone running has to spend as much as 50 million Naira in- refundable amount just to obtain a Party form like Omisore has just done in Osun. That simply tells me that only multi-millionaires can run for office in Nigeria and when too much money becomes a big factor in our electoral System, we are going on another slippery slope to empower Bribery and Corruption in our Political Culture.
What kind of improvement or new initiative those candidates plan to bring up or introduce because Nigeria cannot continue to do the same thing, time and again but be expecting a different result which is what our strategic partners or pacesetters like America, China, Russia and Countries like Japan Singapore and others have all agreed by acclamation and consensus as nothing short of Insanity
We want to find out from all of those candidates what they have done before in their life journey that should make them a role model to be voted into the offices they seek. We have to check all of them out before we even allow them to run.
We should also ask them about Geo Politics and their views on where Nigeria is headed as a global World Power and their views of Nigeria as one of fastest growing economics in Africa, if not in the whole world and what Nigeria must do to fast track that global ambition and their vision of what to do to help Nigeria attain that vision and goal.
We all want to know what schools they have attended and what qualifications they have and what cognate experience they have had to make them a round peg in a round hole should they get elected to the position they seek.
If you all agree with me on this suggestion , perhaps we can also agree who should moderate or conduct such press interviews for such candidates .
They must be incorruptible reporters and they must be unbiased and neutral interviewers who would only agree to participate without asking for a bribe from any of those candidates.
I have seen it happen in Rivers State the economic powerhouse of Nigeria where moderators are paid millions of Naira before they conduct such interviews and they go there to play soft ball with their guest and they go to such interviews with a preconceived notion to help their preferred candidate look good when compared with their rivals or other competitors.
Anybody who wants to be Senator in this country is more or less competing to be Governor or future President of Nigeria.
It is not a position to take lightly at all . If you are lucky enough to be elected a Governor or a Senator of the Federal Republic, you are good enough to be elected the President of the whole country.
I throw this challenge to everyone running for any of those offices including the incumbents who are seeking to be re-elected for 4 more years
I just want the best candidate to get elected to each of the positions we are talking about.
I rest my case.
Dr. Wumi Akintide.
