By Samuel Oyejola
With the general elections less than ten months, Nigerians have been advised to be more critical of information spread by politicians and their cronies.
Senior Fellow of the Center for Democracy and Development, Professor Jubrin Ibrahim said this in Abuja on Friday at a Roundtable discussion organized by the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja on Friday. “Nigerians should be more critical of what they believe,” he said.
At the roundtable discussion titled “Nigerian Party Competition during a time of Transition and Terror,” Ibrahim recalled that the 2015 elections results showed that voting is becoming issue-based. He advised electorate to build on the success of the 2015 elections by supporting candidates based on issues.
He also challenged the present government to build on the success of the 2015 elections by not interfering in the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the build up to the 2019 elections.
The guest lecturer at the event, Professor Carl LeVan of the American University, Washinton DC advised the federal government to make provision for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) spread across the country to exercise their voting rights in the coming elections.
Speaking on his observation of the 2015 elections, LeVan said ethnicity remained a strong influence in voter’s decision.
The professor also observed that with youth participation in politics older politicians occupy the National Assembly despite the country’s increasing youthful population.
The roundtable discussion discussed improving Nigerian Political party competing with focus on issue based campaign and address hare messages.
The discussion as based on Professor Carls’ book that x-rays the 2015 elections and observed that voters are beginning to assess political candidates on the basis of performance and campaign promises, and the effects of insurgency violence on parties and elections.