By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
Ahead of primary election of political parties slated to commence this weekend, former Inspector General of Police, Dr Mike Okiro has charged party delegates to put aside primordial sentiment and chose a Presidential candidate that has the interest of Nigeria at heart.
He said that credibility, competence and character must be the distinguishing trait of any one who will be voted into the Presidential Villa come 2023 general election and urged delegates of all the political parties to look out for those qualities while chosing their candidates.
Represented by Comrade Vic-Morow Ulo, President of JusticeNow International, the former Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC) who urged political parties to elect credible candidates capable of repositioning the country on the path of prosperity, further tasked delegates to be nationalistic and very intentional as to whom gets their endorsement.
Speaking at a world press conference organized by the Nigeria-First Foundation to mark the 19th monthly edition of the Diplomatic and Diaspora Strategic Stakeholders Forum (DDSSF) at the weekend in Abuja Okiro noted that whatever the delegates produce from the party presidential primaries is what will determine the final decision of the electorate at the polling unit.
Okiro who spoke on the topic: “Nigeria 2023 Presidency: The emergence of Party Presidential candidates and the electorate decision,” urged political parties participating in the 2023 general elections to note that Nigeria needs a leader with capacity to fix the numerous challenges facing the country.
He said “The all awaiting 2023 Presidential elections unknown to many usually begins at Party Primaries. For Nigeria today, the month of May 2022 is a unique and a decision making one at the political level, hence our decision to use the occasion of the 19th monthly edition of The Diplomatic And Diaspora Strategic Stakeholders Forum to specially appeal to the conscience of our delegates to be conscious of whom they elect to face the larger Nigerian people because the 2023 Presidency begins effectively at these Presidential primaries.
“Delegates are strongly advised going forward to vote the best aspirants to become their presidential candidates. By this, they must firstly consider the insecurities and killings, poverty, hunger, unemployment, corruption, religious differences, poor economy and generally the poor state of the nation and its economy, and therefore must look very carefully whom amongst these political contestants’ fits in to address this lacuna discovered.
“There is the need to present a Nigeria first oriented candidate being that the upcoming general elections would be centered on credible candidate and not holistically party-based.
“The message and mandate here is for our delegates to be nationalistic and very intentional as to whom gets their endorsement. The Delegates should also know that they are not only delegates of their respective political parties but also representing the Nigerian people all over the globe.
“Whatever they produce from the party Presidential primaries is what will determine the final decision of the electorate at the polling unit.
“By all settings, it is proven that only a national interest voting systems should become the standard in voting. In other words, credibility, competence and character are the three ‘Cs’ needed to arrive at who gets such endorsements by the delegates”, he said.
