The 2023 general elections present an ample opportunity for Nigerians to elect credible leaders that they can all be proud of, the Regional Coordinator, Ford Foundation West Africa, Dr. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye has said.
She spoke in Lagos on Thursday, October 6, 2022, as a panelist at the 6th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Publishers (GOCOP), held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.
The theme of the conference is, 2023 Election: Managing the Process For A Credible Outcome”, with the keynote address delivered by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
According to her, the elections would bring in people who may either make or mar the future of Nigerians, saying “The winner is to make or mar you for four or eight years.”
Dr. Aniagolu-Okoye, enjoined those contesting elections to realize that there is urgent need to save Nigeria by rebuilding the nation because other countries may not have further space for fleeing Nigerians.
The Ford Foundation regional coordinator raised posers to Nigerians fleeing abroad to seek succour; saying “We all want to run to countries ruled by people we do not know, people who are not from our communities, who are not our brothers, but we trust them to do well enough for us and trust them enough to go to their place and seek jobs and scholarships.
“Have we ever cared to ask how we trust them? Do we work so others can trust our place and come to seek favour?”
On the preparations so far, she said: “We need to commend INEC on the new Electoral Act which we consider a quantum leap. We must thank them for pushing and getting approval for use of technology. There is much we can do with technology to sanitise and improve our electoral processes.”
The regional coordinator however said INEC needs to do more to cut down on paperwork at elections as it is being done in other countries, adding “We should seek technology to replace ballot paper.”
On electoral offenders, she said; “There is a need to hold culprits accountable and hold the police and the judiciary responsible to do what is right. Else, work of INEC would go to nothing.
“Our electoral campaigns are too abusive and divisive. I urge GOCOP to do more on stopping irresponsible reporting, apart from fake news. There is news that is not fake but creates harm and threats.”
She urged Nigerians to realize that there would still be a nation after election.
“We must stop reporting to create bias. Remember Rwanda and Ethiopia did not happen overnight, they started gradually. It is the way the media pushed them till things went too bad. We need caution,” she said.
