Steemit Engagement Challenge S8-W3 | Elections in my Country
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Greetings,
Welcome to my blog. It's an amazing day with you here again. This week has been so busy for me but I keep trying my very best to participate in this challenge. I will be taking us on a topic "Elections in my Country".
I have been privileged to participate in elections both as a citizen of a country and as an individual in an organization. While I was still in the college (university), I was privilege to contest as the secretary of NANS (National Association of Nigeria Students), I have had some other opportunities to contest for various positions in my local church.
Election is a formal process through which people cast their votes for a candidate to be chosen through their number of votes.
Elections does not need large number of persons before it can be done. Even if you have just 5 persons, election can be done. Election is just like a competition where a winner must emerge.
In my country Nigeria, before elections, there what we call campaigns. This campaigns are done by various political parties in Nigeria. Some of the political parties include
LP: Labour Party
APC: All Progressive Congress
PDP: People's Democratic Party
APGA: All Progressive Grand Alliance
ADP: Action Democratic Party
SDP: Social Democratic Party
YPP: Young Progressive Party
These political parties are given 150days campaign by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) before the elections. This is an awareness for the citizens to know some parties and their candidates. During this period, you see everywhere painted with different party's colour, bill boards everywhere. Now this period of campaign, most of the candidates goes to the churches, schools, firms, hospitals to advertise and make promises.
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I have witnessed a campaign by a candidate in my state. He invited the NANS to his mansion and we all came from various locations, we were issued 20 thousand Naira cheque each student; why? Because he was trying to buy the hearts of the youth so that we can vote him during the election. Now after the campaign comes the election.
The Election dates are been announced by the INEC who is incharge of all the materials and locations for the election. The first elections to be done is usually the presidential and National Assembly elections which was held on Saturday 25th Feb. 2023. Secondly, the Governorship and the State assembly elections comes up and the date is 18th march 2023.
Since I became of age (18) to vote, I have only voted once. The second one I tried to vote was a rigged election. In my polling unit that day, not a single person casted their vote because they kept promising us that the INEC officials were still on their way untill it was 4pm. And the funniest part of this was that a result sheet was shown from my polling unit. This experience killed my enthusiasm for voting.
I don't come outside any day elections are been declared in Nigeria, but this 2023 election was the peak of it. I travelled miles just for my vote to count. But little did I know that my vote will not count. I thought with the new system (BVAS) the INEC brought in, the election would be free and fair. Most previous elections are sometimes bloody, destruction of properties, carrying of ballot boxes etc. Rigging elections has become the oder of the day in Nigeria.
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Electoral system is a process through which citizens of a country elect their government officials that can oversee the affairs of the country. This process also determine criteria required of a party and also a candidate before they can be eligible to participate in the elections. The Independent National Electoral (INEC) commission is the current committee incharge of the electoral processes in Nigeria.
There is what we call pre-election period during the electoral process, during this pre-election period, candidates presents their manifesto and try to win the heart of the citizens. Every political party engage into serious preparations like, selecting of a candidates, getting registered,because only registered citizens are eligible to vote. Candidate here means a nominated person from a political party to be voted for. Prior to any election in the country, only those registered can vote, to be eligible voter, you must attain 18years and must be a Nigerian.
The first step in election, is voter registration.
Voter registration is open to all citizen who are 18 and above and the registration is conducted by INEC. The registration includes personal date of eligible citizens, like: photograph, names, fingerprint etc. INEC issues a permanent voter's card (PVC) to the right citizens and this serves as their ticket to vote.
Nomination
Each political party conducts a nomination for the best candidate for their party. INEC checkmate the candidates to be sure they meet the expected requirements.
Campaign
Campaign comes up after nomination. This is usually a very hot period all over the country. The candidates of various parties travel all round the country to reach voters. The INEC conducts these campaigns to ensure orderliness and peace.
Voting
On election day, voting takes place. Various polling units are set up in various Local Governments of the states in the country. All voters are expected to present their PVC (Permanent Voter' Card) and the INEC officials conduct accreditations before voters can start voting their desired candidate.
At the end of the vote casting, the results are been collected and move down to the INEC headquarters for proper arrangement. Only INEC has the power to pronounce the winner for the election but candidate have the right to file a petition in case of disagreement of results.
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Elections in Nigeria has never been free nor fair. Right from the year I started voting till date. Transparency can never be the right word for elections in Nigeria because rigging has become the order of elections in Nigeria. Not until this last elections, when everyone taught the INEC actually brought the perfect equipments for the elections to be conducted, to minimize the rigging system and give us a free and fair elections. Even with the new developed system the election was rigged, we heard issues of stollen ballot boxes and other issues. Nigeria elections has never been free nor transparent, I repeat. But the citizen are very hopeful about the future.
•In Nigeria, elections was formally every 4 years, but now 8 years is the order of the day. If only my country can pass a degree and it stands, then elections will be fair.
•The voice of the citizens should be heard. The citizens are supposed to be given the chance to say who they wish to be in power.
•If parties and candidates are given the rightful opportunities to be free to contest elections and
Offer real choice to the voters, then there should be free and transparent election.
Every election carried in a country or an organization, serves a purpose. One man is not meant to be on a particular seat all his days. When there are changes, a lot of new development takes place. I just pray that Nigeria will be a better place for all citizen's voice to be heard.
Excellent post, @ninapenda! Your insights on the recent elections in your country were really interesting and informative . you did a great job of explaining the electoral process & breaking down the key Issues that were at stake during this important time . i especially appreciated your emphasiis on the importance of civiic engagement and the needs for citizens to Actively participate in the democratic process . your engagement challenge is alSo a great way to encourage others to get involved in the conversation and share their own thoughts and perspectives.
A lot happens during elections in my country, and one has to informative and get it from the right source too. I love politics while in the collage but the election processes in my country made me loose interest.
I am grateful you read my post. Thank you!
Hello dear @ninapenda,
I must say you have done justice to this topic. Election in our dear country is as exactly as you have described it.
I agree with you that the voice of the citizens should be heard and one way it should be heard is through a fair election process, it so unfortunate that we have the reverse in our country.
Excellent entry! I wish you all the best.
Thank you ma'am, I appreciate your visit. I believe the next election in our country will be fair.
I hope so too
Talking about fraud in elections, in fact almost every country experiences it, it's just the method and place are different, there is something in the ballot box, counting, or there is also an increase in votes from the regional level to the central level. very tragic and sad, because in the end it is the little people like us who bear the consequences. Thank you for the article you published, for me it is very interesting. greetings @ninapenda and warm regards
I appreciate your effort to read through. Until we have a good government, the poor masses will still be suffering this issue. But soonest fair election will be conducted in various countries.
You have written so well on this topic. Is so pathetic that we Nigerians have never witnessed a free and fair election.
God been so Gracious, I believe we will in the next election.
I believe that over time, Nigeria will have a free and fair election. While personally, I do not support the result of the election, we already have a result, and it is important that we are not divided as a nation. We should remember that it wasn't long before we became a democratic country, so it is important that we hold ourselves as one. Thanks for shaing.
Whatever result that was announced is not Nigeria Presidential Election result. They know where they brought the result from and they will take it back.
We are one Nigeria. Nigerians are only fighting for is rightfully ours and we will get it peacefully. Nobody is dividing.
Best regards!
Una explicacion detallada y precisa del proceso de elecciones en tu pais, espero que todos los cambios en pro de mejorar la calidad de dichas elecciones sucedan en beneficio de todos y puedan ejercer libremente su derecho al voto y elegir sus gobernantes. Éxito en tu estupenda entrada!
Hopefully! Thank you so much for reading through.