OF CONTENDERS, PRETENDERS

OF CONTENDERS, PRETENDERS

 BY LEO EZEKIEL.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) do formally registered 91 political parties to contest 2019 general elections. But, if truth be told most of these political parties are not known to the electorate. Even some of us media practitioners do not know the names of the men and women who came together to found all these 91 political parties. For this writer, the political parties known to him are the ruling political parties of All Progressives Congress (APC) the People’s Democratic Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP) African Democratic Congress (ADC) , Labour Party (LP). The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the election time table since two years ago, pronto both the Contenders and Pretenders trooped out to begin to move around the country with posters of themselves and their political parties.

 Sometimes last year, around the month of April 2018 one Moses Samuel of Labour Party held an event at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Awolowo Road, Ikeja, Lagos where he gathered some pastors, egg heads to chart a new ways of how labour party could wrestle power from the table of APC. Twice he held the events tittled PVC i.e (Permanent Voters Card) and at this events, many varied views were raised by the participants. 

He, the convener Samuel told the audience that he wished to be the next President of Nigeria when the INEC would conduct the 2019 general elections.

But again, if truth be told Samuel was a heavy pretender because he did not have the pedigree of a young man who actually wanted to be the President of the Federation. All through the period, INEC allowed political parties to carry on their campaign streaks, Labour Party of Samuel never had posters, billboards, mega rallies, branded vehicles, face caps, T. Shirts, Pens, Handkerchiefs, Wallets etc.

The Labour Party never mobilized its members and supporters to any political rallies. Very, very, very sadly, Samuel told journalists at his poorly organized PVC events that he declined a media parly with journalists because he too is a media owner.

And, again, as at this press time, Samuel never issuedany press conference to the general public and finally INEC had conducted the 2019 general elections and all the pretenders like Samuel have buried their ugly heads in the mud and shame.

Many pretenders in Nigeria think that Presidency is a cheap product one could pick up from a super market or a shopping malls, but if the pretenders do really know the financial involvement in running for Presidencial slots, they would not be going about making noise here and there. The President of Nigeria belongs to those who belong to known Political Parties with, Structures, Systems, Processes, Grassrooted, Offices across the 36 States and FCT. Samuel did not have campaign office in Lagos and the remaining States , yet he came to Lagos Airport Hotel to fool himself that the Presidency would be handed over to his poltical party, Labour Party.

Samuel has forgotten in his head that freedom cometh by struggle not by having a tea party. 2023 is just around the corner and all the Pretenders who would like to be a Contenders should start working now with his or her structurs on ground.