Election season in Nigeria isn鈥檛 only about who can hold the biggest rallies or make the most eye-catching promises, it鈥檚 also about who can throw the biggest insults.
That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 not a surprise that the camps of the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, have been at each other鈥檚 throats lately.
How did the argument start?
Tinubu struck the first blow during a rally in Delta State on November 25, 2022 when he accused an unnamed candidate of . He also stated that mentioning the person鈥檚 name would be a disgrace to him.聽
Even though he didn鈥檛 mention anyone鈥檚 name, anyone following the campaigns closely would know which presidential candidate loves dishing out statistics:
It鈥檚鈥 Peter Obi [Leadership News]
The chief spokesperson of the LP鈥檚 Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Yunusa Tanko, then by saying he鈥檚 鈥渟omeone who cannot even identify his own mother鈥. He also challenged Tinubu to show up for an open debate with Obi. He was confident the former Anambra State governor would win and humiliate Tinubu.
It didn鈥檛 take long before the APC flung its own dirt when Tinubu鈥檚 campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, told Obi not to expect his candidate to debate with him based on 鈥渋deas in his head鈥.
According to Keyamo, there are some to Nigerians if he ever wants an intellectual faceoff with the BAT:
- A release of Obi鈥檚 manifesto for scrutiny.
- A comparison of his achievements as Anambra State governor versus Tinubu鈥檚 achievements as the governor of Lagos State.
- A list of current associates he mentored in politics as the governor of Anambra.
- Names of any political party Obi has helped to form or partner with which he still belongs to today.
While it鈥檚 obvious Keyamo used some of his points as a cheat code for Tinubu聽 鈥 given his track record of and 鈥 his point on Obi鈥檚 manifesto is indeed one that has as he鈥檚 yet to release his manifesto.
What鈥檚 the update on Obi鈥檚 manifesto?
In October 2022, a document believed to be Peter Obi鈥檚 manifesto trended on social media. But the candidate announced later that day that the document wasn鈥檛 his manifesto but an earlier draft copy under review.
Weeks later, he鈥檚 still not released a final version of his manifesto. His failure to release one stands out because he鈥檚 the only major candidate yet to do so. Candidates of the APC, Peoples鈥 Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria People鈥檚 Party (NNPP) and even the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have all dropped their manifestos.
What鈥檚 taking so long?
According to LP鈥檚 Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Katch Ononuju, the manifesto is 鈥, as the party is trying to be careful not to plagiarise other party manifestos.聽
He also told Nigerians not to worry about the manifesto, as it鈥檚 not a 鈥渂ig deal鈥, since what Obi would have written as a manifesto has been said in interviews anyway.
Are manifestoes a big deal?
Unlike Nigeria, countries in other parts of the world don鈥檛 play with their manifestos. In and even in South-Asia,聽 political parties are required by law to submit a copy of their election manifesto to the electoral commission before general elections. Citizens can only access these manifestos with the approval of the commission.
Why should you care about manifestos?
In all this, you must be asking 鈥 why should you care whether manifestos are released or not?
The answer is quite simple 鈥 for accountability. If a politician makes a set of promises and it鈥檚 properly documented, it makes it easier for us to hold them by the neck when they fail to deliver.聽
So even though we know Tinubu is just looking for an excuse not to debate anyone in public, the question still remains 鈥 where鈥檚 Obi鈥檚 manifesto?
