By: Dr. Inenyo Esinte.
The Bayelsa State governorship election is scheduled to hold on the 11th of November, 2023, this has also set the stage for the campaigns effective from the 14th of June, 2023.
The ruling and incumbent political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is hopeful and confident of retaining power and maintaining its occupancy of Creek Haven for the next Four years to cement its grip on political power in the state.
The major opposition political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is also strongly and highly optimistic of winning the gubernatorial election to dislodge the ruling party from Creek Haven to redefine, reshape and remap the politics of Bayelsa State.
With all major political parties making preparations in varying degrees and dimensions, equipping and stocking their political armories with diverse political arsenal and ammunitions in terms of followership, allies, alliances, strategies, grassroots mobilization, diverse political geometrics and campaigns.
The task to retain power by the ruling political party or reclaim power from the major opposition political party will not be a fun fare, joy ride, pleasure cruise, or an excursion to an amusement park for adventure.
In a bid, move and quest by supporters and followers to market and bazaar their political parties and candidates in the guise of political campaigns, the social media space has been inundated, overwhelmed, stupefied, deluged and waterlogged with diverse forms of calumnious, mischievous, demeaning, character assassinating, defaming, libellous, irrelevant, unnecessary and unwarranted information, misinformation and disinformation all in dare desperation by political parties and their supporters to de-market political opponents, opposition parties and gain the support of the electorates.
This negative trend is indeed highly worrisome, divisive, unproductive, archaic and a clear deviation from the peculiar and real burning developmental challenges and issues bedeviling us as a state, which should form the topical, focal and key issues for campaign and crux of the forthcoming governorship election campaigns, as Bayelsa state is not yet at its developmental pinnacle, vintage or eldorado.
Furthermore, the act, practice, propagation and spread of non-issue-based campaign information by political parties and their Supporters ahead of the governorship election is insulting, demeaning and total disregard for the electorates who yearn and thirst for the dividends of good governance across all spheres of our society. Thus, the continuous indulgence of non-issue-based campaigns by political parties and their followers will be politically counterproductive in the long run.
Moving forward, what electorates want to hear, see, feel and perceive from political parties, candidates and followers, if and when voted for, how political parties and candidates will improve and make significant differences in education, health, job creation, youth empowerment, infrastructural development, revenue diversification, drive and boost, agricultural development, urban renewal and beautification, rural development and more.
Any political campaign that deviates from the above-stated developmental challenges and needs of the state by any political party, candidate, or supporters shall be interpreted and perceived as not having anything concrete and exceptional to offer Bayelsans come 11th November 2023.
The productive, meticulous, and result-oriented management of our common scarce resources for the optimal benefits of all, rich, poor, rural, urban, old and young is what electorates are interested in come 11th November 2023.
Thus, let all political parties, candidates and supporters market and merchandise their parties and candidates by telling voters what they will do differently when given the chance or opportunity and not shy away from the real developmental challenges keenly seeking answers by flooding the social media space with all manner of unnecessary and non-beneficial misinformation and disinformation in the guise and pretence of political campaigns.
Thank you.
