Point One

One week after the official kick-off of campaigning for the 2019 presidential election, there is little action yet by most contenders known to have signified interest in the race. For an activity that the law provides a 90-day window, could it be they are yet warming up to hit the tracks? The impending poll is potentiated with a multiplicity of options, and of all presidential contests in Nigeria’s political history, there’s been none with a field so crowded. But whether the huge number holds out genuine and actionable alternatives for voters remains to be seen. Pending the publication of a definitive list of candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made known that a throng of political parties filed the particulars of flagbearers running on their respective platform. Besides President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PD...

By statutory timelines spelt out for the 2019 general election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the lid is formally off stumping by the political class towards the forthcoming poll. Campaigns for presidential and national assembly elections slated for February 16 th got off the starting blocks on November 18 th , while December 1 st is the official flag-off of campaigns for governorship and state assembly elections coming up on March 2 nd . At this point of our election cycle, there is no prize for projecting that focused governance in the remaining days of the present republic will almost certainly take the back seat. Politicians will much of the time henceforth stay off their official duties and hunker down in respective constituency, soliciting votes from the electorate for their next turn in desired offices. Just take a look in your constituency, you will notice presences that were distant echoes in power centres until lately, now back...