Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER), a non governmental organisation (NGO), and Tunji Braithwaite, former presidential candidate of Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), have joined the call for the elections in February to be postponed.
Braithwaite advocated an interim government rather than conduct “uncertain elections”.
He bared his mind at a forum organised by the third largest political party in Italy, Lega Nord Padania, to sensitise Nigerians in Abuja against travelling to European countries through illegal routes.
Over 3,000 people died in the Mediterranean Sea last year alone while attempting to cross to Italy and other European countries.
‘Transformation’ and ‘change’, what difference?
Braithwaite, in an address read on his behalf by Ajibola Oluyede, criticised the campaign themes of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“[Jonathan] has premised his intervention on the catchphrase ‘transformation agenda’ while [Buhari] is asking Nigeria to see him as representing ‘change’.
“I submit that on the surface transformation means change even as change means transformation,” Braithwaite argued.
However, he told Lega Nord Padania that the quest for change in Nigeria is timely because it will stop the rush by Nigerians to flee to the green pastures in Europe.
His words: “Before Nigerians can change their penchant for emigration by all means, legal and illegal, and at any and all costs to Europe and the better life they believe it represents, things have to change here in Nigeria first, most especially, with regard to the quality of life available here.
“It is in this contest that Nigerians ought to look carefully at the kind and content of change being advocated by the protagonists in the Nigerian political land scape today.”
Demand for structural change
Braithwaite insisted that rather than talk about change or transformation, politicians should advance the cause of structural change.
“Essentially, it is structural change that Nigeria needs today, not a superficial change. The fight against corruption will fail unless there is structural change in Nigeria.
“It is not about the zeal of one man ensconced in the embrace of doubtful ‘progressives’. The system will soon douse any enthusiasm he may still have, and things will settle down to ‘business as usual’, even if there is a change in the helmsman, unless there is a drive for structural change.”
He urged Nigeria to revisit its federation and change the unitary structure in areas such as resource control, security, crime prevention, education, and other matters highlighted in the report of the national conference.
“To conduct electioneering campaign that ignores these fundamental changes and talk about change or transformation merely on the basis of change of personnel, is a disservice to Nigerians and bodes grave consequences even if the elections are otherwise properly conducted.”
