From Benin City to villages wey dey inside inside, di noise no dey finish. People dey talk am for everywhere – for markets, motor parks, even inside church. Di governorship election no be small matter; e dey very important as e go decide who go fit lead di state. But di preparation for dis election no dey only about di political parties and di candidates. E also dey about di people wey go vote, and how dem don prepare for di election.
Di Candidates: Who Dem Be?
Di first question wey many people dey ask na: who dem go vote for? Edo State don see plenty candidates wey don declare interest to for di position. Some of di names don dey popular for di media, while others still dey try make pipu know dier name. Di political parties dey push their candidates well o, but di people wey go vote supose get mind on who dem go support.
One important thing wey we need look na di state of readiness of di people. Edo State don dey different challenge, and di pipu dey hope say di election go bring better change. Some people don dey talk say dem ready well well, while others still dey doubtful. Di readiness of di people no dey just about dem dey prepared to vote, e also dey about di level of awareness and di kind of information wey dem get about di election.
Di streets of Benin City dey alive with political gist. For inside di markets, people dey talk about di upcoming election too. One of di traders for Oba Market, Grace, talk say, “We don tire for di same old story. We need new leadership wey go fit bring real change. Any candidates wey dey run and no fit show us di kind of change we dey expect, we no go vote for dem.”
But John, wey dey work for one of di barba shop wey near the market der, talk say, “I don hear say people dey complain say di election go be like before but I believe say if we all get our PVC and vote for di right person, e go fit change di situation for better.”
Di Role of Social Media
Social media don carry im chair sidon for this election matat too o. From WhatsApp groups to Facebook and Twitter, everi platform dey cruise with political talk. Di youths especially dey use social media to organize, share information, and even campaign for their favorite candidates. Dis new trend dey show say di younger generation dey more involved in di political process than befor and dey use di tools wey dey available to dem to push der own persin.
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for all der meeting dey talk say dem don work hard to make sure say di election go smooth. Dem don start to train di election officers, and dem dey work to see say di process go transparent. INEC also talk say dem dey organize sensitization programs to help di people understand how dem go fit participate in di election.
But e no dey all smooth. Edo State dey face challenges wey fit affect di election. Security na one major issue. Di state don see different security challenges in di past, and people dey fear say dis election fit be target for violence. Di government don promise say dem go make sure say di election dey peaceful, but di people still dey watch how di security situation go be.
Another challenge na di issue of voter apathy. Some Edo residents still dey wey no too send di election, and e fit be say na because dem no trust di system. Di need for continuous talk how the election go help everi bodi fit help for this mata and engagement dey very important to ensure say di people go come out to vote and participate fully.
As we dey move closer to di election date, di level of readiness of di Edo people go dey tested. Di way wey dem handle di challenges and di kind of engagement wey di candidates and political parties bring go also show how di election go turn out. Di future of Edo State dey depend on di choices wey di people go make and di level of their involvement for di process.
E go too make sense for di people of Edo State to put ear for ground, shine der eyes, participate actively, and ensure say their voice dey low at all. Di upcoming election na opportunity to shape di future of di state, and di people get di power to make di right choice.
As we dey look forward to di 2024 governorship election, make we all do our part to ensure say di process go smooth. Make we know di candidates, participate for campaigns, and most importantly, come out to vote. Di future of Edo State dey in we hands, and di decisions wey we make go determine di direction wey di state go.
Di election na chance to bring change and to show say we dey ready for di future. Make we all take di opportunity seriously, and work together to ensure say di election go bring di kind of change we dey hope for.
Na so we go fit make Edo State better for di coming years.
