VOTERS EDUCATION PART 2: SEVEN MORE THINGS ALL NIGERIANS SHOULD KNOW by Kemi Martins

1. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.

So you mean if I vote for a party which does not win, my vote is not wasted?
No, your Vote is not WASTED.
The PRIMARY PURPOSE of VOTING is not to WIN but to convey your OPINION of who should GOVERN your constituency based on your VALUES. The purpose of voting is to choose People that you can trust with your "Hard earned" Taxes for the next four years.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.
Please Vote for your own conscience AND NOT because MORE People are VOTING for a certain party.
This is NOT a game of NUMBERS as ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED; instead it is a LIFE DETERMINING FRANCHISE that you must exercise CAREFULLY AND OBJECTIVELY.

2. THE LESS PEOPLE THAT COME OUT TO VOTE THE EASIER IT IS FOR RIGGING TO OCCUR.

Yes, If you read the insight that Former Governor Donald Duke gave on Rigging elections, you would understand clearly that Elections were rigged by his former Party based on the great number of UNUSED Ballot Papers at the disposal of INEC agents.
It becomes clear that if there is a MASSIVE voter TURNOUT , there will be less Ballot Papers to use for Rigging.
Also If you look at BAUCHI and LAGOS States in 2007, you will realize that the Voter turn out made it difficult for RIGGING TO OCCUR on a greater scale.

3. THE PEOPLE THAT DETERMINE ELECTION RESULTS ARE NOT IN THE VILLAGES alone.

IT is a MYTH that those who determine election Results are in the VILLAGES. NIGERIA has forever at least since the 1960s had a problem of consistent Rural Urban Migration. Our Cities are overcrowded so it may not be so accurate to think that the people in the villages will determine election results. This sort of thinking breeds apathy amongst people and makes them abandon their responsibility of voting objectively because at the back of their minds they believe their votes don't really matter. Well, now you know- YOUR VOTE MATTERS.

4. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DETERMINE WHO YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR BECAUSE YOU THINK GOD WILL TELL THEM THE "CHOSEN" PERSON.

Well, I have said it before - We operate a DEMOCRACY not a THEOCRACY, In a DEMOCRACY their is NO DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE. THERE IS NO RULER and THERE IS NO THRONE. The only "chosen" person is the one you choose.
Those we are electing are PUBLIC SERVANTS and they are elected to lead, not to rule. God understands Democracy and He understands that leaders will be Elected based on Voters preferences.
For example, I know that a lot of People will be expecting Religious Leaders to tell them who to Vote for. However, the truth is that The RELIGIOUS LEADER is a Citizen of Nigeria just like you and I, and he also has a civic duty to vote based on his own Values. He knows God will not vote for him, he will have to vote by himself based on his own preferences.
THIS is GOD’S expectation of every Nigerian Citizen. If any Religious Leader fails in this CIVIC duty and teaches others to fail in performing their CIVIC duties, I can assure you that God will not be happy with that leader.
Another way we can look at it is in this way- Supposing God tells a prophet that a thief is the one who is going to win the election. Should the prophet then Vote for the thief ?
No, God would expect that the Prophet should still go ahead and vote for a honest person based on values.
This is what Voting based on values is all about.We should not vote for anyone because we think they are going to win or Because a Religious Leader says so. We should at all times vote for People who best represents the values we seek in Government.

5. THE BEST WAY TO VOTE IS TO VOTE BASED ON VALUES.

In the Past, Nigerians have voted based on tribe and tongue, military affiliations and financial prowess, we have even voted for people because they were corrupt and cunning, believing that these were good qualities of a politician. We cannot continue in that manner because 50 yrs is enough for us to see that all it has brought us is PAIN, HARDSHIP and MEDIOCRITY. We must now up the ante and Seek real values in Leaders.
So what are some of these values we should seek in Leaders?
a) INTEGRITY : Saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Example- Gani Fawehinmi
b) FORTITUDE : Courage to do that which is right even when it is unpopular. Example - Peter Akinola
c) PASSION FOR CHANGE : a dissatisfaction with status quo, A refusal to accept that things cannot be done in a better way- Example Tunde Idiagbon.
d) HONESTY: a leader who will not loot public treasury or collect bribes.- Examples A.A Bassey (of customs) and Nuhu Ribadu.
e) CONTRIBUTION: A willingness to sincerely contribute to Nation building.-Examples Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili
f) SELFLESSNESS: a leader that puts nation above self.- Example Aminu Kano
g) TRANSPARENCY: Accountability and openness knowing that you are a public servant and therefore you are accountable to the public.- Example Muritala Mohammed.
h) A CONSCIOUSNESS OF INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY: A belief and knowledge that what we do today affects the future of our children and our children matter more than us, therefore we must ensure that we build not for our sakes alone but for posterity. It is this particular value that also translates into VISION. - Example Obafemi Awolowo.
(The examples above are subjective because they are my examples, I am sure you have your own examples too, you may even disagree with mine –that is not important, what is important is that you take note of the values.)
This time around we must vote based on values

6. IF WE WANT AN ENVIABLE NATION, THEN WE MUST BUILD ONE.

It won't Just happen, We Must PARTICIPATE.
We must participate in Nation Building, If we don't, we will continue to suffer.
We must understand that though we may prosper individually, we cannot be said to have really prospered if our community is not prospering.
It is OUR DUTY to ensure that our commonwealth is not handed over to thieves.
We must engage candidates, we must ask questions.
No candidate should be elected without us making sure that they hold at least 10 townhall meetings.
The days of coming to campaigns and just reeling out promises is over. Candidates must go through debates.
Journalists must be ready to grill candidates
( and Please Journalists should stop standing whilst candidates sit to address them - that is the wrong order. If anyone wants to serve they should learn to stand while the people sit at meetings or at best everybody sits)
(Journalist should learn to address Public servants in a way that impresses on them , the status of Public servants; STOP ALL this YOUR EXCELLENCY this, YOUR EXCELLENCY that. Call them MISTER- Mr Govenor, Mr President)
We must participate, we must sacrifice time and effort for the change we desire- we have no choice.

7. FINALLY we MUST EDUCATE OURSELVES and EDUCATE OTHERS

How can I do that?

Firstly, share this note. You have friends on Facebook, so please share with them. It is good to share.
Afterall, you shared that picture, and you shared that joke and of course you shared that church program. Kindly share this one too. For the sake of others and for the sake of the next generation.
Please Campaign for your candidate & Donate towards his or her campaign. GET INVOLVED. Infact, it is a test of whether you really believe in them.
Encourage others to vote based on values and to Guard their votes.
You can also share the First PART of this note for more education on Voting.
Find it here

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=151180541569709&id=100000476801912&ref=mf

We will continue to pursue this form of electorate education until we see change. Thank you. God bless Nigeria.

N.B
PLEASE if you are blessed with the Gift of translation please kindly translate and transcribe to your native dialect and disseminate. Thank You.