GAIN IMPROVED REPRESENTATION
If you feel that issues that are important to you are not being addressed by current government policies, then register to vote. That way you’ll be able to increase your say and elect politicians who will address your needs. It’s important to identify candidates who stand for what you want and then vote for them. That is primarily how you get better representation!
The big problem with many citizens is that they really don’t want to get into the nitty-gritty of who candidates are and what they stand for. Even some people who eventually get registered don’t really understand why they are voting for a particular candidate except for all the hype that happens during the campaigning season. It is, however, very important for voters to be properly educated about the qualities and potential of their preferred candidates. Being informed means that voters can make better choices and the country then gains better-quality leaders. As a voter, you need to ask questions and conduct research about a candidate, so that your vote will be based on sound information. John F. Kennedy, former president of the U.S., put it succinctly when he claimed that (1963), "the ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all."
It’s amazing how many people complaining about the governance of Nigeria have never actually participated in the elections. For example, during the 2015 Presidential election there were 68,833,476 registered voters, according to the records of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) (2015), but only 29,432,083 actually voted in the election, translating to a voter turnout of just 42.75% (p. 93). This is quite low, even by African and international standards. The interesting fact is that, based on demographic data, we can estimate that there are probably over one hundred million Nigerians over the age of eighteen. This fact also shows that the actual participation in the election was even lower when coupled with the fact that many of the eligible voters in the country have not yet registered. Despite this, though, it is commonplace to hear citizens complaining about the government at almost every available opportunity. It is however sad that just over a quarter of eligible voters cast their ballots in the last presidential election. Remember George Jean Nathan said (n.d.), “Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.” More Nigerians must get involved if things are truly going get better.
When as a citizen you decide to register to vote, you are making a statement that you want positive development for your country. Sometimes you may vote for someone who doesn’t give you better representation but instead because you participated alongside others. But in the end, the people who were elected know that they most probably will not return to office if they are unable to satisfy the yearnings of the electorate. Ultimately, if enough Nigerian citizens continue to vote, the right people will be elected at every level and as the country’s democracy is strengthened there will be overall better representation when people do go out and vote. This is important because politics and democracy are not one-day ventures. Some people get upset because the person they voted for has disappointed them. That’s not the issue really. The focus should be on using your vote to put who you want in office, which might be different from who you previously wanted. For good governance to be effective you need to think long-term. If you are consistent with exercising your right to choose and vote, then you will eventually get the representation that you desire. They key is choose wisely and consistently!
If you want to join Nigerians who want to make a difference by exercising their civic rights, please then you need to Register to Vote Today! It’s TIME TO GET REGISTERED! INEC has made it very easy for you to GET REGISTERED! You can walk into any voter registration centre, on any week day (except public holidays) between 9am and 3pm and GET REGISTERED. Just fix select one day before the end of this year to get this done. Just a day! Arrive early and you’ll be registered in no time! Your vote will ensure you gain better representation so you need to go and register and later make sure you vote! Now is the time! You need to register. Please get Registration centre locations and so much more by downloading the GetRegistered Naija Mobile App from www.getregisterednaija.com.
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