2023: Activist urges Nigerians to consider competency above religious, ethnic sentiment

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Samuel Luka, Bauchi

As the 2023 general elections approaches, an Activist based in Jos, Plateau state, Mr. Ishaya Inuwa Durkwa has called on Nigerians to elect leaders on the bases of competency and not religious, ethnic or regional consideration.

Mr. Ishaya who made the call in a telephone interview with our Corresspondent on Wednesday, noted with dismay that social justice has eluded Nigeria.

An advocate of Peace Building and Social Justice under the platform of International Organization for Peace Building and Social Justice (PSJ), Mr. Ishaya expressed serious concerns that issues of social justice have had a devastating effect on the well-being of Nigerians.

“If we look at how issues of social justice have eluded us in Nigeria and we look at the problems that have emerged due to lack of social justice, we have to know that 2023 is a very critical year for us”, Ishaya who is also the Executive Director of the PSJ said.

Ishaya pointed out that, it was high time that Nigerians need to think and rethink what they have been doing over the years since the return of democracy in 1999.

“We have been voting people in certain ways, when I said certain ways I meant, we vote people based on ethnicity, based on religion and other sentiments which has not help us”, he said.

Mr Ishaya added that Nigerians have been in the habit of voting their leaders because of what they gain momentarily.

“It’s a common knowledge that money is been used to get votes from voters especially the youth. See how Nigeria is degenerating, we are heading to anarchy”, he warned.

The Activist said, it was very important for the youth, including everybody to say “enough of what we have been doing”.

He warned that Nigerians cannot continue doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Mr. Ishaya further said, “youth are the ones at the receiving end, they don’t have employment, they can’t go to descent school, they are being reduced to thuggery and drug users and different kinds of anti social activities”.

He called on the youth to think about who should be voted before giving him the needed support in order for the country to get out of her present predicament.

“While voting, they should consider credibility, competency, character and capacity. If we look at these attributes and vote based on them, I think we will be doing ourselves a great service”, he said.

According to Mr. Ishaya, if Nigerians decide to vote on the basis of religion, regionalism or ethnicity, they will be doing a great disservice to themselves