As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline nears for political party primaries, politics of varied shades of opinions and colours have sprang up – pontifying to the high heavens why they are the best material to represent their people in the next election season.
Some of these aspirants have rooted their quest in incumbency, zoning, fair representation, and gender equality, without considering credibility, experience, and versatility for the position they seek to occupy.
Experiences have shown that whenever people without the requisite basics for leadership are thrust into leadership positions based on the same party platform or on a top-down principle, the result is monumental failure in delivering good governance, often characterised by maladministration and corruption.
Poor leadership recruitment has not been helped by the godfather system, made worse by the delegate-nominating process, which often gives the money bags a field day.
Today, the new Electoral Act 2026 (amended) has returned the power to nominate candidates to party men and women. To nominate candidates, political parties must either hold a direct primary election in which all members of the party participate or use consensus, in which all aspirants, in writing, concede candidacy to one of them.
Benue State has reached a crossroads where “bench warmers” and misfits be shown the way out of leading the affairs of the people, because they have shown themselves to be incapable.
Party sentiments and the influence of godfatherism should be discarded as people move towards the next general elections.
Credibility, competence, and demonstrable capacity to deliver should be the guiding attributes for electing the new set of representatives, in the belief that, with their expertise, they will provide effective leadership.
