Special Adviser to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Political Matters, Collins Cocodia, has stressed that until electorates begin to take issues of politics and the importance of good governance seriously, leaders who do not have their interests will continue to govern them.
He also opined that while political parties have the reserved right and different processes to select their candidates for election, the onus lies with the electorate to vote for whoever is their preferred candidate without being coerced or induced financially.
He handed down his view during a live citizen participatory program on the state-owned radio station, Glory FM 97.1, in Yenagoa, Yesterday.
Cocodia, who spoke on the topic “Who is to be blamed for the election of wrong leaders; the political parties or the electorate” emphasized the need for a total revamp and reorientation of societal values and priorities, with regard to the decisions of the electorate in choosing who governs or represents them across boards.
He described the incessant election of leaders who do not mean well for the people as a societal problem, which can only be addressed by a robust sensitization campaign.
He said, “For me, there is a need to have a positive reorientation to safeguard our future and if not, we will keep blaming one another for the failure of society. We must change our mindset so that society can come back alive and do the needful.”
“When you talk about the issue of a candidate, it’s a societal problem and not a political party problem to a large extent. Am sure that if it’s not a societal problem what happens in PDP shouldn’t happen in the APC. I am of the view that parties should be allowed to regulate their means of selection.”
The Commissioner for Labour, Employment and Productivity, said initially, the electoral process did not empower the electorate, hence, the fear of their votes not being counted, leading to voter apathy, however, the narrative was changing following recent reforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the electoral laws.
“The electorate may not have so much power before this time because of the way our electoral process had been, that’s why you hear things like ‘whether we vote or we no vote, results will be announced’.
”But now I think with the reform INEC is carrying out, we are eventually getting there where leaders will be more responsible, more accountable and the electorate will have the maximum power either return an elected official or not to.
He called for the relevant laws that have been set aside to punish perpetrators of electoral offences to be implemented by the agencies in charge, to further strengthen the electoral process.