Lawyers are quick to condemn low voter education among the populace but a careful interaction with lawyers ahead of their general election come July 16, 2022, reveals that, a good number of them have not seen or have read the Manifesto of the candidate(s) they are supporting and have vowed to vote for.
Another revelation is that most lawyers don’t know how to vote; contestants and ECNBA have not educated lawyers on how to vote. On Election Day, contestants will set up lounges to assist lawyers vote with subtle stomach infrastructure items lined up(Vote buying)
Second base joor!
Over the years, lawyers have voted based on the following 7 sentiments. This year will not be different as my interaction with lawyers across Nigeria has revealed;
1.He was the first to tell me of his or her ambition at the last AGC
2.He is my Call mate and you don’t expect me to vote any other person.
3.Religion. This is not pronounced as the 3 presidential candidates are all Christians but in posts where these two religion that has undervalued humanity and underdeveloped Nigeria, have contestants, voters are voting their faith’s brethren. Some candidates even campaigned, highlighting that they are the only Muslim or Christian in the race for a given office.
4.I attended his hangout. The man is rich and we drank to stupor. This sentiment has a twin; he paid my BPF, why should I not vote for him?
5.Haba, she is the only woman in the race with two men. They want to r-a-p-è her? Abeg, let’s do Beijing and help women get into the Executive Council.
6.Tribe. This is also underplayed because all the presidential candidates are of Arewa Lawyers Forum but on the office of General Secretary, there is war. This war is akin to the Kiriji War but it is between the Midwest Bar Forum and Egbe Amofin.
7.Who is the incumbent supporting? This sentiment is predicated on the events since the introduction of è-voting. Lawyers believe that election results are manipulated by the incumbent to favor a presidential candidate and against this backdrop, why waste my vote for a better candidate(s), when the incumbent will rig in their choice candidate? Abeg, let’s flow with the tide.
