As the race to 2023 general elections intensifies with so many politicking across the divide, the Human & Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for directing political appointees with political ambitions to resign their appointments to pursue their ambitions.

Chairman of HEDA, Olanrewaju Suraju, in a statement in Lagos over the weekend, condemned some aspirants who refused to resign in accordance with the extant laws and directive of Mr. Buhari, to, in the interest of the country, immediately step aside.

The HEDA boss also alerted that attention should not only be at the federal level, but equally at state level where political aspirants are by law required to resign and pursue their respective political ambitions.

He said: “I think it’s only ideal if we do the right thing at the right time and place, for the right result and avoid political unrest and unnecessary litigations. Political appointees who are pursuing some other elective positions should not be poked or forced before they do what is right and legally required of them.

“They are causing tension in the country but worse still, they’re missing the whole essence of leadership when they remain in office and play politics simultaneously because they are distracted, confused and eventually abuse public resources entrusted in their hands.

“For those who have resigned, we are calling on them to strictly comply with every single law, rules and regulations regarding the elections. Nobody is greater than Nigeria, thus, every aspirant and their supporters must play by the rules.”

Suraju tasked electorate to be wise at this critical time and never allow anybody, particularly the politicians, to buy their conscience no matter how attractive the baits may be. “Most Nigerians are still wallowing in the storm of poverty and euphoria of immediate gratifications (satisfaction) owing to level of desperation in the society.

“The politicians know what to do to browbeat the electorate, but it's the desire of HEDA to see every Nigerian consciously pursuing the ultimate (quality leadership which guarantee delivery of dividends of democracy) and doing away with the immediate freebies (which comes in form of cash grains of cereals, clothing material, alcoholic drinks, and other mundane offerings),” Suraju added.

He charged Nigerians to challenge political aspirants in public debates to convince on why they (aspirants) deserve the people's mandate. “Nigerians must not be swayed by duplicitous and deceptive rhetoric again. It is high time citizens held politicians accountable. By now, we should be able to differentiate between facts and lies!” he said.

He warned the political class to desist from using some unemployed young people as mercenaries to achieve their self-ambitions, saying that some loafers were already sighted in many quarters across the country causing nuisance (unfortunately) in the society on behalf of some politicians some of whom aren’t bold enough to openly declare.

“Anybody who accepts hook, line and sinker what these politicians are saying without subjecting them to strict scrutiny at the grassroots is playing with his future. Nigerians deserve only those “fit and proper” to emerge as political leaders, we, the civil society organizations in Nigeria, are doing our bid; the citizens must play their roles equally because we are all involved,” he concluded.

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