2023: Nigerians better get ready, it’s a fight for our lives, says Aisha Yesufu

 

Aisha Yesufu, activist and founder of Citizens Hub, says the 2023 presidential election is “a fight for survival”.

 

Speaking on Saturday in an interview by ARISE TV, the activist urged Nigerians to be more active during elections.

 

“Nigerians better get ready because 2023 election is election for survival; we are fighting for our lives. We want a nation where we can breathe,” she said.

 

“Today, life in Nigeria is nasty, short and brutish. I mean, everybody is a victim waiting to happen. Even when you’re in your house, you don’t know if you’re going to get to the next morning or somebody is coming to carry you from your house.

 

 “So, this is not a time of shying away and thinking politics is not for everyone. Politics is for everyone, because at the end of the day, it is through the political process that the leaders are brought in, and we must be invested in it.”

 

Speaking further, she said candidates should be voted based on their competence and not their political parties, and that the next government should involve people who are passionate about the growth of Nigeria.

 

“One of the things we’ve been saying is that it’s not about parties; it’s about candidates. We’ve seen that a good number of parties do not give competent candidates because there are no incentives in their parties. So, they always give us someone they can control, which hasn’t been good for us,” she said.

 

 “We want people who are incorruptible, people who have served and not stolen wealth, people who have served diligently to be able to come and run for office.”

 

According to her, Nigeria is battling underdevelopment because of selfish desires to get into office.

 

“If you’re not from this party or that party, you can’t win elections and that is the reason why we are where we are today,” she said.

 

“A lot of people who get into office do not care about the people, because they feel it’s not the people that bring them in. So, their loyalty is to the people who gave them the party tickets.

 

“Vigilance is the price you pay for democracy. So, we must be vigilant and ensure that whoever is going in there knows that they got there because of us the people. It will be a government for the people, not a government for certain people in Nigeria.”