Vote Life: How To Stay Safe During Elections

This is transcription of the February 11, 2023 Inspired to Excel Conference. It is available as ebook on Amazon. amazon.com/dp/B0BYMYVCYZ

Safety During Elections Copyright © 2023 Dr. Omolola Omoteso

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author.

This safety tool is given to

 

Nigerian

 

YOUTHS

 

who yearn for

 

POSITIVE

 

CHANGE.

 

Preface

Inspired to Excel is a vision to inspire people from all walks of life to excel. The February 11, 2023 edition was done in honour of Bola Omoteso who went to be with the Lord on February 11, 2016. Deacon Bola Omoteso was shortly before his death the Economic Advisor on Trades and Investment in the Presidency. He stood tall as a man of excellence and contributed to the development of the world by his roles across countries and continents with companies like AT&T, Coned, US Airforce. He loved God and served humanity.

With elections approaching in Nigeria, the focus was on How to Stay Alive During Elections. With the help of Miss Susan IfeOluwua, Best Graduating Candidate for the 2022 Cohort of Excel Leadership Academy Transformation Programme, the discourse was done on CGN Inspire to Excel Virtual Platform with over 100 participants.

DISCOURSE

How to Stay Alive During Elections.

Good day dear member of the electorate. Straight to the matter at hand; we will look at why safety is important during elections.

As we very well know, an election is supposed to be a contest for power to be transferred or retained legitimately. You know, that is the idea. Election is supposed to be devoid of any kind of violent competition or fights, brawling, riots or any kind of instigation from one party to the other.

If an election is going to be legitimate, it has to be safe. Once election is not safe, the legitimacy of such an election is going to be questioned. It is important for us to understand that elections must avoid things like conflict and confrontation and focus more on management, containment and delivering the right and accurate results.

Security is a big part of elections. Safety is a big part of elections. There is no country in the world where election is going to be called free or fear if values like safety; keeping people alive, is not part of it. Hence, this has being an integral part.

I will share ways you can ensure that your life does not come on the line because you want to vote, you want to protect votes, or you want your candidates to win. It is important for you to live first. SAFETY FIRST!

I will share from Ace Projects Online, where it talks about the fact that the organisation and conduct of credible elections must follow certain principles and rights, which in practise impose significant challenges for ensuring effective security.

One key factor is the issue of transparency. This requires that the steps of an electoral process be well advertised to the public. To prevent any sort of violence, there has to be transparency.

The entire process should be publicised and promoted. For instance, when is campaign supposed to end? Are all the parties aware and complying? These are part of the things that would ensure safety. Whether they are done or not, you have to keep safe.

Election, for instance, must be held in compliance with the national laws. So, what are the national laws? An average voter does not even know. As a voter, it is important for you to find out.

Another thing is that institutions responsible for the administration and security of an election must fulfil their mandates, impartially. INEC!

We are having situations where INEC will declare somebody winner and then the courts will upturn that. INEC will say, this was free and fair, but the courts will come up with something else. This may cause a lot of constraints. This could cause wrong perceptions that could lead to chaos, crisis, and war.

To operate effectively within these electoral requirements, we need security forces to be guided by certain principles. But I am not going to be talking about those guiding principles. There are quite a number – equity, following human rights and the rule of law. Our focus for this discourse is how you; how those who are voting will stay safe.

In 2011, I served as Managing Producer for a radio programme that ran across stations in Nigeria.
The name was Your Right To Vote. This was a programme aimed at educating voters and creating awareness about elections. And it ran on radio from Sunday to Friday during the run up to the 2011 General Elections; it ran in stations like the Search FM in Minna, the UNILAG Radio, as well as Radio Nigeria and other stations. 

But that was 2011. Oftentimes for elections we see a lot of international players trying to support one programme or the other. And rather than this gearing the Nigerian Government or our own people to do more, we actually begin to see less and less awareness. I do not know if it is because I have not been watching television that much, but I would say that I have not seen a lot of advocacies about safety, which is why it is important for us to talk about this, especially for the 2023 Elections.

You must understand as a voter that you have rights. But when you are dead; if you die, that right cannot be claimed. Which is why it is very important for you to strategise on how to stay alive.

I remember when I was at the university, my Dad will never tell you not to be part of a protest; he will not. He would always say to me, when protest breaks out, if you happen to be there, make sure you are not in the front, make sure that you are not at the very back. He would always tell us things like that, just trying to ensure that we are conscious of safety. Precaution must be taken seriously, not just by the government. The government is not going to take care of individuals or all individual situations. You are going to be there and there may be no security operatives to help you out. So here are few tips:

SAFETY TIPS

1.    No Party Branded Material or Attire

I plead with you, do not wear any branded material that indicates the party or the person you are voting for. Do NOT wear any branded material. 

2.    No Argument

Do not argue in public. Emotions run wild during elections. Do NOT argue. Oh! The voting materials are yet to arrive - calmly talk about it. Oh! Somebody is trying to break a line - nicely correct. Please avoid all forms of argument.

3.    No Open Criticism

Do not openly criticise any political party or politician. You never know whose toes you may be stepping on when you do this.

4.    Share Expected Arrival Time

When you go to vote, there is always a time for starting and a time for ending. Make sure people you leave at home, know when you are leaving and promptly return thereafter. If you stay too late, you may not have any other party faithful who may be on your side. Timing is key.

5.    No Late Nights

During the period of elections, do not keep late nights. Yorubas say, Jakumo kii rin osan, eni a bii ire kii rin oru (meaning: Wild animal does not prowl in the day, someone of noble birth does not prowl at night). You may be a night owl; please note that during the elections is not when to keep late night. Believe it or not, strange things happen during this period, including the swapping of those who have been arrested and were in jail. 

6.    No Recklessness

Another thing I want to share is that you must be careful not to talk recklessly at the polls. You do not know who is who. If you want to be reckless about a party, about a politician, it is better to return home. But why be reckless?

7.    Reduce Family Outings

Another thing is to minimise family outings during this period. There was no election on Christmas Day when a woman and her family decided that rather than go home, they would just go and have a nice time somewhere. Unfortunately, they ran into Police and the rest is a sad history of the death of a lawyer in Nigeria. Please, during elections, minimise your family outings.

8. Vote Once

Make sure you vote just once. You may believe that nobody knows you voted before, and you are trying to use another person's card to cast another vote. Somebody irate could jump on you and it could become violent. Vote once and avoid instigating, creating or causing trouble at your voting centre.

9. Discreet Reportage

I know that a lot of people now play the role of citizen journalists. That is, you may not be trained, but you choose to be a journalist, a reporter, a photographer and so you want to take videos or images. Please do so discreetly, especially if the picture you are taking or the video you want to take is likely going to get someone in trouble - security officer sleeping, somebody trying to do vote buying, somebody trying to cast multiple votes, someone forging etc. Be discreet because such a thing could put you in a lot of trouble. You could be waylaid, your phone could be stolen, you could be harmed. So please, if you must play the role of a journalist, ensure safety first

10. Celebrate Sensibly

IF your candidate wins, make sure you celebrate in a sensible way because your celebration could anger some people; it could make some people upset because now they know who you voted for. Probably you have even collected money as inducement to vote for someone else and promised to vote for other candidates; you have given assurance but now you are celebrating like, Oh! Arsenal just won, let's go party! Be sensible and careful.

 

DO YOU HAVE MORE TIPS? SEND IT TO US AND THIS DOCUMENT WILL BE UPDATED. GOD BLESS YOU AND GOD KEEP YOU.

1711. Stay Hydrated

Ensure you take water with you. Make sure you have water, especially during this season when we have a lot of humidity. Make sure that you have water with you or a drink that is safe. This will keep you hydrated and mitigate the possibility of exhaustion, fatigue or collapse especially with stores closed.

2012. No Gifts

You should not accept any gift and/or gratification at the polling centre. It is up to you to make a decision about accepting before or after. 

SAFETY TIPS ARE SHARED BECAUSE YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO ME; WE NEED ONE ANOTHER TO SURVIVE. STAYING ALIVE IS CRUCIAL.

 

13. Avoid Hijacking Groups

I have seen quite a number of people who use groups they did not create to campaign. This is wrong. You are in a church group for instance, an office group for instance; campaigning for any party should be a NO-NO. Do NOT use groups, forums, associations probably because you are the president or the leader or even the pulpit to hoist one candidate over another. One thing you should realise is that we may all profess one God, but we do NOT all profess one party. 

14. Stay Clear of Undefinable Groups

Stay clear of groups you canNOT define. If you just find pockets of people gathering avoid doing, mo gbo mo branch (I heard and stopped) during elections. The period of elections is NOT when to do that. Do NOT just bump into a crowd. You do NOT know what they are doing. You do NOT know what they are sharing; if you do not know what the gathering is all about, it is best to keep off. Stay clear of groups you cannot define or do NOT understand. Stay clear of such groups.

15. Avoid Protests

Avoid being dragged into protests. “See what they did to our candidate, let's go and fight.” Remember that only the living is called electorate. To be a voter or remain a citizen, you must first stay alive. Please do not be dragged into pre, post or even election period protests. Oftentimes protests turn up deadly. Even campaigns have turned up deadly. During one of the campaigns, two young men riding bikes were excitedly trying to display their dexterity but here was a collision and one of them died instantly. Do NOT become part of the statistics of lives lost during election.

16. Avoid Arguing With Security Operatives

I talked about avoiding arguments, but another is to avoid argument with gun carrying security operatives; some of them, believe it or not, are blood thirsty, so avoid argument with them. Know that they can always be reported discreetly. Get their name, their name tags, or note their names when you have a conversation with them, or you hear somebody calling them by name. If they have their badge or their numbers, note details or identifiers. Do NOT get into unnecessary or even necessary arguments with them. The gun still kills.

17. Observe Your Environment

You want to be safe, so be mindful during the elections; you want to be aware of your environment. Things could change quickly. Be conscious. You could be in a place with a large group and before you know it, people could start dispersing. Rather than start asking questions, gbe body! Stay woke! Move.

18. Fear God

Often those who perpetrate rigging, dastard acts including murder do so for lack of fear of God – temporarily or temperamentally.When many fear God, they will stop shamefacedly trying to exchange destinies for rice and oil. They would quit threatening people to vote for their candidate or they would lose their shops or other means of sustenance.

 19. Pray

Before, during and after your vote or elections, PRAY. I told many that the 8^th Republic saw us having an Imam and Pastor at the helm of affairs and still the nation struggled. This is pointer to the fact that except God builds the house, builders build in vain.

20. Stay Alive

Your safety and your security is in your own hands. Whatever you do during this election period, stay alive. Whatever you do during this election period, don't be dead. WStay alive so that when the new Nigeria emerges, whenever that would be, you and I would be partakers of the blessings.

Thank you so much for being a part of this.

Closing Prayer

I will end this Special Edition of I2E – Inspired to Excel, this February 11, 2023, in honour of my beloved Deacon Bola Omoteso, with this beautiful prayer I found online and edited:

 

Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our cities, states, and country, and how the Word of God compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our communities.

 

Ancient of Days, we ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity under God, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.

 

We ask Lord Jesus for ears that will hear the cries of children, unborn, abandoned, homeless orphaned on the streets, and the sick.

 

Ancient of Days, we ask that we would be able to care for men and women who are oppressed because of their ethnic groups or their creed, their religion, their gender and their abilities.

 

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to a new nation, a kingdom under God

 

We pray for the spirit of discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear the Word of God, who will live in love, who will keep themselves in the ways of truth, who follow in the steps of God, or Jesus and apostles, who guide us into justice and peace and love towards one another.

This and more we ask for our nation in Jesus name. The Lord bless you, the Lord keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, the Lord’s countenance be upon you and the Lord grant you peace. Peace in your heart, peace in your home, and peace in your homeland. AMEN.

 

Biblical Reference

Psalm 91:10

There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 

Psalm 32:7

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

Proverbs 11:14

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Proverbs 14:26

In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

John 16:33

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Rev. Dr. Omolola Omoteso

BA. MA. MEd. MBC. DBC.

 

Omolola Omoteso, Executive Director Cares Global Network, Publishing Consultant CGN Books, Lead Pastor Graceful Women Ministry, Presiding Pastor Divine Connection, Founder Prayer Channel for Nigeria, Chair Solidarity Action Network and Director Excel Leadership Academy, is a world class transformational strategist, communication development expert, change practitioner, media specialist, versatile television and radio broadcaster, experienced public relations consultant, public affairs analyst, newspaper and magazine columnist, professional counsellor, committed advocate, and dedicated mentor, who is called to reach, teach, speak, preach and heal in national and international spheres. She has had a successful career and progressive growth in broadcasting, publishing, education, development and social enterprise.

 

She has worked on a wide range of social and business development issues including providing media and logistic support to UNICEF, USIS, ILO, AHI, HDI and MRA. She has worked as a media consultant for the Presidency, managed media productions and public relations projects for corporate organisations, facilitated capacity building workshops and supervised crisis management interventions. She is a Fellow of Institute of Management Consultant (IMC).

 

As a woman of faith, her watchword remains Ecclesiastes 9:10.

 

Omolola was born on May 27, 1973 in Lagos.

Her Mother is from the Bajulaiye Family in Lagos while her Father is from Owu-Totoro. She resides in Nigeria and USA.

 

To learn, sign up for counselling, transformation or mentorship and prepare for leadership or upscale leadership skills in career or calling, reach out for information.

 

From time to time, Cares Global Network (CGN), Divine Connection (DC), and Excel Leadership Academy (ELA), CGN’s learning institution for leaders and aspiring leaders, organise conferences, courses and classes. Courses offered include mentorship, marriage, ministry, missions, marketing, management, media and publishing.

 

Dr. Omolola Omoteso

 annecares@hotmail.com  cgnbooks.webs.com