As the the General Elections draw near, events that unfold lately are very interesting with the contending parties trying to outwit each other in tactics and strategies. In Kwara State for instance, the parties and their candidates are devising novel means to reach the electorates.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in Kwara State, Senator Simeon Sule Ajibola have stepped up their campaign by adopting a strategy that allows them one on one contact with the electorates.

Some members of the public have in the recent time been receiving phone calls from strange numbers when the caller will introduce himself as a staff of Ajibola Campaign Office, and request you to vote for Senator Ajibola as the Governor of Kwara State.

Atleast, three members of my family have been called by the supposedly Ajibola Campaign Office in the past two weeks with the caller persuading each of them to vote for the PDP candidate. My Uncle, who could not hold it any longer called me shortly after the Ajibola campaigner hung up to inform me of the development.

"My Son, somebody just called me now he said he is form the Ajibola Campaign Office and that he wants me to support the candidature of Ajibola based on his achievements and performance in office, which he said includes good road network.

"As I retorted that the achievements are quite visible even to the blind, the young man abruptly ended our conversation. But where did they get my phone number from", my Sexagenarian Uncle asked.

I explained to him that he is fortunate to be around now when technology has taken over and currently ruling the world. The numbers were generated through the use of technology and could be useful for sending bulk SMS (Short Messages) and phone calls as the case may be. He was equally surprised that they even know his residential address.

As the PDP was exploring phone services what a political watcher described as cost effective, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kwara State Chapter has rather being sending her messages through the party's 13,104 loyalists in the 1,872 Polling Units in the 193 Wards that make up the state.

The APC is said to have placed premium on the polling units with the appointment of 7- man committee to oversee the welfare of the party members and supporters at that polling area. This is not only directed at maximizing votes for the party during elections, but it is also a membership drive strategy.

This is the secret behind the massive turn for the APC Membership Registration in 2014, when INEC accredited polling units across the country were designated for the party's registration. Recall that the PDP was unsettled at that time to,the extent that its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh issued a statement dissuading Nigerians from been part of the exercise.

The APC appear to me, to have prepared for both party politics and electoral contest right from its formation. It is logical that each member of the 7-man committee should be able to sufficiently attract 10 votes for his party in his polling area, if you do the arithmetic properly that is 70 valid votes that have been nurtured over a period of time.

Again if any of the aforesaid work hard and are able to carry the nurtured 10 votes to the election day, it is just natural that about half of that will join his harvest. Members and friends of the 10 that are either dependent or close to them are likely to vote in sympathy. That is another 45 added to 70; in a polling unit 115 valid votes are a big chunk. This is aside those who will vote along the party line and those other ones that I describe as stray votes. This is conservative anyway.

This method is costly and can only be executed by one who has the war chest - I don't think the Kwara State Chapter of the PDP can ever contemplate this, therefore the use of phone services came to their minds.

The 7-man polling unit committee will in the nearest future answer some Federal Character Questions, for example Omupo Ward in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State has 18 polling units with about 5 in Omupo town. The remaining 13 units are shared amongst about 38 communities in that area.

If you go by the ward arrangement it means they must come from the 38 communities to meet at the ward headquarters on every meeting day; this is one problem the polling unit committee will solve. The 7-man committee makes party administration easier, effective and restore power to the communities that may be lucky to have atleast one polling unit.

And for the purpose of the election, each unit will try to outshine the other in terms of votes chase which will in turn enhance the overall performance of the ward. The APC in Kwara State according to its leader, Senator Bukola Saraki is working for over 80% win in all the elections.

The committee provides the desired feed back for the party leadership to work upon and interact with grassroots regularly. They sit in the "Assemblies" and "Joints" where they throw up topical issues which are tactically skewed in favour of their party. Can phone services match this?

There is no time for gambling or experimentation anymore - the die is cast the people should align with those that have identifiable identities, as in people with real human nature. The spirit can't be challenged or made accountable for actions and inactions. The road to greater prosperity starts now.

Kayode Oyin-Zubair
Head of Programmes Department, 
Campaign Directorate, 
Mandate 2015