Elections period is here in Nigeria, and it has been observed that many politicians don’t only campaign on the streets and through other media, but also take their campaigns to homes across the country – through grassroots politicking. In the light of this, Saturday PUNCH asked some Nigerians what they would do if they found out their spouses wouldn’t vote for their preferred candidates in the polls
She has a free will
Tume Justine
My headship role in the home is not extended to that. That’s just too far. I believe it’s unheard of, or a sort of archaic thinking, to try to impose every decision I make on my wife. She’s got her free will and can do anything she decides to do as long as it is good for her and the people around her. Even if I seek that she aligns with me on issues, politics is definitely a different one. It’s not worth clashing over.
I can’t dictate to her
Ayanbunmi Joshua
My name is not ‘dictator’ and I cannot tell my wife to vote for who I want to vote for. In fact, if I am a politician, she may choose not to support me if she feels so and I will not shun her or hurt her feelings because of that. One thing I know is that in life, we should allow people to exercise their rights to do whatever gives them fulfillment. My wife can vote for whoever she wants to vote for and she doesn’t even need to inform me about her choice.
We don’t have to agree on this one
John Olubowale
We cannot always have same views on issues. In fact, I love the fact that my wife always questions my decisions. It makes me have a rethink sometimes and get things right. If I am the type of man that always forces my wife to do things, I can never grow and she too can’t. On the election, we may not agree to vote for same candidates and I don’t have any problem with that. After all, I am not a politician and neither is she.
I’d love her to vote for my candidate
Ojo Bukola
She is my wife and we are supposed to be one – to make decisions and act together. I cannot force her to do my bidding, but it’s a thing I would love her to do. Who knows maybe my candidate would need just one vote to beat the opponent and my wife votes for another person? I believe it’s good for couples to have same ideology and have same goals. Considering all these issues, I would love my wife to vote for my preferred candidates in the polls.
I’ll convince her to vote for my candidate
Sanusi Ganiu
I can only try to convince her to vote for the candidates I want in the polls if I am also convinced that they are worth voting for. One problem I have about politicians in Nigeria is that many of them are liars and so they are not even worth campaigning for. They tell you ‘this’ when they are trying to woo the electorate, but do ‘that’ when they eventually emerge winners in the polls. So, it is difficult to campaign for them. However, if I’m convinced about a particular candidate, I’ll convince my spouse to also vote for the person.
He can’t impose his choice on me
Odo Peace
I don’t believe we have to agree on this one. As a matter of fact, my husband cannot impose his will or choice of candidate on me. I have the right to vote for whoever I feel deserves my vote. There are many cases when a father and son would disagree on an issue and the father would not kill the son or himself over that. On a similar note, we do not have to be embittered towards each other if we have different views on the choice of candidates to vote for in the election.
I may not obey him on this one
Vivian Nwaji
Even though my husband is the head of the family and as a respectable wife I should submit to him, yet in this case, that may not happen. This is entirely a different scenario. The only thing he could do is to try to enlighten me on the candidates and then allow me to make my choice. Moreover, we are not going to vote at the same time, so he will not know who I vote for. I can obey him in every other thing, but may not on this one.
Disagreement is allowed
Oyelakin Oluwakemi
There are certain issues that a couple may disagree on and I believe this is one of them. We cannot always agree on issues. I don’t think that is possible. Marrying him, in the first instance, was done out of my will, not through imposition from anybody. There were many proposals, but I chose him. Since I still have a free will, he should understand if we disagree on his choice of candidate.
I may vote for who he votes for
Opeyemi Olosunde-Jooda
I am not really interested in politics, so I don’t know majority of the candidates and their ideas. However, if my husband can enlighten me on the one he knows about and can convince me to vote for his candidate, I may do his bidding. I may vote for who he is voting for – just to make sure I exercise my civic responsibility.
I won’t disclose my choice to him
Wojuade Bonuade
First thing is I am not the type of person that will kill herself over any candidate. Most of them only seek the people’s votes during election. When this is over, you see them no more and most of them do nothing to prove they were worth voting for in the first place. However, if I should make up my mind to vote for a candidate and I discover my husband and I are not on the same page, I will not disclose my candidate to him.
