The bottom line is incumbents lose election not because they didn’t work but because they didn’t communicate their achievements with their electorate.
Communication is through two ways traffic
1 defend the record
2 sell the future
Defend record by:
Defend and reframe your performance records through:-
Data audit – list every project your administration has done including policies and programme to showcase to the electorate.
Identify unfinished projects for transfer to second tenure.
Score card
Engaging media for media coverage of all legacy projects ,local government by local government which will be showcased at campaigns rallies.
Map out their voting pattern for more campaigns to convince the electorate
Your strong hold, assess scorecard LGA by LGA and know your weak performing LGA
Then appoint local influencers as achievements ambassadors
They need to embark on micro empowerment projects that are visible before the election
Visit the battle ground to solve one problem or the other before the campaign heats up, this includes provisions of necessities like boreholes, transformers which have to be delivered without fanfare, let the local spread the word.
Carry out the demographic of youth between 18- 35 , woman artisans, civil servants pensioners each bloc needs 1 tailored message plus I tailored policy promise for 2nd term bid
Promise for second tenure such as:
Job and money
One ward, one industry or expansion of SME loans ,incumbent win when people feel rich
Security plus peace
If security improves show data if not show new equipment/ command center plus timeline
Next generation promise
Free Waec/ Neco registration, tech hub this can make parents vote for their children’s prosperities
Grand game
The election is won in the ward not on television
Structure
Reactivate the ward level structures , these are the incumbent foot- soldiers , maybe 10 trusted people per ward, their KPI voters list verification, new voters outreach, rumors management
Address stomach infrastructure right
Don’t just share rice only but start empowering circuits now such as grinding machines, POS machines, fertilizers tied to PVC ownership and training of apprenticeship skills
The need to visit churches and mosques, bus parks no convoy talk, one on one and take complaints try and solve one problem on the spot
Visits religion and traditional institutions they don’t win elections but they can stop you from losing and also private visits to emirs ,obas, JNI, imans and pastors ,ask them what their expectations are from the government, fulfil the promise before election
Control opposition narratives
24/7 team monitoring group of radio , WhatsApp, Facebook, X for every attack , respond within 4 hours with facts plus empathy
Co-opt critics
Identify some sound social media critics in the state , invite them to inspect projects tours ,after which they become neutral when engaged
Attend debates and interviews
During an interview never insults opponents always compared with records
Activities 100 days to voting day
Within day 1 to 30 days
Launch score card tour ,admit gaps and also roll 2nd term projects for each LGAs
31- 60 days
Campaigns on LGAs ground with micro projects and empowerment programmes
61-90 days
Major endorsement from unions ,traditional rulers ,youth groups and commissioning of legacy projects
91- 100 days
Door to door, sms , radio messages campaigns to remind voters of their votes
Avoid these RED lines
Don’t fight the federal government
Even if your state voters hate them, pick a federal project to commission with them together Voters want synergy with FGN
Don’t ignore civil servants and pensioners though from records so far you are a friendly Governor to workers and pensioners but promise pensioners of their outstanding gratuities to give their votes for APC
Be polite to voters during rallies even if you observed some level of indiscipline at rallies
Avoid election rigging, win with perception to avoid court and public opinion overturning the results
Communication with electorates on time is a strategy to election victory.
– Benjamin Ibrahim writes from Lokoja, Kogi state.
+2348069596250
