Vote For Candidates With Climate Action Plans In 2023 Elections, Coalition Urges Nigerians

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, November 5th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP) with support of 350 Africa in partnership with Activist for Climate Justice Coalition has urged Nigerians to vote for candidates with climate actions plans in the 2023 General Elections.

GIFSEP is a non-profit organization founded on the ideals of environment education, climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy and sustainable development. Its mission is to mobilize communities to build resilience to a changing climate, to conserve and protect the environment.

The group also called on Nigerian citizens to ensure that they collect the Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) and cast their votes for such candidates at the polls.

In a statement issued on behalf of Climate Justice Coalition by the Team Lead-GIFSEP, David Michael Terungwa, said they are so worried that that Climate Change is under-represented in the campaigns for the 2023 General Elections so far, adding that it is critical to the survival of democracy and for sustainable development.

The coalition noted that if one checks the manifestos of all the political parties in Nigeria, they do not have any mention of the issues or the solutions.

“We are so worried! What are the Climate Action plans of our political parties and their candidates. Climate Change must be a central priority in everything we do. Climate change must be a central priority for all governments, all communities, all cities the civil societies everywhere and that is why is so important to strongly advocate to bring back climate change to center”, the group said.

They also noted that Climate Change issues are too important to be left in the hands of deniers, adding that it is the crises of our lifetime, the defining issue of today’s world.

“Climate Change, like voting in a democracy, is a collective action problem. And that is why we are calling on citizens especially those in communities impacted the climate change to ensure that they collect their PVCs and look beyond empty campaign promises and other forms of inducement to vote for candidates that understand climate change issues and have a climate action plan”, the coalition added.

The group, however pointed out that it is not enough to have a plan but such plan, according to them must be a workable plan and not a text book plan and that they will interrogate the plan.

“Who are those impacted by climate change? We all are affected by climate change. Our country Nigeria is very vulnerable to Climate Change. Fresh in our minds is the recent floods which caused the death of over 600 Nigerians, displaced over 2 million people, washing away hundreds of farms and farm lands and other critical infrastructure like roads, houses etc. With huge cost on our economy.

“No one is immune to Climate Change impact, the poor and the rich. The country home of former president Goodluck Jonathan was also flooded. Although, the poor are most vulnerable because of their lack of adaptive capacity.

“Up in the northern part of the country is desert encouragement and land degradation, in the center is soil erosion and land degradation, in the south is sea level rise, coastal erosion and annual floods. All of these affect our health, food and nutrition, water availability, Biodiversity loss, security and ultimately our economy”, the group further explained.

The coalition said the sad reality is that these issues will continue in frequency and magnitude and warned that if we are not able to reverse the present trend and build climate resilience we will be doomed as a nation.

“Considering the impact of Climate Change on lives and our economy is why we are embarking on this very important campaign. Vote For Climate.

“A vote for climate is a vote for Food Security. A vote for climate is a vote for sustainable Energy. A vote for climate is a vote to Health. A vote for climate is a vote for a Healthy Environment. A vote for climate is a vote for Equity and fairness. A vote for climate is a vote to a Sustainable future. A vote for climate is a vote for life”, they stressed.