Dear Nairalanders,

please tell me how to become a local government chairman in nigeria, ie things to do and things not to do.

Which party do you belong?

What is your manifesto like for the people of your local govt?

Do you have a holistic understanding of the needs of the communities in your loval govt?

Do you want to be a LGA chairman to steal the national cake as usual?

Answer those questions in your closet to yourself, that is the first step to become a LGA chairman

Nigerians, we always answer questions with questions.

Do you have a clearly recognizable claim to that local government( e.g a well known family house or ancestral home)? Find out and make sure your claim to indigeneship (still important in nigeria) is valid.

Do you know any of the power-brokers in town e.g the local monarch, the NURTW boss or similar thuggish entity.

Have you done anything of note in that town e.g tarring a road, sinking a borehole?

it might be a good idea to start as councillor and consider your salary from that period as an investment. Spend it all on your ward and make their lives happy. wait for the two tenures (yes two) of your immediate boss to be completed and start your own campaign.

Dont overshadow him/her but try to be quite visible.

Membership of local clubs is also useful (Lions club, Rotary, Sports Club) etc.

For your campaign, you will need really good jingles and an emblem.

ACN==> the broom
Aregbesola (Osun)===> Oranmiyan

essentially, give them something to hold on to.

Some cash will be helpful too.

And also, identify who the important intellectuals in town e.g provosts of tertiary institutions , doctors, entrepreneurs/business owners and pay them visits/ make friends with them.

Essentially dont fall victim to the typical diaspora nigerian's campaign strategy. They show up at the election booth with only a few measly supporters preceded by some half-hearted campaigning before the election on a few side-streets and facebook supported by cheaply printed posters displayed at the few places in town they are comfortable with. Unless you are only interested in your dear wife's vote.

Ayo Randy:

Nigerians, we always answer questions with questions.

You are right but is it in all questions?