Does a Politician's Past Matter More Before An Election or After Taking Office?

[Opiate32]

One thing I’ve come to realize about politics is how we sometimes wait until someone gets into power before we start talking and asking questions about their past. When election is fast approaching people keep arguing about who they want in power forgetting how much attention we need to pay to the kind of person we want in power. I’m not saying that every accusation a politician is true but when there is a proven record of dishonest or how bad they have treated the people and abusing the public trust, shouldn’t that matter when we decide on who gets our vote.

After all these are people who will make decision about public money , jobs and every other things that affects our daily lives. When they fail, ordinary people are the ones that often feel the impact.
What I keep wondering is that why do we now become more interested in a politicians past after giving them the power to make decisions for us?

[devouring-DARKNESS]

It's our bias, like it or not people will still support that politician you think is a very bad person and if that person wins and Indeed shows that they are unfit for power the same people who voted them into power will dig into their past and start acting like these flaws weren't already there to begin with, they do it to make themselves less responsible for their choices almost as if they didn't see the red flag before the cast their vote for them.

[Jubilee58]

The truth is that , some of the past, and present leaders in Nigeria are already known by Nigerians as being unfeat or incapable of ruling the country Nigeria in any capacity. But where this incapable politicians succeed most of the time is when it comes to election manipulation, and not the number of votes they have. Nigeria is a country where their is high level of corruption in our electoral system, and when these politicians don't earn the recommendation of the masses, they turn to the electoral body, probably the INEC to have their way. Now, even during screening you see many issues being raised about a particular candidate concerning his or her incredibility or bad records, but they will undermine some of these information raised against a candidate even though it is true, and they do this when the politician has a very strong backing or must have released huge amount of money to the screening body so that they can have their way.

But this wouldn't stop Nigerians from voting for the right candidate because what we need is credible leadership as Nigerians, even if these incredible politicians have succeeded in the past, they will not keep succeeding all the time, because someday probably this time, the reverse will be the case.

[Roseline492]

One thing I’ve come to realize about politics is how we sometimes wait until someone gets into power before we start talking and asking questions about their past. When election is fast approaching people keep arguing about who they want in power forgetting how much attention we need to pay to the kind of person we want in power.

Except you have not seen anybody if not people actually do talk about it before the election, even your current president, his past was also deliberated and most people condemn it while some didn't see anything wrong with it so actually talking about it is not the problem neither a solution because already Nigerians are not United so even if a politician has committed so many evil  most people will still claim that the politician would change if he wins, and is the same thing we are also seeing now on this election because people are still supporting the very person behind their suffering, so truly our system has completely turn against us.

[Promocodeudo]

One thing I’ve come to realize about politics is how we sometimes wait until someone gets into power before we start talking and asking questions about their past. When election is fast approaching people keep arguing about who they want in power forgetting how much attention we need to pay to the kind of person we want in power. I’m not saying that every accusation a politician is true but when there is a proven record of dishonest or how bad they have treated the people and abusing the public trust, shouldn’t that matter when we decide on who gets our vote.

After all these are people who will make decision about public money , jobs and every other things that affects our daily lives. When they fail, ordinary people are the ones that often feel the impact.
What I keep wondering is that why do we now become more interested in a politicians past after giving them the power to make decisions for us?

Giving who the job exactly, how many politicians did we vote in, in Nigerian, when talking about the past life of Nigerian politicians, do that matter, when they can still rig themselves in whether we like it or not, what we know how to do in Nigeria is to complain and if we complain from now till anytime we like, as long as the system remains how it is presently, our complaints will be a waste of time.
Once those politicians with questionable character belong the political family that can rig election, and won't query them for whatever they have done in past, the public opinion about the person has won't affect his political career, that's Nigeria for you.

[Marvelockg]

After all these are people who will make decision about public money , jobs and every other things that affects our daily lives. When they fail, ordinary people are the ones that often feel the impact.
What I keep wondering is that why do we now become more interested in a politicians past after giving them the power to make decisions for us?

Of all the political aspirant both at the presidential level, the governorship level and even the house of representative and senate, which of them have not ruled before? are they not similar faces that have led poorly in the past that we know very well? when making our voting decision, do we look at how they perform in the past or only consider those that are from our tribe?

Tribalism is one reason why a lot of us vote in someone we know to be incompetent. if we are working with an aspirants track record as bases for voting, all the current aspirant across level can not merit any elected position.

[Yorubek]

One thing I’ve come to realize about politics is how we sometimes wait until someone gets into power before we start talking and asking questions about their past. When election is fast approaching people keep arguing about who they want in power forgetting how much attention we need to pay to the kind of person we want in power.

It makes no sense to criticize a candidate's past after he wins because before the candidate who is being elected we must discuss his past, what kind of person he is, etc. and then make a worthy candidate win. People are very greedy, they only think about their interests. Before the election, people are more busy with their profit and loss, as a result of which they do not think about whether the candidate who is being elected is actually good or bad. This is the true nature of people. When a candidate wins the election and occupies his place, people start criticizing his past, it is absolutely true.

[Abdulzuruku01]

The politicians past track record matters a lot. I don't think someone that once ruled without a good track record deserves a second chance to rule again, because I don't see that he has something to offer. Few years ago voters were not after what politicians have to offer , rather than to take peanuts that will not last them a year and continue to suffer for many years. But glory be to God now, people are after works and do ask lot of questions that matters much like what was the past record and if you are contesting for the first time they ask for what he/she has to offer.

[Biirakedee]

I think we make mistakes when when we judge this politicians based on there past records only forgetting that someone may have made mistakes in the past but still have the genuine confidence and possibility of making a change be it present or in future.
Another thing is that we have developed the habit of defending this politicians even when their actions shows otherwise. Instead of us to hold them accountable, some supporters will start making excuses for their failure just because they don’t want to admit that they are supporting the wrong person. This makes it very easy for all this politicians to continue making the same mistakes without any consequences. We need to stop treating election like an opportunity to support our favorite person or become tribalistic about it. Our loyalty should be to the country not to this politicians who will move on with their lives while it is we the people that suffers the consequences.

[Africolo]

One thing I’ve come to realize about politics is how we sometimes wait until someone gets into power before we start talking and asking questions about their past. When election is fast approaching people keep arguing about who they want in power forgetting how much attention we need to pay to the kind of person we want in power. I’m not saying that every accusation a politician is true but when there is a proven record of dishonest or how bad they have treated the people and abusing the public trust, shouldn’t that matter when we decide on who gets our vote.

After all these are people who will make decision about public money , jobs and every other things that affects our daily lives. When they fail, ordinary people are the ones that often feel the impact.
What I keep wondering is that why do we now become more interested in a politicians past after giving them the power to make decisions for us?

Yes, it matters and it's a factor that needs to be looked into for Instance, if a politician has previously held any political positions or appointment and that same politician wants to become the president of the country his past records and lifestyle should be put into consideration because that is what will determine if he's going to rule well, his past performances will be used to rate him and know if he is fit for the Job and probably if he was embezzling public funds while in office he will still do the same when he becomes the president so this are what should be looked out for in every politician before elections.

No matter the accusations leveled against someone there's always a bit of truth in it except proven otherwise. For example, if the likes of Tinubu was elected into office and forgetting his records as a drug lord how then will he lead us without having those shitting deals going on?,  outside politics every human past matters because it shapes the future and people can predict what one could be from your past.