Nigeria, Jan. 19 -- In over two decades since Nigeria's return to constitutional democracy, this is the longest politicians have had to campaign before a general election. And that is a good and bad thing.

It's good because it is giving politicians a longer runway to meet more citizens and also for citizens to have more time to engage them on what they plan to do if elected. But as a number of politicians - especially those of the Nigerian variety will tell you - it's also a bad thing because it will make them spend more and leave them near exhaustion at the finish line.

But that's not all. As far as electoral politics go, there's no guarantee that longer time spent campaigning equals promises kept in the end. I have said it before that...