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Everything that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) wanted, the country gave and yet they couldn’t deliver on very simple election. On Saturday February 25, 2023, Nigerians were yet again deceived into trusting INEC and that the commission would conduct a free, fair and credible election. Almost everyone I know placed their hope for a better Nigeria on the outcome of the 2023 election hence the people trooped out in their numbers to vote their choice with the hope that their votes would count.
INEC pretended that she was deploying advanced technology that would ensure the elections were credible. The National Assembly enacted a beautiful legislation which it said would lead to efficient and accountable electoral system. Parts of the innovation introduced included easy access to polling units, BIVAS accreditation and electronic transmission of election results in real time and mitigation of electoral fraud and violence.
What was eventually handed down to us was daylight robbery. Signs of betrayed hope began to emerge as INEC became less than transparent in the election management, especially in the transmission and collation of results. The election process was ruined by lapses ranging from violence, ballot box snatching and delayed voting. These were avoidable lapses assuming the electoral umpire was interested in delivering fair and credible election.
It is sad that President Buhari couldn’t in the twilight of his days redeem himself by giving Nigeria a credible election. This election will go down in history as the worst electoral fraud committed against a people committed and determined for change. That APC won this election at first ballot to me is hard to comprehend.
I wish to commend all the youths who fulfilled their civic obligation. Some were jeered, kicked , harassed, threatened, beaten and wounded, yet they endured. That INEC didn’t live up to expectation is not your fault. The deceit by INEC shows the struggle for a good Nigeria continues.
For all my ‘Obi-dients’ brothers and sisters, particularly the youths who want a radical departure from the old order, I commend you for making this election very exciting and interesting. INEC may have disappointed but trust me, even their declared winner heard you loud and clear. The fear of the people just started. Know it in your heart that the struggle for a new Nigeria is a legitimate struggle.
Without doubt, it was a tough, tight and interesting election. I don’t like the outcome and so do many of us. My little girl cried her eyes red with tears. Her choice of candidate was different from mine. Despite our differences, I knew what she stood for and the kind of future she deserved.
I had to lecture her that democracy does not always produce the best outcome hence she must learn to manage her emotions particularly when things don’t go her way. Let me hope that the president elect will be a better leader, a president of all. Hopefully there will be no first ‘percenters’ and that the focus will be on the country first.
Like a thief that comes in the night, INEC chose 4am to announce the result of the presidential election. We all woke up to the sad news. No one rejoiced. Everyone I encountered wore gloomy faces. I told my crying daughter that no one president can fix all of Nigeria problems except we the people undertake to build back and fix the country. We must not give up hope as this is our only country.
If this result stands, I will urge the new leader to endeavour to unify the country. He must rule with fairness and bear no malice against anyone. He must treat as one even those that were opposed to him. He must factor in the frustrations of the youths, particularly the radical Obidients that yearn for radical change and a better future. Their demands are just and must be addressed. Their talent, ingenuity, creativity and innovation which were clearly demonstrated through this election should not be ignored. They are resources that should be harnessed for a better Nigeria.
For a fact, despite what I consider a chaotic retreat by President Buhari, APC as a political party has shown resilience having posted very impressive results in some areas for a ruling party that has caused so much misery and pain to the people. I once wrote that anyone that survived this administration deserves an award and I am still convinced about this. We the people deserve an outstanding survival award from APC.
Before now, I felt, it’s extremely difficult to forgive APCs incompetence and the people who packaged and foisted the outgoing president on the country. I felt no one in their right senses would vote for APC again. I campaigned for anything but APC. I felt a coalition of forces by the opposition parties would have led to a better outcome. I didn’t anticipate the elongation of the current legacy of deaths, pains, agony and frustration witnessed under the dispensation.
I am yet to wrap my head around what just happened to us and we must continue to inflict ourselves with pestilence? I am yet to comprehend why Wike and the G5 did all they did and what they gained from it. One by one, they lost elections they would have easily won. Makinde can also kiss Oyo goodbye.
I chose Atiku as my preferred candidate to win the 2023 presidential election because the Atiku that I know, will not be a reluctant president. Anyone who has followed his political trajectory will come to the conclusion that he is driven by determination, patriotism and courage. He ran for president on several occasions and had been betrayed severally, yet he is not deterred. I recall vividly how he was denied being the Vice-Presidential candidate to late MKO Abiola. In 1999 he was positioned to run against President Obasanjo but again was persuaded in the interest of the country to drop his ambition. He later became Vice President to Obasanjo.
As a vice president, he discharged his duties creditably and saw to the economic transformation of the country from a debtor nation to a prosperous debt free economy.
For the love of country, he openly disagreed with his boss on the vexed issue of third term. It was him that summoned the courage and marshalled the anti-third term governors and legislators to oppose the ill- fated third term agenda of his boss.
If not for his courage, Obasanjo would have set a bad precedent.
In truth, we owe the liberty we enjoy today to vote, choose and elect our leaders to courageous men like Atiku who stood against the evil plot to turn Nigeria into a Banana Republic.
The Atiku I know is a detribalized Nigerian . He has friends from across the country. He does not discriminate on the basis of religion or tribe. He is at home with Nigerians irrespective of the differences in tribe and tongue. His personal ambition is not above his sense of patriotism. He is experienced and commands respect.
While I do not canonize him as a saint as no one in politics is, I have no doubt in my mind that those controversial issues he harped on which were avoided by his opponents remains relevant such as national unity, security, economic prosperity and restructuring.
I wish the just concluded election was free, fair and credible. I wish INEC lived up to our common expectations. I wish the thuggery, violence, vote suppression, delayed voting and compromised officials that marred the process were mitigated.
As much as I despise a compromised INEC, I will not subscribe to street protest which may be hijacked by hoodlums. If the parties that participated in the election study the published results and found reasonable grounds to question the declared outcome, they should not hesitate to use all established constitutional means to seek redress, otherwise we should just pray for our newly elected leaders. We must pray God to give them the wisdom to lead us well.
