By Chris Onyekachi
Award Winning Writer, Chimamanda Adichie’s letter to US President Joe Biden, asking him not to congratulate the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not only amusing but a reflection of the pitiable level those who lost out and their supporters have sunk in their obnoxious schemes to badmouth and de-market the recently conducted Nigerian election. Resolved on the path of making fiddlesticks of the outcome, she argues that the election was “unacceptably and unforgivably flawed. “Congratulating its outcome, President Biden tarnishes America’s self-proclaimed commitment to democracy. Please do not give the sheen of legitimacy to an illegitimate process. The United States should be what it says it is.”
That the election was marred by technical glitches at some polling units and delayed loading of results to the INEC portal is not sufficient to invalidate the presidential election which was held in more than 176,000 polling units across the country. Tinubu, who contested on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared winner of the 2023 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after garnering 8,794,726, amounting to 36 per cent of total votes, dusting his closest opponent, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 29 per cent with a total of 6,984,520 votes. Peter Obi of the Labour Party who came third with 25 per cent, got a total of 6,101,533 votes.
The election lived up to its billing as a very close contest never witnessed since the return of democracy 24 years ago in Nigeria, reputed as the world’s largest black democracy, with the three leading candidates winning 12 states apiece. Apart from scoring the majority of votes to clinch victory, Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, also scored over 25 per cent of the votes cast in 29 states, more than the 25 states constitutionally required. While the status of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja as stated in section 134 of the 1999 Constitution is still under litigation at the Appeal Court, acclaimed human rights Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has argued that the votes in Abuja with only six LGAs, cannot be “superior” to the votes in other parts of the country.
But for Chimamanda to naively think that President Biden, whose country is more concerned with the affront from China and the Russian-Ukraine war, will spare time for political development in Nigeria with a GDP far from that of California state, may be illusory. Even the total GDP of Africa is barely that of Belgium. Perhaps Chimamanda who’s more stewed in Literature needs to understand that the conduct of foreign policy in any country is weighed around perceived interests and not some sanctimonious deserts. Or what foremost International Relations Scholar, Prof Olajide Aluko, calls “an amoral sense”. It may interest her to know that the US and the West do not see Africa beyond the place for the exportation of primary raw materials and any happenings there are passable. The direction of the US towards the presidential election may have been shaped by the congratulatory letter from the State Department to Tinubu and the influential Washington Post editorial which endorsed the election as a “showcase of democracy” in a continent where such is scarce.
“It might be tempting for opponents of democratic governance to take Nigeria as a case study in why democracy can’t work in Africa. Actually, the opposite is true. In Nigeria, even with its chaotic and flawed process, the system has held and is holding — far better, so far, than might have been expected,” the Washington Post maintained.
It further added, “This proved to be Nigeria’s most competitive election since democracy was restored in 1999. Each of the three top candidates — Mr. Tinubu, Mr. Abubakar, and Mr. Obi — won 12 of the country’s 36 states, a surprisingly even split.”
Expecting Biden and his country’s other allies in the West not to accept Tinubu as president-elect until the courts say otherwise is a mirage. Beyond demanding that identifiable flaws of the election be rectified while those responsible for voter suppression be punished, it will be foolhardy to expect the US and the West will cry more than the bereaved. No election anywhere in the world is perfect. Democracy itself is a working process. The US with its over 250 years of democratic history was beset with the Bush/Algore recount debacle and the Russian alleged stage manage of Donald Triumph’s victory.
What’s more worrying is that the opposition and their hirelings are bent on throwing mud on the outcome in which their candidates were worsted. They are not patient to await the outcome of their petitions. While the PDP, LP, and two other parties are in court contesting Tinubu’s victory, their supporters are spoiling for war, resolved on arm-twisting tactics to get the victory through the back door. Their Intent is to halt and stampede the swearing-in ceremony for Tinubu as the 16th Nigeria’s President on May 29th.
And that’s why they’ve also taken to the streets demanding an Interim National Government (ING), threatening fire and brimstone if the judiciary does not rule their way. Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, particularly characterizes the outing of LP’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, who appeared recently on Channels TV to push their stance, as “incipient fascism”. Soyinka also says the attitude of the Obidients, supporters of Obi, who he sees as too intemperate in their language, is “repulsive”.
It’s strange that Chimamanda and her fellow Obidients have chosen to lampoon Tinubu’s hard-earned victory which is a product of his dogged contribution to the democratic struggles in Nigeria in more than 30 years. But they have popped wine to celebrate the triumph of their candidates in other layers of the same election. While we concede that the 2023 election was marred with some flaws, the same election was replete with significant surprises. The BVAS worked wonders in many areas crashing the aspirations of seven governors to join the Senate.
The sweet victories of two Okada riders in Kaduna and Delta States, and that of two youngsters in Kwara and Yobe, who unseated incumbents that have had protracted stays at their respective States’ House of Assembly, imply that the era of candidates with deep pockets may be over.
We need to celebrate these giant leaps as part of our attempt to reinforce our match to democracy which is a work in progress. Rather than being enamored in the fantasy of living in America and engaging in efforts to undermine our dear country, Chimamanda should join hands with her compatriots here to strengthen our democratic gains.
It should also dawn on us all that only through our concerted efforts shall we build a viable and resilient economy that will generate massive jobs and restore hope to the youths of our country who are presently disillusioned about our present state of affairs. Tinubu, our famed Jagaban, has promised to lift this country from its drift into the precipice. It’s important we help him to deliver on his mandate.
• Onyekachi is a political analyst based in Abuja.