EHI BRAIMAH FROM PREMIUM TIMES
In Nigeria, we can stand together, even if we stay apart. Let us remain united, in spite of our political differences.
Are you still trying to understand why we should not have a dog in their fight? Don’t be fooled, politicians wine and dine together when their interests align. There are no permanent friends or enemies in the game… It is better for us to remain as a “team,” because, “together, everyone achieves more.” We also do not have any other country to call our own.
When the general elections begin to divide us in ways we have never seen before, it is because there’s so much at stake for political actors and it was not surprising that the 2023 elections turned out to be most consequential in recent history, as predicted. But we do not have to burn down the country because we disagree with the outcomes – both at the state and national levels.
Since 1999, we have been experimenting with our “nascent” democracy, which has now survived for 24 years. The expectation is that we would improve with every election cycle, in spite of the antics of desperate politicians who are generally bad losers.
Has our democracy matured? I don’t think so. Moreover, the presidential system of government is too expensive. We should look for a home-grown model that would meet our requirements.
The main problem with the 2023 electoral exercise in February and March was that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) made a promise it could not keep. The electoral umpire said it was fully ready for the voting exercise and assured everyone that the use of technology would ensure transparent conduct from the accreditation of voters to uploading the results in real time, and the announcements that would follow.
Most commentators are quick to tell you that their problem with the general elections is not the outcome, but the process that led to the outcome. Apart from complaining about an alleged flawed process, they also believe strongly that INEC officials were compromised.
It is for INEC to defend its operations (planning, implementation, outcome and evaluation) and explain what really happened. But we can stretch the argument further by asking this question: In how many polling units out of 176,606 units nationwide were there anomalies and what is the statistical significance?
Now that there are several election cases in court by the opposition challenging the victory of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we must be patient and await the verdict of their Lordships.
In the gubernatorial elections, some results are also being contested by those who lost. We must allow the rule of law to prevail as civilised people, as the disputants seek redress through legal and constitutional means; we cannot afford to take the laws into our hands.
All aggrieved individuals and groups – under any guise – should shun violent protests and subversive activities. This is my plea, no matter the degree of provocation from any quarters. Sometimes, we do not get the results we want or expect, resulting in a mismatch of expectation and reality. It is a fact of life. Isn’t that what we call disappointment?
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