Nigerians since the very inception of our coming together as a people have acquired this penchant for win at all cost no matter what. This is now seared in the DNA of our people that when we lose or fail to achieve our defined goals and objectives, whether personal or collective it is either an evil force is at work, or we were cheated or better still in the case of elections the process was rigged against us and our preferred candidates and party notwithstanding the evidence to the contrary. Looking at the reactions across the board to the release of the results of the 2023 presidential elections mid last week brought everything full circle to me, that for a second you may believe that the noise about the rigging of the results were true. However, since we duel in real world and not the fake news world of internet junks, disinformation and asymmetrical manipulation of people and information by proxy, this presidential elections is the freest and fairest elections in the history of Nigeria bar none. We recognize that there were some irregularities, logistical challenges, some incidences of intimations and violence which are unfortunate and regrettable, and our thoughts and prayers goes to all those affected, but all these taken in totality does not in any way alter the fairness, freeness or the final outcome or results of this elections in my judgement.
Consequently, I would like to congratulate first and foremost the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, the staff and personnel of INEC for successful conduct of last week’s presidential elections. Secondly let me also congratulate the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammad Buhari for ensuring that the Electoral body had a freehand to conduct this elections without interference and the silent majority of Nigerians who went about peacefully to exercise their voting rights and eschew violence and disturbances despite attempts by a vocal minority to provoke violence and truncate this exercise and set our nation back on the democracy path that began 24 years ago. Furthermore, I will be remiss if I do not extend my congratulations to the men and women of the Nigerian security services for their professionalism, due diligence and performance before, during and the immediate aftermath of this historic elections.
Congratulations to the Nigeria Arm Forces, the Nigerian Police Force and the National Intelligence agencies for a great job, for which we all should be proud. Finally, let me join other Nigerians and many in the global community to congratulate the President-Elect Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the Vice President-Elect Sen. Kassim Shettima for a hard fought campaign and victory in the just concluded elections.
We are a nation of sore losers. It is either we win or we have been cheated which is the Nigerian mantra. We would invent reasons many dubious and scandalous to say the least. When our football team loses on the field we will blame the referees instead of allowing the teams to take responsibility for the failure. Similarly, in our schools when students fail, they blame the teacher for cutting their marks and adding it to another student’s score as the reason while they fail instead taking personal responsibility for the failure and for not been adequately prepared. This is not to say the election was perfect as there are no perfect elections anywhere in the world, but to the objective minds and relatively speaking this election is the freest and fairest elections in the history of the nation, when compared with other elections to date in terms accessibility, absence serious violence, non-interference from the executive branch and transparency. All the theatrics, noises by the Joneses and false prophets of doom notwithstanding this was a credible election irrespective of the outcome.
A mother’s nightmare, by Dare Oduwole
The videos and results paraded across the social media landscape were part of an asymmetrical warfare against the government, INEC and Nigerian people aimed at sowing discord and discrediting the outcome of the elections.
The resoluteness of the INEC chairman and the commitment of the government and the security forces may have helped save the day for our great country. Anyone one with party with credible evidence can seek redress through the established conditional means and we are glad that the Labor Party and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have opted for this approach in the interest of our nations peace and security.
However, what has been unacceptable seriously is the venom, the hatred, the callous and irresponsible comments and statement by people with no insight, but overnight have become experts on election integrity, security and voting. Furthermore, patriots who love this country should not stand idle and watch their country been turn down by nativists mentality who unless they win, then the outcome is falsified. They have no issues with their preferred candidate securing 90 to 95% of votes in certain areas, or the fact that more six governors many incumbents for that matter lost their bids in this elections.
These anti-democratic forces will stop at nothing until they achieve their aims and the silent majority must be ready to resist these wolves in sheep clothing masquerading as modern day democrats and only cares about democracy when they win.
Enough is enough. If there was rigging in states lost by Labor party then there were riggings also in areas and State’s won by Labor party or PDP. I am sick and tired of the whining and rantings since the elections instead of acknowledging the reality that they lost fair and square. Please give me a break, for if there are legitimate concerns instead of the dubious and ludicrous materials circulating the internet approach the courts for redress. I am tired of these nonsense even from close family relatives who have become brained washed “obidients” and are incapable of dispassionate reasoning and setting aside fake videos and bogus publications. Every lost elections does not mean it was rigged. These are anti-democratic forces aligned with fake news merchants and fascists elements in our society aimed at subverting the expressed will of the people in other to scuttle the democratic experiment in the country, but thank God for the for vigilant security forces and the law abiding silent majority who will have none of it.
The right to dissent and question the outcome of this election is fundamental and no one can deny them that right. Frankly, I will fight for their rights to be heard in a peaceful and non-violent manner within the ambits of the law. However, what we cannot condone is reckless utterances, innuendos and actions that are aimed at instigating violence or engineering a change of government through unorthodox methods or coup de tat. Again any group with a genuine case can seek redress at the election tribunal.
Those with genuine briefs can approach the courts to hear their cases, and abide by the decisions of our courts, but until then the nation must move forward and begin an after action review to garner lessons learned for future elections.
Finally, for Nigeria to move forward, we as a people must embrace culture change from the ground up as the indispensable vehicle to bringing about the desired government of our collective dreams and aspiration. We must jettison the errant culture of everything goes, like the culture of “Oga I beg” syndrome whenever we run afoul of the law and insist on atonement before forgiveness as a public policy and even in our private lives so we can move our nation forward. We urge the President-Elect to prioritize national and ethical re-orientation as part of any developmental efforts for the country to ensure that our nation can indeed transform itself and our people.
May God Bless The Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Nosa Osaikhuiwu is decolonized African of Nigeria extraction, an outside the box thinker and problem solver and an unapologetic advocate of culture change from the ground up in Nigeria.
