By Chido Onumah
I do not think
Nigerians have a difficult choice to make when they go to the polls on
Valentine’s Day.
It’s either they return the incumbent, President Goodluck
Jonathan, or replace him with the candidate of the main opposition party, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). I think it is an easy choice because either way the fundamental
problem remains.
I believe in change
which is the mantra of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), but the change
I envisage is fundamental; one that touches the very core of the heart and soul
of Nigeria.
It is the change that deals with why Nigeria – a nation blessed
with abundant natural and human resources – remains a fourth-rate country more
than five decades after independence; one that will interrogate why political
power and elections in the country have become a zero-sum game, “a do-or-die”
affair as one incorrigible ex-president once described his party’s quest to
retain power.
Evidently, political
power and elections in Nigeria are not about love for country or service to the
motherland because that motherland is an illusion. And for some strange
reasons, we have perfected how to avoid confronting this issue.
That is much
more troubling, for me, than who occupies Aso Rock, the seat of government,
come May 29. In this regard, Nigerians must continue
to remain vigilant and to demand (regardless of who emerges victorious on
February 14) that we go back to fundamentals.
Clearly, this
is not the Nigeria the anti-colonialists envisioned, fought and died for. Years
of political brinkmanship, reprehensible military dictatorship, corruption and
irresponsible leadership have served to make nonsense of the true meaning of
nationhood. Today, ours is a nation on the brink and no amount of rhetoric or
wishful thinking can obviate this reality.
So, the ultimate
agenda really ought to be how to reclaim Nigeria, if it is still reclaimable,
to negotiate its terms of existence. It is a task genuine democrats
and patriots, partisan affiliation notwithstanding, must pursue with all
seriousness considering the “clear and present danger”.
In the end, what this
particular election is really about is the opportunity and ability of Nigerians
to retain or change a government through the ballot. That in itself is
“progress” considering our unflattering history of electoral politics. It is gratifying
to know that it is a choice we can make, except that it is hard to gauge the preparedness
of the election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
For an agency that
has had four years to learn from its mistakes and prepare for this election, I don’t
think INEC has acquitted itself well so far. That in itself is disconcerting
because INEC’s conduct can, to a great extent, determine the post-election
narrative.
Nigeria’s political
class, as currently constituted, does not have the desire or capacity to
confront the country’s greatest challenge: its structural distortions. Therefore,
for an election whose outcome would have little or no impact moving forward, the
least Nigerians owe themselves and the country is to ensure a peaceful and “free
and fair” election where the votes and consequently
the decisions of Nigerian would matter.
A great deal of that
responsibility rests on the government with its unrestrained control of the instruments
of coercion and the political parties whose rhetoric in the name of campaign does
nothing but provoke discord.
But the greater task, I think, rests with INEC that
has the constitutional mandate to supervise elections. INEC should not only conduct
but should be seen to have conducted a “free and fair” election. For the sake
of all of us, we hope it does not shirk this responsibility.
For those who are
able to vote on February 14, my advice is let’s sheath our swords knowing that the
sad reality and tragedy is that the outcome of our efforts would either be the continuation
or beginning of a long and arduous task of reclaiming this country; that is, if
we still believe in it!
conumah@hotmail.com;
follow me on Twitter @conumah
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