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| Jonathan (l) and Buhari (r). Credits: Punch |
It took the United States President Barack Obama about
400 words in two minutes and 30 seconds on Monday, March 23, to remind over 170 million
Nigerians of a home truth: The general elections scheduled for March 28 and
April 11 presented the country with a great opportunity to stand
united and secure the country’s future through the ballot box.
In his special broadcast, Obama mentioned ‘peace/peacefully’
thrice. He also mentioned ‘democratic’ thrice.
Simply put, Obama’s message drove home the
importance of a peace, democracy and maintaining democratic structures in the
growth and development of any society.
This is the more reason why, like Obama noted, all
Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without fear or intimidation. He
said, “I call on all leaders and candidates to make it clear to their
supporters that violence has no place in democratic elections, and that they
would not incite, support or engage in any kind of violence, before, during or
after the votes are counted.
Obama also said, “By casting your ballot, you can help
secure your nation’s progress. And this process must be done peacefully.” He
also noted that, for elections to be credible, they must be free, fair and
peaceful.
Indeed. While the Independent National Electoral Commission must do everything possible within its constitutional
powers to ensure it organises free, fair and credible elections; it is not the
sole responsibility of the electoral agency alone.
While it is the responsibility of the
Nigerian military, the police and all the country’s security agencies to uphold
the law and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order during and after
the elections; while the bulk rests on the leaders and candidates to ensure
that their supporters do not engage or support any form of violence; it is also
the choice of that supporter to choose peace over violence, to choose
patriotism over ethnic, religious, political and regional sentiments.
Going by previous elections in the
country, it is almost impossible to say categorically that there would not be
any kind of violence during the elections. However, it would be fair to say all
Nigerians have a choice to decide if they want to be part of a largely peaceful
election process.
Thus, ensuring free, fair
and credible elections should not only be the sole responsibility of INEC,
leaders, political parties and their candidates, it should also be the
collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
After decades of military rule and then 16 years of
uninterrupted ‘home-grown’ democracy, the upcoming elections come at another
critical junction of our nationhood. It is a litmus test of our democratic
structures and our national character.
This is the more reason why every Nigerian must see
himself as a Nigerian first, before one’s ethnicity, religious or party
affiliations. Every Nigerian must work for the collective good, to
ensure that the country consolidates on her democratic gains by exercising
their constitutional rights peacefully during the elections.
This is another historic opportunity for
Nigerians to write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress by not only voting in
the upcoming elections, but also by exercising their constitutional rights
peacefully.
“A government of the people, for the people, by the
people,” a quote widely accredited to the 16th US President, Abraham
Lincoln, is the least Nigerians deserve. Whoever wins the elections should
uphold this timeless tenet of democracy.
As a patriotic duty, Nigerians should choose to go
about casting their ballots peacefully during the elections, and also maintain
the peace after the elections; no strong and enduring democratic structure was
ever built on the foundation of violence, political deceit and selfish interests.
Like President Obama rightly quoted from the famous
rallying slogan of Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.) during the civil war, “To keep
Nigeria one is a task that must be done.”
This journey begins again with free, fair,
credible and peaceful elections. Electoral violence should become a footnote on
the pages of our history as a great nation, not a recurring decimal.
Nigeria should become a great nation
indeed, where peace and justice truly reigns.
God bless Nigeria.
