The whole world basked in the historic election of Barack Obama. It seems Obama's paternal ancestry ( Africa) was the most excited part of the world. And Africa should, there has been very few good news out of the continent. It is only fitting that Africa enjoy its time on the world stage having produced the leader of the free world.

Unfortunately, that is where the euphoria ends. African elites and pseudo intellectuals are not ready to do the hard work that will produce these kinds of change as we witnessed in America.

In Africa, the elites have dug a big hole for their people, Simon Kolawole writing in the thisday newspaper of November 16, 2008 asked when Nigeria will have its own Obama? The real question should be will Nigeria be ready when she has one? In Nigeria today, there are many a Barack Obama everywhere. They are more like the community organizer that the President of the United States was. You will find them in small towns and villages, in big cities and the not so big, one thing they share in common is their willingness to help their fellow citizens. In their small parts of Nigeria, they are contributing and improving lives. The Taiwo Soneyes of Lagos, the Imam Mukhtar Bellos of Kano and many others scattered all over Nigeria and in the Diaspora doing incredible good everywhere.

These are men and women that shows the promise of what Nigeria can be. But they can not do it alone. The Nigerian political life just like its economic life is brutish. Knowledge and ideas are ridiculed, pseudo – intellectuals hold sway. Attempts to challenge the status quo are effectively squashed. Those who hold the lever of power in Nigeria do not yet get the importance of collective prosperity.

It’s not worth repeating that the Tunji Braithwaites and the Pat Utomis were torpedoed by Nigerian elites and pseudo – intellectuals who now bask in the euphoria of an Obama win. As I stated in a previous essay, Barack Obama would not have happened if the Daleys, the Daschles, the Richardsons and the kerrys et al had not rallied round him. Not to forget his army of supporters in the liberal blogospere. So the question again is; will Nigeria be ready the next time her Barack Obama comes along?

But before we go further on the issue of a messianic Obama coming to Nigeria’s rescue, we, (atleast) those of us who identify ourselves as progressives ought to regroup and work harder for the Nigeria of our dreams. We must also avoid fleeting victories. I watched as progressives in Nigeria accept as victories, electoral gains that are questionable. From Peter Obi in Anambra to Rotimi Amaechi in Rivers state. While a progressive agenda is our goal, we should not close our eyes to the legalities and process that is spawning such victories. In Rivers state in particular, the elevation of Rotimi Amaechi to the governor’s mansion is questionable. Here is a man, whose name was not even on the ballot! In Osun, Ondo and many states across the nation, on going legal fights between governors and their opponents in the 2007 election is stalling the people’s work. We seem not to care about the process but the results.

Democracy is both a process and an end result. You can not have one at the expense of the other. It’s well over a year and there are still lots of litigations over an election that is over 18 months old! As progressives, we have not been as loud as we should in calling for an overhaul of how things are done in Nigeria presently.

If it bears repeating, the fate of the Nigerian nation will not be decided by a few elite and pseudo intellectuals but its vast majority of progressive men and women. If they join together, progressive Nigerians have the power to take Nigeria in a completely new direction of prosperity and peace.

Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia writes from Indianapolis, Indiana

Robot  # 1 | 29.01.2009 02:36

The whole world basked in the historic election of Barack Obama. It seems Obama's paternal ancestry ( Africa) was the most excited part of the world. And Africa should, there has been very few good news out of the continent. It is only fitting that Africa enjoy its time on the world stage having produced the leader of the free world. Unfortunately, that is where the euphoria ends. African elites and pseudo intellectuals are not ready to do the hard work that willproduce these kinds of change as we witnessed in America. In Africa, the elites have dug a big hole for their people, Simon Kolawole writing in the thisday newspaper of November 16, 2008 asked when Nigeria will have its own Obama? The real question should be will Nigeria be ready when she has one? In Nigeria today, there are many a Barack Obama everywhere. They are more like the community organizer that the President of the United States was. You will find them in small towns and villages, in big citi...Read the full article.

Iyke  # 2 | 29.01.2009 03:29

Dear Yinka, draging in the issue of Amechi and Peter obi into your article vitiates the aim of the article. those two cases are distinct and accepting them does not make one less progressive nor dampen his or her sense of democracy. The foundation of those cases points to undemocratic attitude on the part of PDP. however their legal outcome is a different issue. for you to drag those cases in the article complicates the whole issue.