April 21, 2007, Nigerians will yet again lumber to the polls to choose a president, a slate of senators and federal legislators who are most likely to continue the ruination of the nation for the next four years. If last Saturday’s polls are to be a yardstick with which to measure the success of the presidential elections, it should thus, be a forgone conclusion as piteous as it sounds that anarchy will reign supreme and its close cousins, confusion and mayhem will follow suit. What the nation and indeed the international community witnessed last Saturday was a prime testimony of the level of
Nigeria
’s readiness, political maturity and ability to move forward as a nation. It was a gross indictment of the nation’s leaders, its institutions and a sound test of its will. It should therefore be noted clearly that the nation failed woefully in its bid to elect new leaders.
What is the matter with
Nigeria
? A nation they say is blessed with abundant talent yet manages to orchestrate its failure. It behooves me that a man like Prof Iwu, said to be well educated, earning a doctorate from the
Bradford
University
in the
UK
and astute in his endeavor cannot conduct a credible election? Invariably, Iwu has become part of the problem and not the solution to the nation’s woes. What then is the use of his education and experience if the nation cannot benefit from it at a time when it most needed it?
Here is a country that produced the likes of Achebe, Soyinka, Gani and many others too numerous to mention grossly unable to conduct peaceful and seamless elections, unable to forge ahead without the drama and hysterics, unable to chart a progressive course. As noted in a previous article, we have seen smaller nations with far less intellectual capacity such as
Ghana
,
Benin
Republic
,
Tanzania
and the like hold elections without much ado. In those countries during their election, the citizens went about their normal business after voting, there were no incidence of violence, election rigging, vote stealing, political thuggery and intimidation or political assassinations. At the end of the day, the results were announced and the winner assumed office without much ado. Recently, we witnessed a similar feat in
Mauritania
where a former government minister won the president election and was only this week sworn in uneventfully.
But
Nigeria
and Nigerians always tip the scale in all matters great and small. Heavens forbid that it is able to hold credible elections. That would, for all intensive purposes, be the exception to the rule. Election in Nigeria is tantamount to war with the closure of international borders, the imposition of curfew, the importation of arms for the police and security agents, the announcement to the nation by the president warning mischievous elements to beware, etc. Is this all necessary? I am afraid, all these cast the country in a bad light, it portrays the nation as one that is insecure, unsure of its meaning and grossly unable to handle it affairs. It is because of such infantile gaffes that some have called for a re-colonization of the nation with hopes that when it is given independence yet again, it would begin anew.
We heard recently that the federal government placed an order for arms worth more than $2 billion just in time to equip the police and security forces in the face of the coming elections. Why? Do we have to wait for elections before equipping the security agents? What we are witnessing in
Nigeria
is a country grossly at war with itself; a country that is unimaginably conflicted, yawning for direction and purpose. And those who have been elected to chart a progressive course for the nation remain at loggerheads with one another, trading insults and accusations and blaming all and sundry for their failure.
And so, my friends,
Nigeria
is at a crossroad yet again. Which one of the candidates will carry the day? Will there be a selection or election? Will the votes be rigged to the point that it lacks legitimacy? It is the hope and prayer of Nigerians that their new president brings succor and respite to a battered nation and a departure from the ruinous past.
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Author can be reached at alalibo@gmail.com - article first published on http://www.alalibo.com
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