(Nigeria’s general elections that stopped it all!)
From the pulpits across Nigeria, it’s good news. From the hinterlands to the dense streets of Lagos cities, majority of Nigerians seem upbeat about the coming elections, approaching it with cautious enthusiasm and are purveyors of the good news with a smile. Be reminded that the next elections are just few minutes away.
Good news, Nigeria? Only if the simple dreams of Nigerians, with basic expectations, can inch closer to becoming true. In darkness and with hunger, just a little hope is good news disguised.
“Good news, Nigeria? What are you talking about?” you may ask. It’s not so much the same sort of good news feelings that attended the 2015 elections. It was about some kind of change, hoped for. A change we knew nothing about until we were neck deep in it, as we currently are. Promises, and empty promises! It was change that turned bad to worse, police brutality, corruption, terrorist attacks, armed banditry, herders-farmers conflict, poverty, election fraud. And as the tenure smoulders, few days to the general elections that would be christened in history books “Nigeria’s elections that stopped it all!”, Nigerians are yet again battling with scarcity of not surprisingly fuel, and cash, of all things that now you buy naira with naira. And this is in addition to the perpetuity of wholesale darkness.
The good news is that WHEN IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORSE, THAT’S WHEN IT’S FEW WAYS AWAY FROM BEST, at least good. When you cannot go any step lower, that’s when the steps must go up!
“Good news, Nigeria?” You don’t mean it. I am talking about sometime ahead of now, be it the next second, next elections or even a next life. It’s good news, Nigeria!
In 2019, Omoyele Sowore appeared on Nigeria’s political scene as a presidential candidate during the then elections. With his incursion into the politics, Sowore shattered the nimbus bestowed on Nigeria’s political “gladiators” by themselves and the ruled, powerful as they may. He built upon the milestones erected by such legends as Gani Fawehinmi, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Prof. Pius Adesanmi, Femi Falana, and many more. Sowore successfully demystified the arrogantly elusive Nigeria’s political class, in word and deed, paving the way and creating space for a viable third option, where this third option in Peter Obi appears ahead of characters that have previously claimed the first and second spots by the strength of their bullion vans, weapons and eruku.
Then, came the resounding voice of social media, where Nigerians began to exercise their right to freedom of speech, albeit occasionally to a fault, which constitutes the Achilles’ heel. With freedom of speech comes power cloaked with random exchanges. The cloaked power of social media is accentuated by award-winning media organisations among which are Channels and Arise TVs. Seun Okinbaloye detains politicians and leaders in hours-long civil interrogations. Seun is watching. The buoyant team of Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni, and Ojy Okpe (and formerly Tundun Abiola) is watching. Journalists, hanging out at will are watching. The cameras of personal mobile devices of Nigerians are watching. EFCC is watching. International observer missions are watching. Obedient Iron Men are watching. The security agents are watching.
NIGERIANS ARE WATCHING!
Good news, Nigeria? What audacity!
With what antique and Gen Z challenges Nigerians have been made hosts, good news, Nigeria? What are you talking about? I’m talking about sometime in the future of today for Nigeria, next second, next elections or the next life!
The Good news, Nigeria for me is that the polity of Nigeria will never remain as we have always known from this moment, irrespective of the outcome of the next elections. No pain, no gain! I know of no nation in the world, however developed, without its unique challenges. It’s the nature of things. The 2023 elections start in a few minutes but the nation yet has centuries ahead of her, centuries that require deliberately precise planning and execution to build a semblance of a nation that nurtures her people.
Good news, Nigeria?
Don’t just vote wisely.
Vote deliberately!
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‘Lakunle Jaiyesimi,
lakunlejaiyesimi@gmail.com
lAkUnLeScReWs 
Voting deliberately is of no added value if choices are not made wisely. And unfortunately there are a lot of people whose choice of candidate is based on anything but wisdom. Once the choice is foolish, one could only be deliberate in voting foolishly. Since I returned to my town, I’ve been so stunned and weakened by how many people are camping behind the orthodox parties/candidates and their reasons for doing so. They say things like voting for PO is a waste of vote that he cannot enter or that “BAT is our son” (Omo wa ni). These people who are terribly suffering blatantly refused to blame the two ruling parties for their suffering and some who are more intelligent just simply separated the two issues in their head so as to minimize the dissonance. I believe so strongly that there are no people on earth who are currently what and where they don’t deserve to be. The only partially enlightened part of Nigeria is Lagos; every other state is a true and faithful representation of Nigeria’s present condition. I just hope very strongly and with all my fibre that somehow, the PO movement has made just enough inroad and impact to just about tip the historical balance away from its normal trajectory.
“Don’t just vote wisely and deliberately.I don’t trust your wisdom, vote Peter Obi”
You added your own words, and I think Nigeria truly needs a path, other than she has known! Thank you
This very election is going to be historical and is the long awaited decider of whether the entity called Nigeria will remain beyond 2023. We do not need elections now but restructuring. A popular Yoruba adage says ” If a knife is thrown up 200 hundred times,.it will definitely have its flat side resting on the floor. God bless you.
I agree with you that “voting deliberately when the choice is foolish is voting foolishly”. However, we can only have a nation when the majority of the people in that space understands what is truly needed and can apply wisdom in their deliberate choices. It is sad what the situation is in your home town as in many other towns across Nigeria. The rulers who have brought us thus far were deliberate in ensuring widespread hunger, lack, darkness, insecurity and of course disorientation such that we are incapable of logic. But the good news for those in your home town is, we are getting there one step at a time. And to fast track that process, those of us who likely know better should act on behalf of those we think don’t know as much what is good for them. I agree with you entirely that we are what and where we choose (not deserve) to be. As humans, we all deserve to be treated as human even if we are ignorant of what we deserve but we have rulers who are happy to take us for granted.
I should end this exactly as you have, “I just hope very strongly and with all my fibre that somehow, the PO movement has made just enough inroad and impact to just about tip the historical balance away from its normal trajectory.”
Foolishness spreads far more quickly than wisdom. Besides, wisdom is often an individual commodity, whereas folly is more a collective one. I hope that in this election cycle, a critical number of individuals did attain wisdom to make it a public currency powerful enough to buy Nigeria from the clenched jaws of her foolish majority.
In life, people don’t get what they theoretically deserve, they get what they practically deserve. And what they practically deserve is a function of their sensibility and ingenuity. How sensible is Nigeria’s majority citizen? It remains to be seen.
Foolishness and bandwagon are siblings. We shall see how sensible Nigeria’s majority citizens have become.
I think sowore is better
And fresh
Someone that can actually deliver on the new constitution mandate
But his not going to win
I don’t want to gamble on two evil or in this case three evil, I’m tired of running around the same old politicians, from pdp and apc, or the ones than ran to LP or NNP to be born again, Nigeria problem cannot be solved by replacing one politician with another politician
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, Sowore offers a narrative different from what we have known. And that is something. I totally agree that the solution to Nigeria’s problems is not in the hands of politicians. It’s in our hands, crafting how we want to be governed.
Long ago I saw this. Politicians are out to destroy Nigeria year to year. It’s a deliberate effort. Goodnews Nigeria, let the coming years instill wisdom in us. Howbit painful
I pray earnestly Nigeria does NOT miss PO candidacy in tomorrow’s election. Sentiments aside, he’s our best option and outweighs the others by a continent in competence, integrity and commitment.
However it turns out tomorrow, Nigerians, especially the ones that allowed whatever sentiments cloud their judgement and choice, should own up to the leadership they get and all that comes with it, fair or nay!
paving the way and creating space for a viable third option, where this third option in Peter Obi appears ahead of characters that have previously claimed the first and second spots by the strength of their bullion vans, weapons and eruku.
Na so, we hope for change in this life first, before the life after. 🤔
In darkness and with hunger, just a little hope is good news disguised.
“don’t just vote wisely, vote deliberately.”
We can think and do.
The good news we Nigerians have is for us to go out and choose the path that shed the darkness away, but we are filled with this darkness that shatters our path on daily basis till another four years where we all come our again craving for different slogans.
We choose that path not with deceit from spirituality.
This is not just a good read, Lakunle give us a lot to remember and ponder upon, yet these are simple facts to consider but a lot of Nigerians forget too quickly the pain of long suffering when they have a very transient relief in cash or kind.
I hope we maintain this tempo of sensitivity and deliberateness.
This election throws up a “turning point” in Nigeria’s electoral history. The masses have spoken truth to power and we only need to keep up the momentum, irrespective of the outcomes of this current election.