March 28, 2015 like June 12, 1993 will go down in history as the day Nigerians decided to take their destiny in their hands. As it was about 22 years ago, Nigerians turned out in their millions to cast their votes for a president of their choice to lead the nation, but unlike the 1993 experience, their votes did count this time around.
After a 72-hour wait, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced to an expectant nation the result of the election and General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared winner.
But before the final votes were counted and with one state yet to be declared, President Goodluck Jonathan, the candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did the unexpected by calling his main opponent, Buhari, on phone, to not only concede defeat, but also congratulate him on his well deserved victory. And with just that one phone call, President Jonathan saved Nigeria from an imminent catastrophe and thus elevated himself to the status of a statesman.
Prior to the election, the handwriting was clearly visible on the wall that Jonathan and his PDP were heading towards a crushing defeat, but not a few Nigerians were afraid that the president and his supporters might not accept the result and could resort to strong arm tactics to remain in power.
The fear of a major crisis erupting after the election had been heightened by provocative comments being made by Jonathan core loyalists, particularly by his Ijaw kinsmen and two renegade governors from the south west in the run up to the election to the effect that it was either victory for Jonathan or war. The conduct of Jonathan’s agent at the counting centre in Abuja, Elder Orubebe did nothing to calm the fear. But the president rose to the occasion to allay the fear with that phone call and the concession speech that later followed. As a colleague rightly put it, that was the only good thing that Jonathan has done since he became president and it will surely define his six-year presidency. I agree and also join millions of Nigerians to thank him for that. But whether that would be enough to wipe out his sins to Nigerians is left for history to decide.
Part of those sins was the way he divided Nigerians along ethnic and religious lines just for him to secure enough votes to retain the presidency. It is on record that the 2015 presidential campaign was the most divisive in the history of electioneering in Nigeria and Dr Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience and the PDP were largely responsible for this.
To get the Igbos votes in Lagos and the rest of the south west, Jonathan pitched the Igbos against their host community, the Yoruba, urging them to come together and vote for him and the PDP which they did. The president actively promoted his candidature as that representing the Christians just to get their votes and he did, in large numbers especially in the south east and some states in the north with large Christian majority. No politician has ever done this in the past and if truth must be told, Nigeria is now sharply divided along these lines no thanks to Jonathan’s ambition.
Now the Igbos living in Yoruba land are being regarded as traitors in the house by their host just because they ignored glaring cases of incompetence on the part of Jonathan and voted for him on account of him being a Christian and from the old eastern region. Nobody here (Yoruba land) would have bothered if they voted the way they did had the president not prompted them. Yoruba pride themselves as being liberal and expect their guests to behave the same way. When they voted for Jonathan in 2011 and fought for him to become acting president two years earlier when then President Yar’Adua was indisposed, they did so based on conviction and not merely because he is a Christian or a fellow southerner. This sharp division if not quickly corrected could lead to a larger problem politically between Igbos and Yoruba in future. This is why leaders from the two prominent ethnic groups must come together quickly to address the ugly development. Igbos and Yoruba have been living peacefully together in Yoruba land for centuries and on no account should the Jonathan issue be allowed to divide them or cause trouble between them. President Jonathan who caused it must play a prominent role in healing the wounds, just as the incoming President Mohammadu Buhari must initiate programmes and policies that would integrate all Nigerians wherever they reside irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or gender. Buhari has a big role to play here especially in the north, where in most parts the Christians were seen as supporters of Jonathan. Most importantly, religious leaders must also preach peace, oneness and integration to their followers. I don’t know whether some Islamic leaders did preach against a Christian president to their congregation, but there were instances of some Christian clerics preaching and vowing that Nigeria would never be ruled by a Muslim and urging their congregation to pray against terrorism, both indirectly ordering a no vote for Buhari, a Muslim and suggesting he was a supporter of terror/Boko Haram. Utterances like this have far reaching consequences, even beyond the elections. Now that Buhari has been elected, what would these clerics tell heir congregation and how do they expect them to relate with the new administration.
Even after the election of Buhari, some politicians on the other side in spite of President Jonathan’s appeal, are still holding on to the pre-election propaganda that the President-elect plan to Islamise Nigeria. I was shocked to read in the newspapers the day after Buhari’s victory a statement by former Anambra State governor Chief Ezeife beating his chest that Igbos voted overwhelmingly for Jonathan because they believe he is one of them (meaning a Christian) and to forestall planned Islamization of the country. When people like him say things like this it is irritating and annoying. These are people who should know and indeed knows but have instead chosen to mislead their people. People like him are not needed in the present dispensation and I am sure the Igbos would note that. We don’t need leaders that would keep promoting the divisions amongst us; we need leaders who can unite us, leaders who would think Nigeria first and rally us all behind project Nigeria. Buhari has that opportunity with his election and he cannot afford to fail. We are in a last chance bus and everybody must be on board to ensure a safe journey.
Why did we elect Buhari and not Jonathan? Nigerians, tired of widespread corruption that typified Jonathan’s presidency believe that Buhari, with a track record of incorruptibility would clean the system of corruption and end the corrupt tendencies inherent in our officials/leaders. As a former military man, Nigerians expect him to restore discipline into our nation as well as restore our pride as the leader of Africa and the champion of the Blackman. Nigerians expect him to make our country work again, reinvigorate our economy, give us electricity, repair and improve on our decaying infrastructure, return quality to our education, make our military the best in Africa again, and restore our lost glory. But these cannot be achieved in an atmosphere of division that currently pervades the polity hence the urgent need to heal all the wounds created by the acrimonious campaigns that preceded that historic presidential election.
