The American presidential election has been won and lost. The winner was humble in victory, while the loser had his dignity intact. Senator John McCain, who lost the election, accepted defeat and congratulated Senator Barack Obama, the winner. Senator McCain neither blamed anybody nor complained about the loss; he is a heroic loser.
Americans voted for Senator Obama, an African-American, with Kenyan ancestry, not because of his colour or race, and not totally because of his party affiliation, but because he was the best of the presidential candidates. Remember that his opponent was not only Senator McCain. There were third parties/independent candidates for the presidential election. But Obama was elected by majority of Americans to lead their Country to greater height. Americans needed a change and they voted for the person they believe and trust, from his campaign and manifestos, can bring that change.
Many people have been saying that Nigeria and all African countries need to learn from this American experience. But wait a minute. Should Nigeria be learning from this recent event in America? Before readers accuse me of being a student of Professor Maurice Iwu, the Chairman of Nigeria's Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), I would like to expatiate here.
I believe Nigeria should not now be learning from the concluded American presidential election because Nigeria had, in the past, demonstrated that we could hold a peaceful and fair election just like the Americans recently did.
“Are you nut?” some people may ask or think.
No, I’m not crazy, and my opinion is sanely true.
The election conducted by Humprey Nwosu, chairman of the National Electoral Commission, in June, 1993, is my reference point. Two parties were involved in that election. Interestingly, the parties that contested the election then and in America recently have similar names. In the U.S. they are Democratic and Republican parties, while in Nigeria they were the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC). The late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, the presidential candidate of SDP was from the south, while his opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa is from the north.
The northerners had governed Nigeria for many years since the country's independence. They’ve always had the upper hands, and a well coordinated and structured mass voting. Both candidates were Muslims (the reverse is the case in America where both are Christians).
Humphrey Nwosu, the umpire, introduced a new voting system which he tagged, Option A4 or Open-Secret Ballot voting system. It was a system by which a voter collected a ballot card, thumb-printed his choice of candidate inside a cubicle in the open, and dropped the slip inside a box. Votes were counted in the open, in the full glare of all, and the result of the polling unit announced publicly on the spot in the presence of the parties representatives. Thereafter, the results are forwarded to a central collation point to be added to that of other units as the case may be.
At the end of the exercise, the SDP presidential candidate won with a landslide victory. The voting, just like that of America now, transcended tribes, regions, religions and status or class. Nigerians voted for “Hope ‘93” and whom they believed would take them to the ‘promise land’. The NRC’s candidate was even said to have lost in his own ward in the north. The election was acknowledged not only by Nigerians but also by the foreign observers, as the most peaceful and transparent election ever conducted in the history of Nigeria.
Alas! The election was cancelled. The reason…? We are still in the dark till today -- more than 15 years after the election was annulled. The then Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, has not honestly told the nation why the election results were not validated and the winner announced. Up to recently, he is still being “Maradonic” with the true reason for the annulment.
Senator Obama professes “Change” to America, and on November 4, 2008, he was given the chance, on a platter of gold, to bring the change. In 1993, the late M. K. O. Abiola presented a campaign of “Hope” to Nigeria. Instead of receiving the "Hope" on a platter of gold, a military Cabal in the Country gave "Hopelessness", and shattered the People’s mandate.
What followed had been a lot of lives wasted, economic standstill, wasted time and resources, and an embarrassed nation.
We are all commending and congratulating Senator Obama and Americans for this smooth and seamless election. Many Nigeirans have been praising the American system as the best, and our lawmakers especially in the national assembly have been extolling the American electoral model. Our government and non–governmental organizations have praised Americans and congratulated President-elect Obama for achieving the impossible.
Whither Nigeria?
Or borrowing from a song from one of Nigeria's prominent musicians, the late Sunny Okosun, “Which way Nigeria?”
Fifteen years ago, we had achieved what America is now demonstrating to the world; but ours was shattered. An abortion was carried out on “Baby Hope”; the mother was even “raped” after delivery. We are now patting and congratulating America on the safe delivery of “Baby Change”. With the success achieved in America, many of us are now proud to bring attention to the African blood running in Obama because the system delivered a great baby. I say, let the “quack doctors” who aborted the delivery of “Baby Hope” cover their faces in shame. We still live with the agony of their actions and with the evil legacy they have left for our generation and the future generations.
For Nigerians who were not part of the macabre dance that brought “backwardness” and fiascoes to the country, I ask, "Should we let our “Hope” be lost forever?"
No, no, no. Let’s keep our Hope for a grater Nigeria in mind. Let “Hope" lives in our soul forever. Let’s continue to work for the country’s greatness and how to make it stronger.
Let’s build a GREAT NIGERIA; let’s leave a great legacy for the future of our country.
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