“NIGERIA DECEIDES 2015”
I will like to use this opportunity to congratulate all Nigerians irrespective of party affiliation on the way we have conducted ourselves preparatory to the election that comes up tomorrow. The supporters of the two dominant parties PDP and APC have really done their best in trying to sell the manifestos to the electorate. This year’s election will be recorded as the first IT compliant election in the history of our great country Nigeria the giant of Africa, with the introduction of PVC and Card Reader, which is a departure to the usual manual system we had used in the past. It is the first election that has witnessed the fiercest battle on the Net. With the swift advance in the world’s internet usage, and the catching up of Nigerians on the use of New social Media such as Face Book, Twitter, Personal Blog, Instagram, Google +, etc the battle was shifted from the physical to the internet. Nigeria was sharply divided into two groups of bloggers each rooting for their preferred party and candidate. No matter how good, accurate and with verifiable links, the status or story of a member of the contending party may be the opposing group must have a contrary opinion, whereas people in their camp will like, tag themselves, share and in some cases “doctor” the story and repost. In a bid to further the courses of their party and candidate, bloggers have phoptshoped, manipulated, plagiarised, and in some extreme cases blatantly lied to the reading public, and in each case, the target is Nigerian registered voters, to make a supposed point, and sell the candidature of the party they are sympathetic to. Some of the bloggers went too far by publishing libelous materials to further deplete the camp of their supposed enemies. A new lexicon was introduced into the New social Media and it’s called ‘e-rat’. I want to use this opportunity to congratulate the e-rats on both divide, they did excellent job because in most cases out of overzealousness, mischief, or patriotism. I say patriotism, because all the people from both sides believe that their preferred candidate or party will give Nigeria good governance and dividend of Democracy. By the end of today, the campaigners must close shop, because, you have done the needful by advertised in both print and electronic media, new social media, made personal contact via door to door campaign, appreciated stake holders behind closed doors, visited Churches, Mosques, societies both open and secret, conducted rallies and shared stomach infrastructures, you even introduced comic relief, by buying plantain chips, from child hawkers you once chased out of the street, roosted corn and boli on the road side, fried akara and plantain by the market place, some even involved foreign campaign managers, not forgotten various visit to traditional rulers across the country. Prayer merchants, prophet prophetess, and marabouts were never left out. You have done your very best the rest is now left in the hands of the one who knows the end from the beginning, and his name is called Jehovah. He alone has the final say, and as I write this piece, He has already given the final verdict of the 2015 election, but I will never put my head on the chopping board to say who the winner is because He God did not tell me.
Finally whosever win this election be it current holder of the title, President Goodluck Jonathan, or the closest challenger Retired General Mohammadu Buhari, wins for Nigeria and will rule all irrespective of political inclination, religion or tribe. Once there is a competition there must be people for or against, and for crying out loud, we are not enemies just because you supported a particular political party. After the final result is released, and a winner emerged we shall all go back to where we started, one Nigeria!! People should not be victimized because they did not support the winner, after all Nigeria is still a multi-democratic Nation. All my life I have been praying to God to give Nigeria a vibrant opposition, and It is my believe that for once Nigeria now have one and without the likes of Senator Bola Tinubu, Rotimi Amaechi, Rochas Okoroacha, and co we would not have gotten there, the era of Landslide and Moonslide victory in Nigeria politics has gone for good. Kudos should be given to Goodluck Jonathan for his consistence fatherly tolerance, even when insulted, maligned, abused, and in most cases his immediate is brought into the dirty politics for the soul of Nigeria. He never bought the idea that politics is‘Do or Die’ affairs. He consistently told who ever care to hear that his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigeria, which to me is noble.
I strongly believe that this attempt was not too bad, there is still room for improvement, the election of 2019 will be quite better than this particular one.
One of the areas I will like our legislatures to urgently look into, is the area of DECAMPING AND CROSSCARPETING, a law banning this monster will not be a bad idea, because it made many enthusiastic Nigerians to almost lose faith in the system. As it stands, there is no much difference between the ruling party and the opposition. Trying to differentiate between the two dominant political parties in Nigeria, PDP and APC is like splitting of a hair.
Again the umpire body INEC and JEGA almost scuttled the election which they are delegated to manage for Nigeria. As I write many have not collected their PVC which is depriving them this one civic responsibility to their father land. They had four clear years to prepare for this election and they did a shoddy job either by omission. commission or mischief. Its unbelievable that there are many PVC lying idlely in their office and many looking for the same material but could not get any.
Politician’s provocative and insulting languages at rallies should be outlawed.
People on both side of the divide should not regard themselves as enemies, let us have a complete rethink on the this particular issue, because after the election we should come to the level of embracing and shaking hands for we are still bound by peace and Unity.
In conclusion, I will like to use this opportunity to thank all my friends and foes on the way they have conducted themselves, you do well, but there is still room for improvement.
LONG LIVE PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN;
LONG LIVE GENEREAL MOHAMMADU BUHARI,
LONG LIVE OTHER MINORITY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES,
LONG LIVE PDP;
LONG LIVE APC,
LONGLIVE NIGERIANS.
GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
