By Paul Arhewe
Change, as it is generally known, is a constant factor that can never be ruled out in any human engagements, whether positively or negatively driven। No doubt, last weekend’s Senatorial and House of Representatives polls have brought significant change, both positively and negatively in the hitherto pattern of electioneering in Nigeria. Recently, I read an article from the archives of Times Magazine titled ‘Nigeria: Electioneering in the Bush’. This article was written November 2, 1959, precisely eleven months to Nigeria’s independence. Nigerians then had never voted in any popularly organised election.
The event then was likened to an unbelievingly strange exercise, one that was out of the blue. The naive Nigerian electorate then were dazed by the struggle between the duo of Anamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo who had eyes for the office of Prime Minister of the federation, with the turbaned Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello interested in the dignified post of Governor General. The primitiveness at that era was illustrated in one instance where Awolowo had hardly begun to speak in a campaign in the North when a herd of wild cattle charged across the site of the rally, breaking up the speech, as his political enemies laughed from their safe vantage spot. Things have really changed from that naive comical display of native to one in our contemporary epoch where bombs are easily detonated at the slightest chance, with mundane target as simple as passing a warning message to opponents. For the first time in the history of Nigeria electioneering the use of bomb has become the in-thing in some part of the country. Nevertheless, with a pulsating enthusiasm as displayed by the electorate; despite the distasteful twin previous postponements, we saw the massive turnout and witnessed the eagerness of Nigerians to vote conscientiously. No wonder the results released have shown how the mighty have fallen; to some extent we can say voters performed the task without fear or favour. That the speaker of the House of Representative, Demiji Bankole and Iyabo Bello Obasanjo, among other prominent heavyweights lost in the parliamentary polls go to justify that there was little or no intervention to garner the votes in their favour; credit should be given to President Goodluck Jonathan for keeping to his words; as he had vowed for a level playing field. Also, kudos to Professor Attahiru Jega and his associates for making Nigerians’ vote count. Indeed, if this new demeanour in electioneering should continue for the remaining elections then money-bag politicians and those unrepentant riggers should take a self-counselling session and be prepared to either embrace another vocation or wait and see how they are made irrelevant in a foreseeable future in Nigeria’s politics. While the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) should be commended for a job well done, it is not yet uhuru nor mission accomplish for the electoral umpire as there is more room for improvement, as the highly intrepid-evoking presidential and gubernatorial elections are still around the corner. Though, last Saturday’s election was not totally free from the normal ballot snatching and scuffles that are now idiosyncrasies of Nigerian elections, but this was minimal compared to what was witnessed in previous election. International observers have rated the outcome of the polls high next to the aborted 1993 polls that is adjudged by many Nigerians as the most freest and fairest. However, we can’t say this is a watershed and a new pattern of electioneering for the country. It is still too early to attribute such feat to it. Jega and INEC can still take us there, as the next presidential and gubernatorial polls would give impetus and make us determine which direction we are heading to. From an optimistic point of view Nigerians deserve commendations for their exhibited zeal during the last polls. If this tempo should continue we won’t wait too long before we reap a new verve that will see us outgrow the era of election riggings and overcome the do-or-die politicking that country dearly seek to discard.
The event then was likened to an unbelievingly strange exercise, one that was out of the blue. The naive Nigerian electorate then were dazed by the struggle between the duo of Anamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo who had eyes for the office of Prime Minister of the federation, with the turbaned Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello interested in the dignified post of Governor General. The primitiveness at that era was illustrated in one instance where Awolowo had hardly begun to speak in a campaign in the North when a herd of wild cattle charged across the site of the rally, breaking up the speech, as his political enemies laughed from their safe vantage spot. Things have really changed from that naive comical display of native to one in our contemporary epoch where bombs are easily detonated at the slightest chance, with mundane target as simple as passing a warning message to opponents. For the first time in the history of Nigeria electioneering the use of bomb has become the in-thing in some part of the country. Nevertheless, with a pulsating enthusiasm as displayed by the electorate; despite the distasteful twin previous postponements, we saw the massive turnout and witnessed the eagerness of Nigerians to vote conscientiously. No wonder the results released have shown how the mighty have fallen; to some extent we can say voters performed the task without fear or favour. That the speaker of the House of Representative, Demiji Bankole and Iyabo Bello Obasanjo, among other prominent heavyweights lost in the parliamentary polls go to justify that there was little or no intervention to garner the votes in their favour; credit should be given to President Goodluck Jonathan for keeping to his words; as he had vowed for a level playing field. Also, kudos to Professor Attahiru Jega and his associates for making Nigerians’ vote count. Indeed, if this new demeanour in electioneering should continue for the remaining elections then money-bag politicians and those unrepentant riggers should take a self-counselling session and be prepared to either embrace another vocation or wait and see how they are made irrelevant in a foreseeable future in Nigeria’s politics. While the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) should be commended for a job well done, it is not yet uhuru nor mission accomplish for the electoral umpire as there is more room for improvement, as the highly intrepid-evoking presidential and gubernatorial elections are still around the corner. Though, last Saturday’s election was not totally free from the normal ballot snatching and scuffles that are now idiosyncrasies of Nigerian elections, but this was minimal compared to what was witnessed in previous election. International observers have rated the outcome of the polls high next to the aborted 1993 polls that is adjudged by many Nigerians as the most freest and fairest. However, we can’t say this is a watershed and a new pattern of electioneering for the country. It is still too early to attribute such feat to it. Jega and INEC can still take us there, as the next presidential and gubernatorial polls would give impetus and make us determine which direction we are heading to. From an optimistic point of view Nigerians deserve commendations for their exhibited zeal during the last polls. If this tempo should continue we won’t wait too long before we reap a new verve that will see us outgrow the era of election riggings and overcome the do-or-die politicking that country dearly seek to discard.
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