By Hamilton Odunze
Early in my career as a writer, I made it clear to my readers that I do not write sequels unless necessary. It has been more than a month since the presidential election. Events of the past few weeks have made it essential to write a follow-up on my publication in Vanguard. And I must do it before the dust settles.
If you did not read that article, let me briefly summarise it. I wrote on Vanguard that Peter Obi was an off-ramp for a Nigeria train headed to disaster. In my article, I argued that Peter Obi is nature’s providence for Nigeria to avoid a catastrophe.
In the end, I urged Nigerians to
take the Peter Obi off-ramp. As the election heated, right-minded Nigerians
worldwide hoped and prayed that Nigeria would take the Peter Obi off-ramp. But,
unfortunately, it did not. So, the train is still on the old rail and headed to
the same destination. Its destination is unknown, but I have an eerie feeling
it is far from what we hoped to avoid.
When national and international polls predicted a Peter Obi win, many of
us thought Nigeria was at the dawn of a new age. But, unfortunately, many of us
also underestimated the determination of the vultures who feed on the carcass
of Nigeria. We should have factored that they would go to any length to keep
the country in decay. We should have also factored that the suffering of
Nigerians excites schadenfreude in their hearts. Some people did, but I did
not.
I imagined they would not act
against their better judgement to give Nigerians a breather from bad
governance. I also naively believed they would see how far they have pushed
Nigerians to the wall and allowed a free and fair election.
So, first, I should have
reckoned with the illegal structures they have built to ensure that Nigerians
remain in perpetual subjugation. Secondly, I should have considered the powers
they have welded around the plot. They are the Vultures of Nigeria.
In this last election, they opened my eyes to Charles Darwin’s description of Vultures. Darwin wrote that Vultures are “disgusting” and have bald heads “formed to wallow in putridity”. Unfortunately, the Vultures of Nigerian politics have found that the more putrid Nigeria is, the more food they get. In other words, they do not smell the stench. But we are hopeful. The revolution is afoot.
While they did not allow the
train to take the off-ramp, Nigerians believe Peter Obi has started a movement
for them to build on. He has shown that a new Nigeria is possible. And it is
close. The genie is out of the bottle – Peter Obi has demonstrated that Nigerians
with stellar characters can run for elections and win. Or even in failure, move
us closer to the change we want.
It is what happened in Abia
State with the election of Dr. Alex Otti as the new governor of Abia State.
With the help of electoral officials, the people of Abia State protected their
votes and, in doing so, protected and defended democracy. It is only time
before the trend catches on for a better Nigeria. Abia State is proof that
Nigerians are ready for change. But they are fighting against a determined
group of people with a stupefying penchant for corruption.
But the world now knows that
Nigerians understand the terrible situation the government has subjected them
to. So, those who argue that Nigerians do not like change are wrong. Because
they voted for the transformation of Nigeria in this election as if their lives
depended on it. Sadly, the announced result did not reflect the wishes of the
people.
The result came as a
disappointment to Nigerians worldwide. Many had prepared to return to Nigeria
after a Peter Obi win. An airline executive who wants to remain anonymous told
me that his airline had advanced arrangements to meet flight demands to Nigeria
if Peter Obi wins the election. But once again, the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC, proved that their office is a place where the
dreams of Nigerians come to die.
But whether they allowed the
dreams of Nigerians to materialise, or not, the truth is that the wind of
change is blowing. Change is coming, and it is coming on the heels of Peter
Obi’s campaign, win or lose. President John F. Kennedy said that those who make
peaceful revolution impossible would make violent revolution inevitable.
When Kennedy said this in 1962,
he understood that the most critical theory of democracy is that it is a means
to allow peaceful revolutions and change. It is the reason advanced democracies
insist on conducting free and fair elections. So, while I am optimistic about
the future of Nigeria, our leaders must stop fanning the flames of destruction.
Instead, they must do the right
thing to save Nigeria.
*Odunze, a social commentator,
wrote via hodunze@nigerianparents.com
No comments:
Post a Comment