Editorial: 2015 Election, The National Conference And The Survival of Nigeria

The 2015 Election which is by the corner  is tending to create unnecessary tension and panic such that the Director General of PDP presidential campaign council Dr. Ahmadu Ali, was quoted in the recent past as saying that if APC wins the presidential election he would leave the country.  The issue of 2015 election has caused most Nigerians  who were deemed not vocal to talk and others who have been talking to talk louder.  The situation appears as if the country has not gone through the experience of transiting power to a new administration before.

Though reasons for such behaviours may not be unconnected with the recent postponement of the February elections, other pundits have tenaciously referred to the June 12, 1993 elections which Chief Moshood K. O. Abiola was said to have won but was not declared, as the basis for their worry. However, while Prof. Attahiru Jega had told the House of Reps members two weeks ago that he could not guarantee the new election date of  March 28 and April 14, 2015, the President and Defence authorities have assured that elections would be held, in defiance to the continuous threat by the leadership of the Boko Haram Islamist sect that they would unleash 30,000 fighters to scuttle elections in the North-Eastern part of the country. The good riddance is that the Nigerian military is recently bombarding Baga, which has been recaptured by our gallant soldiers cum the Multinational forces.

The fact that the peoples of multi-ethnic backgrounds have been brought together, whether willingly or unwillingly, under a defined territory called Nigeria with a federal government makes Nigeria a nation, not short of kegs of an atomistic society, which is perpetually at war with itself.

If as a nation’s politics is believed to be the process to get authorized access to supervise and also engage in sharing of the wealth of the nation for the good of all, then how does violence, killings, disruption of campaigns of the ruling and opposition Parties, theft, hoarding and buying of Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs), alleged distribution of PVCs to some traditional rulers in the north-east by INEC Chairman, insults to the President by every Tom, Dick and Harry, be the only known and sane way of seeking to transit power in Nigeria? Why should a man who sat on the throne of Nigeria turn round, in a jiffy, to desecrate the seat and the occupant of the very seat he sat all in the name of being called the baba of modern Nigeria?

The intrigues of the 2015 elections have tended to threaten the continuity of what is called Nigeria causing even cross-carpeting in the nation’s lower chamber of the National Assembly, nay the executive arm of government.  The ruling Party seems not to have lost sight on the push by the key opposition Party to clinch on the power valve through the ballot during next election. However, while some political pundits argue in favour of change, the ruling Party and its numerous supporters acquit the ruling PDP government of having done well for the north.  The effort of the current administration in building 150 Almajiri Schools in the north, development and expansion of electricity infrastructure across the country via Integrated Power Project,  revivification and construction of new railway lines and provision of trains to ply most of the routes, federal appointments of northerners, up to the Chief Security Adviser of the President, and many more have been canvassed by the ruling Party as a tip of the iceberg of President Jonathan’s effort to keep the country going.  Though it has been alleged that the northerners are angered by how power slipped off their hands, the statement allegedly credited to the Presidential flag bearer of the key opposition Party in the country, is believed to have fuelled the Boko Haram crisis which appears to be an albatross to the smoothness of 2015 elections.

The hue and cry of Nigerians is simple.  Nigeria needs to be restructured economically and otherwise for people to live in peace.  Much as everybody is seemingly distracted by the 2015 elections brouhaha, one truth must not be pushed aside, that Nigerians want a peaceful country where peace, equity, justice and fair play shall reign.  Nigerians needs a government which shall provide jobs for its citizens.  Nigerians seek a country which the wealth of the nation shall be exploited for the benefit of all.  Nigerians seem to frown at the imbalance in the distribution of oil blocs, domination of one ethnic group, region or geo-political zone over others in the governance of the country,  oppressive regimes, military jauntas, non-autonomy of local government administration (with respect to monthly allocations), interim government, insults to their President, etc.  Nigerians want strong institutions, autonomy for the Judiciary and the Legislature and also frown at capital flights which most sitting governors are liable.  Nigerians expect that the recommendations of the Constitutional Conference which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan put in place last year, should be implemented.

The Constitutional Conference however considered some fundamental objectives such as examining and resolving impediments to the nation’s harmonious development, cohesion as a truly united nation to promote national unity and integration.  It also deliberated on all grievances presented by citizens to promote the individuality and indissolubility of this nation. The Constitutional Conference also looked at the political and socio-economic challenges confronting the nation in order to resolve them in the best and most acceptable way to all the constituents of the Federation.

The issues of the conference touched on political restructuring of the country, democratization, National Security and security challenges, Oil and other Mineral Resources Management Exploration and Sharing Mechanism, Revenue Generation and Mobilization, Federal Character, amongst other relevant issues.  It was widely applauded that the genuineness of the intent of the Conference by Mr Presiednt was aptly demonstrated in his directive on “the no-go areas” such as issues of threat to unity and dissolubility of the nation.  The President, it has been said, intended not to hound nobody. He had known that oil blocs found in the Niger Delta Region of the country were not owned by his brothers in the south-south, but mostly by people from other parts of the country when he advised against the indissolubility of the nation.

Nigerians still want to know who is wishing Nigeria well between the owners of the mega oil blocs in the Niger Delta who are seeking Jonathan’s pound of flesh outside of Aso Rock in March 28 via a hook or crook election, interim government, military takeover or whatever and President Jonathan who has been busy appealing and campaigning throughout the country, and now going a second round in the west to beg them for votes.  He has begged the Yoruba Elders Council who are seemingly beginning to know that they need Jonathan to be in Aso Rock for the Constitutional Conference Recommendations to  be implemented for their interest to be served. 

Nigerians know what they want and have a duty to make a decision to either seek to remain one as an indissoluble  nation where peace, equity, fair play, and justice shall prevail via the implementation of the recommendations of the Constitutional Conference or go for the outcry for change which the opposition Party is crusading.  Whichever decision Nigerians want to take come March 28 and April 11th, 2015, the survival of Nigeria as a nation must not be left in the museum of forgotten things.