A Time for National Unity

The initial recrimination over the general election must yield to reconciliation for national unity, writes Segun James

Nigeria is at a crossroads. The crossroads where a country becomes a nation; where the unity of the people determines the future of the country. This is where Nigeria stands today even as some of her citizens are beating the drums of war for the disintegration of the country. How did the nation get to this point?

Literarily, three persons ran for an election, one won, and the second-place holder convinced that he won, decided to go through the legal system, as required, to fight his case. But the third-place holder also claimed that he won and went to court. But if that is where it ended it would have been good. Instead, he and his supporters are now questioning the unity of the nation, pushing the country towards a precipice.

How did the country come to this? Who is calling the unity of the country to question? The BATified Supporters of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the ATIKUlate supporters of AtikuAbubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or the OBIdient supporters of Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP)?

The destination was decided in February by a simple majority. Nigerians voted Tinubu as the next President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. However, the journey, since the election has been complex and perilous; beset by wrong turnings, and ethnic and religious problems.

In the Nigerian political field, the gulf between sentiment and reality is thin, very thin indeed. Geopolitical risks, such as the one being pushed by the Obidients who have become embattled over the election may plunge the nation into another fratricidal war if not quickly checked. Pushing lies such as a bloody attack against the Igbo people in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria is capable of sewing the seed of discord in the minds of people who may not be aware of the truth. With these lies being peddled, devastating damage may be done to the image and unity of the country.   

Under intense pressure, the Obidients have unleashed political terror on the nation, with threats and many exhibiting extremist behavior capable of derailing the nation’s democracy.

Obi needs to call them to order now. He knows as much as others that only the courts of law can change the already declared results, yet he chose to ignore this. How can he preside over a nation at war with itself if, perchance, he wins at the courts?

Before the election, many pundits had predicted that the race to become the next president will be an especially nasty one, fraught with ethnic and religious discords. They were not particularly disappointed. It began harmoniously enough with three contenders and their running mates chosen in accordance with acceptable political understanding in the country.

The frontrunner, Senator Bola Tinubu had chosen a northern fellow Muslim as his running mate, a move that was considered a no-no in a country evenly divided along religious lines.

AtikuAbubakar had chosen a southern Christian, and Peter Obi had also chosen a northern Muslim as their running mates.

While they all met the regional balance, the choice of Tinubu was seen as a slight by Christians, even though pundits see it as something that had to be done for political expediency. It worked for him as he was later voted in as president.

One thing that is generally agreed about the results of Nigeria’s elections is that for the victors, it is a triumph that must be celebrated, but for the vanquished, it is a pyrrhic victory bought by money, rigged, and stolen.

This has always been the case since the coming of the 4th Republic. But all being well, May 29th will see the touchdown of a new government in Nigeria. It will be a testament to the deepening of democracy in the country.

Nigeria has made extraordinary strides in recent years. Despite the upheavals, it is still the largest economy on the continent, and its democracy has been advancing rapidly.

For better and for worse, Nigeria is an exception to the rule. The most populous country in Africa, the country has seen its share of crises. It has experienced political upheavals, yet it has continued to soldier on to the consternation of many who wonder how it has continued to survive in the face of so many odds.

Politics in Nigeria is never simple. It is too vast, too diverse, too argumentative, and too undemocratic for any problem created from it to lend itself to easy answers.

This is particularly so when a “simple” election is now threatening the unity of the country. This is because there is more to it than meets the eye.

Barely 35 days to the swearing-in of the new government, Tinubu is expectedly to begin work on managing the collapsed economy and the polarized political system.

His government must negotiate and work with the opposition. He must become a president of the people in the interest of national unity. He must face the new challenges of connecting with youth whose confusion, anxiety, and fear of the unknown all contributed to the apathy that followed the last election.

For a nation under so many social stresses with millions of unemployed and unemployable youths; with the widening gap between the rich and the poor, it is surprising that the country is yet to explode. While the apathy may have stopped the youth who are increasingly very bitter about the pathetic political situation in the country, he must find ways to connect with them and give them hope.

There’s no doubt that Nigerians find the President-elect, AsiwajuTinubu, fascinating. He is the focus of every political issue, and this is because he has remained relevant since leaving office as governor of Lagos State. Just as he has upped the stakes on the political stage in Lagos, it is hoped that he can do the same on the national stage.

This is the time for national unity; President Tinubu must stand to be counted.