Read 2015 elections: How to make Nigeria the winner (1) here

By Oby Ezekwesili

So badly did the people fall for the despoiling elite antics that Ironically, the rhetoric of decapitation of Nigeria became louder as the country headed into the centenary celebration of its amalgamation in 1914.  Now with less than one month to another Presidential election in an atmosphere of gross insecurity and occupation of some of our local governments in the North East by insurgents the necessity for a cautiously managed elections and its aftermath assumes the highest priority ever.

Elections and the squabble over their outcomes have always posed historical threats to our existence as a single entity called Nigeria.  These threats are all the more shameful because they are inextricably linked not to fights among the populace but to exploitation of the same by the political elite.

The 1964/65 and the 1993 elections stand out among the rest as having posed the higher degrees of existential threat to Nigeria because political elite whipped up deep primordial divisions to fan the embers of their own political interests. One of those times the threat played out so dramatically and tragically; ultimately resulting in the 1960s pogrom that led to the death of over one million people in Eastern Nigeria, and loss of lives of key political actors across our land. Nigeria’s existential threat sadly cost so many lives that many consider the needless blood that flowed as spiritually crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel whose brother Cain murdered continues to cry out according to the Bible.

The failure to seize on the lessons of the  Civil war to chart a path for Nigeria’s rite of passage from country to nation was the failure of political elite class all over again. How could a people simply pick up and move on from such a genocidal scale of tragedy and learning absolutely nothing from the multiple errors that triggered the pogrom? How could we not have frittered our most momentous opportunity to discuss openly our fears of living together in a Nigeria that won at the cost of massive blood letting of the innocent? We not only did miss a bloodied but golden opportunity but we actively disallowed any open lamentation  of the lasting anguish etched on the memories of those who bore them. So the Igbo people of the East learned to live in the country called Nigeria hugging their pain to themselves. At the risk of being excoriated for both “playing victim” and yet wanting to “dominate others” some have openly  grieved and wondered how the rest of Nigeria could deny them empathy to their deepest pains.

Historical landmarks

Then the 1993 election aftermath became the turn of the people of the West to suffer what many still call the worst electoral theft in the history of elections in Nigeria. The annulment of that election drove the country into multiple timelines and tranches of crises that  culminated in the death of the winner, the exiling of many of the advocates for his cause which were mainly people of the same region with a sprinkle of people like yours sincerely from other regions, the repression and threats visited on the people of the South West. While all that lasted, all other regions mostly looked on and moved on even though most of them had in fact voted the protagonist in that adjudged free and fair election that bucked the religious, ethnic and regional divisions. The ingrained attitude of “it is the turn of the Yoruba’s to suffer their own pepper” fertilised the grudging deficit that ultimately saw to the ascension of the Presidency after several years of the most repressive military rule and divine intervention.

In between all the historical landmarks of our political history, we had the South South in severe agitation deriving from the agony they felt that their region was neglected despite it being the zone from which “oil rent” was generated for the upkeep of the federation. That the rest of Nigeria failed to empathise at the pain that environmental devastation and poor translation of the share of the rent into local development was doing to the Niger Delta  was yet another case of “let them suffer their pain. Where were they when we also were crying?” Not even the brutality visited on Ken Saro Wiwa who to his eternal credit would be considered the one who died that his region may live elicited the kind of empathy that neighbours who are not even friends show to one another in moments of tragedy. Everyone simply moved on as we managed to find ways to pacify the people of the South South in order to continue rummaging the deep wells in their communities.

How about our kindred from the Middle Belt. All the agitations of being marginalised that their vocal leaders of clans used to cry out about as I grew into adulthood, somehow never seemed to have persuaded the rest of Nigeria. It was not until a once globally regarded City of Jos- a home to anyone who loved its peace and serenity – tragically began to go up in smokes – that the rest of the country began trying to understand “what are those Non-Muslim Northers  always complaining about sef?”. Feeling no desire to carry the burden of guilt for not having bothered to care all that time in the 80s and 99s that they were increasingly sounding aggrieved, we looked away and move on clutching on to our empathy milk lest it be used on those who showed us none,

And then came along the aftermath of the 2011 elections mingled with the imploding effect of institutional corruption that made it possible for a once capable Nigerian military and security establishment to weaken. The state of our Military took us down to the point of having just about the capacity to “repel” what began as a rag tag army of bandits. The army of insurgents exploited the divided spirit of the country and gained serious grounds physically, psychologically and began killing, maiming, destroying and abducting Christians and Churches first while the rest of people mostly looked on as it did not affect them.

As the insurgents deduced that enough damage was not being felt by the rest of Nigeria, they expanded their focus and are on the offensive against ANYONE who does not believe in the savage ideology they hold dear. The abduction of 276  young women of Chibok community in Borno who were sent to school by poor parents hoping on them for a more promising future became our wake up call.

Fifty seven of the girls managed to escape their abductors by rare courage leaving 219 of the Daughters of Nigeria held captive  in the enemy den for over 283 days now. Until their abduction, although we were all attuned to the blasts and killings that were being reported, yet the level of gruesome acts that our kindred in the North East were left on their own to suffer and endure as a result of what has the character of an “invisible war” did not fully register in our imaginations.

However even when the severity and massive scale of assaults that the insurgents are inflicting on whole communities in the North East persisted for our attention; the rest of Nigeria continues to act as far removed in space and heart as possible. Those who cannot contain their elation that the “suffering has gone full circle” and reached the North would deviously make cynical comments like “Let them kill themselves naa. At least they now know what it felt like when we too were being battered”.  Even with several thousands of deaths so far recorded in the North East and other parts of our Northern region, many among the rest of Nigeria simply refuse to be persuaded to invest any empathy.

The empathy deficit — the inability to feel the pain of others— has in fact become an Art among the people of the winning entity called Nigeria. The ease with which citizens look away refusing to be drawn into matters that they regard as the “problems of others” who were not there for them while they also were in pain reaches a syndrome. I call it the acceptance of “Equal Opportunity to Suffer Syndrome”. Among the category of Nigerians of that ilk who have spent more time attacking those of us who believe that the Chibok Girls and the rest of the North East deserve justice not only  from the Nigerian state but all of us as kit and kin usually scornfully ask us “na today?”

“Na today” is a question that goes to the root of the “full circle” of pain, anguish and losses  that Nigerians of all regions of have suffered simply by ignoring and failing to share in one another’s pain. This  country of diverse people who have not managed to forged a common Identity as Nigerians for fifty four years can no longer continue with the mindset that distributes anguish around equally without all sharing to offer relief. May be now that the have each has suffered anguish without empathy from the rest at different times even if at different scales of tragedies. We who rue that as a people we allowed this to go on should now say to those among us who stand aloof still on the present agonizing pain  “Brethren, what more do you wait for before you regain your humanity now that our sufferings have gone round?”

Pretense

At the various times that each region suffered, the country — this single entity called Nigeria however continued to “win.” So while Daily Trust in crafting this topic, has asked “How can Nigeria be the winner” ——and I consider it a noble desideratum — but I dare say that merely wanting Nigeria to win again is not enough! Nigeria has won in the past but see where it got us!!

Nigeria’s victory has robbed the people – Nigerians- of their own victory. Of what benefit is it to a people of a country that has kept “winning” since the last 101 years and yet remains an entity that  ( even after surviving the kind of genocidal civil war that mangled other countries) has failed to rise into the stature of a Nation? I want a higher order outcome from the 2015 elections and that is for BOTH Nigeria and NIGERIANS to win!

The pretense of Nigeria “winning” in the last fifty four years has actually been the victory that the elite which adorn our country to the North, South, West and East of the country have appropriated to themselves over the rest of Nigeria. What the political elite has cleverly done over the years of poor governance is to exploit the alienation of Citizens to their own power which they possess according to  President Roosevelt as people who vote to confer legitimacy on their leaders. Aristotle expanded on the supreme power of the citizens as though he had our country with 69% of our citizens in the poverty bracket in mind when he asserted “In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme”.

So as one who is aware of the power of my voting right, here are a few of the questions I shall be seeking answers those who seek our votes in order to lead us. Where are the  leaders  not rulers that are ready to sacrifice their personal pursuit of power for the PEOPLE of Nigeria? Where are the leaders not rulers that do not judge other Nigerians on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, language, geography, economy, status, political and philosophical ideology?

Where are the leaders not rulers that are dedicated to the common cause of the poor of this land understanding that the indignity of poverty is common denominated regardless of the region, the faith or the tongue that the impoverished speak? Where are the leaders not rulers who are angry at the implosive effect of corruption on our mores, our institutions, our resources, our vision, our essence? Where are the leaders and not rulers who are strategically grieved that the rest of the world ponders at the dismal progress that a country of one of the most gregariously talented people has made when compared to its possibilities?

Where are the leaders and not rulers who see the People and not the free rent from oil, gas and minerals as the real endowment that will take Nigeria to the top of the economic league tables? Where are the leaders and not rulers that will not only send high sounding tributes to the historical Nelson Mandela and quote Martin Luther King in speeches without learning a thing or two from them?

Where are the leaders and not rulers who will at the end of the 2015 elections grow in stature not in posture to mobilise ALL Nigerians to openly discuss our pains, failures and hopes and to disagree and then agree without feeling judged? Where are the leaders that are finally ready to lead us into that long postponed journey from country to nation?

As citizens ponder their choices for the 2015 elections they must for a change think of themselves as Nigerians who now need to become “Winners” when their country wins.  The people of Nigeria should be THE WINNERS of the 2015 elections. The 2015 election must be a free and fair and well conducted. It should be an election in which Citizens can boldly declare that they exercised their freedom of choice and determined those that will lead them.

To do so intelligently therefore, the people of Nigeria must persist in demanding that all the candidates that seek their votes should DEBATE a number of most pressing issues that will determine the path that the country will thread in the next four years and foreseeable future.

As a citizen who is part of a civil society that straddles all persuasions, demography and geography I lay out some of the pillars of the New Nigeria on which many of us as citizens would like to hear those who seek to receive our mandate to lead and not rule us after the 2015 elections.

Candidates should be compelled by citizens to elaborate on the following seven critical pillars for moving Nigeria from Country to Nation:

1. A Nigeria GOVERNED strictly by adherence to the Rule of Law and the constitution.

2. A SECURE AND PEACEFUL NIGERIA with ABIDING TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY.

3. A Nation of CITIZENS RESOLVED TO WORK TOWARD an inclusive society through UNITY IN DIVERSITY.

4. A Nation of STRONG, TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE INSTITUTIONS FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE.

5. An ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS NATION OFFERING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ALL CITIZENS TO THRIVE, COMPETE, CONTRIBUTE AND SHARE  IN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

6. A NATION THAT NEGOTIATES A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN CITIZENS AND THE STATE.

7. A NATION THAT EVOLVES AND ADOPTS ITS OWN TOOLS OF SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CITIZENS PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNANCE.

Citizens can commence entry to the winning space by listening to candidates who can persuade us on how they plan to mobilise Nigerians and our networks of support around the world to evolve a society with the  seven features.

The culture of Debating and Contesting ideas in healthy tolerance of dissension should have taken root immediately after our independence elections of 1959. We failed to learn those skills which are the heart of a maximizing the unity and value in diversity. Other diverse societies have so much to teach us in the manner they resolve differences so that they mitigate against disagreements morphing into existential  threat when they are badly managed.

It is now time for each Citizen of Nigeria to activate their own Offices— the Office of the Active Citizen. Through each Citizen’s office, they can begin to lead our collective journey to becoming a country of diverse people who can discuss and choose to live together. Through each Citizen’s active office we can emerge into a nation by demanding that any who seeks to lead us must convince us of how they plan to make us and not just Nigeria as an entity— the Winner.

According to Ibrahim Mohammed (2008), the survival of a nation depends on the good its leadership can bring to bear on the people of the nation. In his opinion, no nation is guaranteed continuous existence if her citizens wallow in abject poverty especially if such a nation is identified as having the potential human and material resources that guarantee greatness.

Bringing all these back into our session today, what President Roosevelt suggests by his assertion is that the outcome of every democratic election should place the people that voted for their leaders in a position so dominant that they cannot in any way be losers. Indeed, how can one who chose a winner possibly become a loser?

In the ideal, well conducted elections should throw up the best candidates that have demonstrated though their message, their character, their vision, their priority issues of zealous focus that they are well aware of the deepest problems that their people  are most eager to solve that they are winners even if they should lose elections.

In effect, in ALL the 2015 elections Nigerians can produce winners who are close reflections  of the way that those that WE who voted them would solve the problems of the Nigerian society where WE to be the ones directly tackling those problems. That is the symbiosis of Democratic relationship between those that vote and those they voted for and gave legitimacy for their actions.

Democracy according to Plato “is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.” President Roosevelt concludes the BIG IDEA of the Citizen and his or her vote by stating   ”Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”

Education. Yes. Voter education devoid of primordial leanings. Those leanings made the political elite and not Nigerians the Winners. Citizens do not have a long time to educate themselves on the issues as the elections are already upon us. Yet, there is enough time for our Media of which Daily Trust is a player to redirect the energies of the candidates of the 2015 elections at all levels of federal and state political contests to the issues that would make not just Nigeria but Nigerians THE WINNERS of the 2015 elections.  As Aristotle said “Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men (and women) of property, are the rulers. Hello to 70 million Citizen-Winners of the 2015 elections! You are more powerful than you had ever known!!

Concluded

*Ezekwesile delivered speech at the 12th Daily Trust Dialogue