By Sunny Ikhioya

THE 2015 elections are here. It is time for politicians to receive rewards for their stewardship. It has been a year of bruising campaigns, all parties have fought well. No matter the outcome of the elections, one thing is sure, the country’s polity will never be the same again. No more will our politicians take the people for a ride, our democracy is deeply enriched.

What else do we have to say about President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP, a party with the tendency to self-destruct, so much so that, its founding fathers and top members are now in the opposition, fighting to bring the party to its knees. In the serenity of their comfort at the top, they got complacent and left the initiative to the APC, now we have two equally matched parties in the country.

For the first time in the history of Nigeria elections at the centre, the outcome has become too close to call. Everything is turning around; the electorate has become more enlightened in the use of its voting power, the opposition has got stiffer and the Independent electoral commission (INEC) has gained more experience and therefore, set to minimise rigging to the barest level.

For me, at the observatory level, only the incumbency factor can make the PDP survive the onslaught of the APC, they have been out manoeuvred all round, that they are only reacting to the drum beats of the APC’s propaganda, which has been very effective.

Both candidates at the presidential level have their individual weaknesses; if Jonathan fails, he should know the reason for it. He has tried to please everybody and ended up pleasing nobody. Decisiveness has become his biggest weak point. In his book with Zanker titled ‘Think Big’, Donald Forbes says; “if you are worried about being liked, you are in trouble”. Also in this line, the holy Bible in the book of Ecclesiastes chapter 7vs 17 says; ” Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish, why shouldest thou die before thy time”. Jonathan was neither cold nor hot and that made every Tom, Dick and Harry to take him for granted.

He left the initiative to subordinates who were only interested in their self glorification. How can a party implode to this extent? You name it; almost every state that they have total control of, have been placed in jeopardy because, personal interests over rode the party’s goals and objectives; Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Rivers, Delta, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-river and so on.

If the PDP loses the presidential election, they should see it as a blessing in disguise. It will be time to begin to institute democratic structures that will stand the test of time, not impositions by any leader, president, governor or money bag. That era will be gone for good.

For the APC, I have nothing against them apart from their choice of candidate. I am not the type that panders to the vagaries of politicians’ whims and caprices. You cannot tell me a candidate is not fit and electable today and tomorrow you tell me, he is the best thing to happen to Nigeria. The APC has only succeeded in going this far because the PDP imploded, pure and simple. Blending the extreme conservatism and fundamentalism that Buhari represents and the progressivism, of the type the defunct ACN represents, is not an easy nut to crack. That they have succeeded thus far, is worthy of commendation, on the part of the personnel that have brought this to bear. I still see this conflict arising, even if the APC wins. I pray that history will prove me wrong in this instance.

In the APC are very brilliant, focussed and innovative minds. I still believe they could have come up with a better candidate than Buhari, who is seen as rigid and out of tune with present day trends.

Some of my friends have argued that: if not Buhari, who will they pick that will cause the biggest challenge to the PDP? Even if the doctrine of necessity is applied in this case, because we want to win at the centre, I still will not buy the logic. As I have pointed earlier, extreme conservatism/fundamentalism does not go with radical progressivism. I shall leave the judgement to posterity if the APC succeeds in clinching the much sought after presidency.

As for the rest of us, we have made our points. We have also engaged in fierce debates, to the point of bitterness in some cases. It is time to let the will of democracy to prevail. We must do so by being responsible. Whatever the outcome of the election,it must be acceptable to all. The greatness of Nigeria is in her unity in diversity. Collectively united, we are a great nation but when we allow divisions, of the kind that has happened in the north eastern part of the country, we become small and weak, in the process, we give room for such nuisance as the Boko Haram and its irk to sneak in.

Politicians must be magnanimous in defeat and should not recourse to careless remarks, the type that gave room for the mass riots and killings in year 2011.

When elections are over, everybody unites to build and move the nation forward. Elections will always come and opportunities to win or fail will also be available. If you do not win in this instance, it does not mean you will not win in the next election.

INEC must also be up and doing, to ensure that the elections are credible and acceptable to all.

We all have a duty to build an enduring democracy and the process must begin from this March election.

May the best candidate that is acceptable to the people win.

*Mr. Sunny Ikhioya, a commentator on national issues, wrote from Lagos.