Nigeria, touted as the world’s most populous black nation, for a long time, has been at the precipice of collapse economically and politically because of bad leadership. Right from the locust years of the military, the country had been plunged into the abyss of retrogression. This continued even with the advent of democracy in the country in 1999. The elections of 1999 were marred with malpractices and all sorts of untoward practices. As it was in 1999, so it was in 2003. As if the nation is doomed never to learn from its past mistakes, the 2007 election that brought in the late President Musa Yar’adua was arguably the worst election ever conducted in Nigeria! To further add insult to the injury, the electoral umpire, Professor Maurice Iwu was unapologetic for the enormous shame he brought upon the country with his ineptitude and insincerity. The scenario thus gave birth to hopelessness, helplessness and haplessness in the land. Virtually everyone became disinterested in the polity.
So when Professor Jega was announced as the new Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, the situation was largely the same. Despite his antecedents as an honest and trustworthy person, Nigerians were still not convinced that the much-awaited time of change was here. Many were actually quick to condemn the man when on Saturday, the 2nd April, 2011 the National Assembly election slated for the day became botched and was consequently postponed. One thing that none of Jega’s critics and cynics could take away from him was his integrity. This much they all acknowledged.
It was therefore not astonishing to see the way the elections went across the length and breadth of Nigeria on Saturday, the 9th April, 2011. The election, despite some pockets of hitches and violence in some parts of the country, was relatively free and fair. What further made the election remarkable was its outcome, which so far, has shown some major upsets. For instance, the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the enfant terrible of Osun State politics, a state in the South-West of Nigeria, was roundly defeated by Omoworare, a less popular candidate, but with more credibility. Like in Osun State, the daughter of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole were also defeated in Ogun State. The implication of all of these is that Nigeria may be moving closer to getting it right this time. Show me a credible leader and you would have found a man who will rewrite the story of shame of the continent. Like I have always said that Africa is blessed, not cursed. Despite the crises in Ivory Coast, Libya and others, with the success of the National Assembly election in Nigeria on Saturday, the 9th April, 2011, it seems there is a glimpse of hope after all in Africa. Professor Jega is treading triumphantly even where angels are afraid to tread. Is it time for us to be jubilant? Are we edging closer to our promise land? Is Nigeria getting it right at last? Only time will tell!
Babs Iwalewa is describing the process as a mess, then Isaac is describing it as a success, so which is which? I think it depends on how one see it, may be. Or may be it’s somewhere between the two