Imperatives of post-election stability
The post-election blame-game in the PDP top rank over who caused the party’s Presidential elections defeat; the legal tussle between winners and losers in the just concluded general elections and the hot jostle for leadership positions in the 8th National Assembly by APC stalwarts, which was won by Sen. Bukola Saraki, were valid reasons why Rev. Chris Okotie’s peace paradigm campaign still has relevance. These often repeated factors have played unfortunate roles in Nigeria’s inability to rise above the pastiche of its own self-inflicted socio-economic woes.
In an insightful article titled; “Fulfilling mandate in unsettled times”, Rev. Chris Okotie, Chairman of Fresh Democratic Party, FRESH, who, in the weeks leading to the elections, spearheaded a media peace campaign for the respect of lives and a peaceful conduct by politicians and their supporters, posited that; “President Barack Obama flew over Nigeria from Senegal to South Africa in his latest tour of the continent. The excuse Obama officials gave for his skipping this country was that we have ‘a very challenging security situation’. This snub, the second in his tour of this hemisphere ought not to have happened if our elected leaders were able to fulfil their mandate to develop the country in these troubles times.
“The White House’s excuse is a polite way of saying Nigeria does not deserve Mr. Obama’s attention in view of the prevailing chaos in the management of state affairs, including the powerful corruption complex. The level of corruption with impunity and the dysfunctional state of our economy despite unprecedented earnings in crude oil revenue is a great disincentive for any serious world leader to fraternise with our country at this time…”
It is this that impressed on the one-time Commonwealth Secretary, Ambassador Emeka Anyaoku and former United Nations SecretaryGeneral, Koffi Annan to compel the contesting political parties and their 14 Presidential candidates to a table, to sign a Peace Accord in Abuja; an accord that was contravened even before the ink with which they were signed got dry.
It again prompted Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Bishop Mathew Kukah and others, to force a second Peace Accord between the two main gladiators; President Goodluck Jonathan and Mohammadu Buhari, when it was obvious that the course on which the politicians had set the nation would only lead to a descent to bedlam?
Rev. Okotie, on his own part, leaned on a medium where he has a very strong presence; the media platforms, to lend his voice and influence in sensitizing the politicians and electorate on the need for calm nerves, peaceful conduct before and after the elections and respect of the results. They saw the need to act decisively, to ensure that the nation is not further fractured by the politicians of fortune who make gains in such anarchic climes.
In the recent UK2015 and the Israeli elections, none of the losers cried foul or claimed rigging of elections when results were announced; despite some unexpected outcomes. They must have done something right in ensuring that their campaigns and polls were devoid of any untoward acts or incendiary utterances that would incite the electorate. Here, the opposite is the case as every politician assumes that his or her loss is due to acts of sabotage by opposing candidates and parties. We need to learn from abroad.
Governance must begin to reflect global realities. The feudal mindset of the 60’s to 90’s cannot suffice for the challenges of the 21st century. The barriers that limit progress must be broken down and political egos must now take a back seat if governance must bode well for the people.
Elakhe wrote from Lagos