Nigeria Decides 2023
Saturday 25th February 2023
It’s 8 am and I’m sitting with my mum at her store waiting for INEC officials to show up at our respective polling unit so the election can commence. Our polling units were in proximity to each other, and also within our neighborhood.
While we were waiting, some young men came by asking for nose masks and I wondered what they needed them for. There was no harmattan, neither was it dusty, so I thought probably one of them had a cough and wanted to reduce contamination, innocent me.
A few hours later, we heard gunshots and saw people running toward us for safety. Some of us tried to find out why people were running while running for safety and that was when I saw these young men who had previously asked for nose masks.
Apparently, they needed it to mask up their identity while they carried out what they’d been paid for. The gunshot was aimed at the sky to scare people into voting for their preferred candidate -based on my assumption and popular opinion.
Sadly, it wasn’t difficult to recognize them as not all had their faces covered. I had always heard of these local guns in my area but on this day, I saw it with my eyes and it took me about 30 minutes or more to recover from the shock.
I imagined that if in the process of shooting into the air, the bullet accidentally hit someone random, that would be the end of the election in that area, and would also launch the reign of terror in the area. Yes, because they now know that they have power over the resident, and don’t forget that power intoxicates a man.
“Power intoxicates men. When a man is intoxicated by alcohol, he can recover, but when intoxicated by power, he seldom recovers.” James F. Byrnes.
About 10 minutes after, some armed officers(I mean the Nigerian Army) walked into the street and didn’t leave for a while, I guess that scared them away for the entire duration of the election.
I’m here, trying to move on with life even though my country is currently on fire as the result collation of the recently conducted election is going on.
Somedays before the election and during the election, I saw people tweeting that the moment Peter Obi is announced as the GCFR of Nigeria, they will cry hot tears, some said they will host a celebration party in their house or neighborhood, and I wondered if it was that serious, jokingly.
The day after the election, I was on my way back from church when I had my own share. I imagined PO being announced as the winner, and I was almost crying just from my imagination. This would indeed launch the country into a new era of responsibility and accountability.
This election was proof that there are powers that be, who have sworn that Nigeria would not leave where it is, and we can also see that there is also a superior power interested in justice prevailing in the affairs of men in Nigeria (GOD).
For many years, we were made to believe that our vote is powerless and that even if we show up to vote, it still won’t count. I guess this is one of the reasons why people have been reluctant to vote in past elections coupled with the fact that competent people have a reduced influence unlike those who are there for power tussle.
We can now see that indeed one man’s vote is as important as ten people’s vote. If it were not so, there won’t have been different tactics aimed at discouraging people from stepping out to vote for their preferred candidate, up to the point of threatening their lives and their source of livelihood.
If you had asked me in December 2022, who was my preferred candidate for the presidential elections, I would have told you someone else. But with the event leading up to the election, I now know why there was a rave for PO.
It wasn’t because we saw him as a savior, but it was an opportunity for Nigeria to function as a democratic government indeed, where the people choose their leader — a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Is this too much to ask for?
We do not only know that we have power but we have exercised it. I like to believe that the #endsars movement was the tipping point for us as the same set of youth who were labeled to be “lazy” were the same people who came out and stood against injustice that year, even though some people lost their lives in the process. May God comfort their families.
This has further proved that we are powerful when we are united, and there is so much we can achieve if only we can put aside tribalism, and selfish interests and embrace justice, equity, and fairness. If your decision will favor you and put other people in harm’s way, then you should reevaluate the basis of your decision.
Saturday, February 25th, 2023, is one day that will never be forgotten in history. People came out in droves, and endured the threat and discomfort, to vote for their preferred candidate.
After voting, some people stayed back and ensured that the right thing was done, late into the night. Some stayed through for 24 hours, all in a bid to make it count, and I am super proud that it counted for something.
If nothing, we have shown them that we are a threat to any government or structure that kicks against the growth and development of our beloved nation and also endangers the lives of the citizen.
Once again, Nigeria will rise from the ashes.
Like the bursting forth of a new day, a new Nigeria is here to stay and we are a witness to it.
Nigeria will become great again.
P-s: I started writing this story a few days before the announcement of the election result
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