EKITI ELECTIONS: LESSONS FOR ALL
Another election, won and lost in a nation where electioneering brings so much tension. I remember when it was Anambra's turn, people hyped it to the point of calling it a litmus test for INEC's readiness to conduct credible elections in the country. When Ekiti's turn came, another round of claim and counter claim surfaces from nowhere. After the polls itself, one terse comment of a friend of mine on FB made me to realize very shockingly that those of us who always profess to be unbiased are often the most pathetic of bigots.
Using Ekiti polls, there are certain recurrent issues on our political sphere which often escape our notice. The first one is that whenever our favored candidate fails to win, the election results become suspect. In the case of Anambra, when Senator Ngige failed to win, a lot of people (some of who cannot even locate Anambra in a map) made some remarks I consider very silly especially knowing that they are being propelled by their party affiliations and political predilections rather than accurate knowledge of the state and it's citizenry. Ekiti has happened again! People have come out with myriad opinions about what is, what was and what should have been. But I am most interested in the fact that the incumbent has come out to congratulate his challenger. This isn't a regular occurrence in this country. I just hope and wish that no one will soon convince him to change his mind about what a lot of people consider as a free and fair election. It has happened before because Nigerian politicians are the most unstable crop of people especially in terms of making up their minds about what they believe in and what they abhor.
One major lesson from the Ekiti polls: APC isn't invincible!
The way this new unstable merger is being promoted as being over-righteous, indestructible and better than any other political association on the planet especially in the north is simply a ploy by politicians to induce mayhem should PDP win in 2015. APC always shouts about democracy but like I always say, I will wait till it has selected a presidential candidate especially between the duo of (my preferred Buhari) and the over-bearing PDP-turned-APC chameleon that sits at one of the prestigious government houses in northern Nigeria. An opposition party that is unprepared to accept defeat cannot do well if it finds itself in government any day.
Another lesson: In spite of what ever shortcoming he had while on the saddle for four years, Governor Fayemi, by accepting defeat, has portrayed himself as one of the best politicians to walk the corridors of power in this country.
What this astute leader did in Accepting defeat shows one truth that Nigerian politicians do not want to hear: NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU CANNOT ELECT YOURSELF TO RULE OVER THE PEOPLE. I am not ruling out the fact that elections have not been rigged in the country. What I am saying is simply this: It is not every time that one loses that fraud is involved! Governor Fayemi has shown by his sportsmanship that either you lose because the people don't want you for the moment (maybe because they don't understand your system of governance) or that even if he was rigged out, it is not all such fights that one should engage in in the interest of peace. We are not in 2015 yet, no party has a substantive presidential candidate yet and tension is already all over the place. We fail to learn from history. Already some people are of the opinion that if the PDP wins again that the process is suspect. Governor Fayemi has shown us a better alternative and I just wish that every other aspiring leader will emulate him.
The the third: I am not from Ekiti and I am not very familiar with what must have transpired which led to the emergence of Fayose as the winner, but this election shows that incumbents do not have the sole rights to procure a second term by hook or crook.
Someone said Fayemi must be from another planet and I totally agree with that. He appears to be a decent man. Whatever foibles he must have had as a governor which made him to lose in the polls are lessons he must have learnt in case he comes back to that seat, and I believe he will.
The onus now lies on Fayose to make a mark. For himself this time. There are several unpleasant tales about him - a typical PDP thing, throwing up the most questionable of characters at all times in spite of the throng of better humans available. That party always appears as one that is out to undo itself. Ask me: Call me a pessimist if you wish, but I don't think that Fayose will be outstanding. I don't know him as a person but the manner in which he bulldozed his way into becoming the PDP candidate leaves a sour taste in my mouth - I stand to be corrected though!
My advice to political parties in Nigeria: Winning a seat is not even half the race, ruling well afterwards is the whole race. Sometimes, you guys dissipate so much energy trying to get into a seat so much so that when you eventually get there it takes you up to four years to recover. And by the time you do, it is time for a re-election and then you hurriedly remember all that you would have done while there was time. Listen more to your inner, good consciences rather than these paid advisers whose main aim is to remain relevant with you on the saddle rather than to make. Good leader out of you.
To be continued...
Using Ekiti polls, there are certain recurrent issues on our political sphere which often escape our notice. The first one is that whenever our favored candidate fails to win, the election results become suspect. In the case of Anambra, when Senator Ngige failed to win, a lot of people (some of who cannot even locate Anambra in a map) made some remarks I consider very silly especially knowing that they are being propelled by their party affiliations and political predilections rather than accurate knowledge of the state and it's citizenry. Ekiti has happened again! People have come out with myriad opinions about what is, what was and what should have been. But I am most interested in the fact that the incumbent has come out to congratulate his challenger. This isn't a regular occurrence in this country. I just hope and wish that no one will soon convince him to change his mind about what a lot of people consider as a free and fair election. It has happened before because Nigerian politicians are the most unstable crop of people especially in terms of making up their minds about what they believe in and what they abhor.
One major lesson from the Ekiti polls: APC isn't invincible!
The way this new unstable merger is being promoted as being over-righteous, indestructible and better than any other political association on the planet especially in the north is simply a ploy by politicians to induce mayhem should PDP win in 2015. APC always shouts about democracy but like I always say, I will wait till it has selected a presidential candidate especially between the duo of (my preferred Buhari) and the over-bearing PDP-turned-APC chameleon that sits at one of the prestigious government houses in northern Nigeria. An opposition party that is unprepared to accept defeat cannot do well if it finds itself in government any day.
Another lesson: In spite of what ever shortcoming he had while on the saddle for four years, Governor Fayemi, by accepting defeat, has portrayed himself as one of the best politicians to walk the corridors of power in this country.
What this astute leader did in Accepting defeat shows one truth that Nigerian politicians do not want to hear: NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU CANNOT ELECT YOURSELF TO RULE OVER THE PEOPLE. I am not ruling out the fact that elections have not been rigged in the country. What I am saying is simply this: It is not every time that one loses that fraud is involved! Governor Fayemi has shown by his sportsmanship that either you lose because the people don't want you for the moment (maybe because they don't understand your system of governance) or that even if he was rigged out, it is not all such fights that one should engage in in the interest of peace. We are not in 2015 yet, no party has a substantive presidential candidate yet and tension is already all over the place. We fail to learn from history. Already some people are of the opinion that if the PDP wins again that the process is suspect. Governor Fayemi has shown us a better alternative and I just wish that every other aspiring leader will emulate him.
The the third: I am not from Ekiti and I am not very familiar with what must have transpired which led to the emergence of Fayose as the winner, but this election shows that incumbents do not have the sole rights to procure a second term by hook or crook.
Someone said Fayemi must be from another planet and I totally agree with that. He appears to be a decent man. Whatever foibles he must have had as a governor which made him to lose in the polls are lessons he must have learnt in case he comes back to that seat, and I believe he will.
The onus now lies on Fayose to make a mark. For himself this time. There are several unpleasant tales about him - a typical PDP thing, throwing up the most questionable of characters at all times in spite of the throng of better humans available. That party always appears as one that is out to undo itself. Ask me: Call me a pessimist if you wish, but I don't think that Fayose will be outstanding. I don't know him as a person but the manner in which he bulldozed his way into becoming the PDP candidate leaves a sour taste in my mouth - I stand to be corrected though!
My advice to political parties in Nigeria: Winning a seat is not even half the race, ruling well afterwards is the whole race. Sometimes, you guys dissipate so much energy trying to get into a seat so much so that when you eventually get there it takes you up to four years to recover. And by the time you do, it is time for a re-election and then you hurriedly remember all that you would have done while there was time. Listen more to your inner, good consciences rather than these paid advisers whose main aim is to remain relevant with you on the saddle rather than to make. Good leader out of you.
To be continued...
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