Nigeria: Beyond the 2015 elections

The year 2015 was approached with much trepidation in the hearts of Nigerians. It seemed doomsday loomed following forecasts by a United States diplomat in 2011 that the Country will cease to exist as a unified Nation by the end of the year 2015. This forecast was made more sinister as Boko Haram Islamist insurgents began seizing and holding territory in the North East for the first time since the beginning of their five year insurrective activity; as the Nigerian army melted into defensive positions, retreating in tactical manoeuvres, the ragtag Boko Haram movement evinced invincibility and defiance against the Nigerian government.

Omininous description of a disintegrated National insignia
Source: Unknown

More ominous still was the impending 2015 general elections which hung as a Sword of Damocles on the continuous existentence of the corporate entity of Nigeria’s nationhood. With ethnic and religious sentiments whipped to the heights, it was thought the 2015 elections would begin the defoliation process of Nigeria’s nationhood.

The elections though postponed came and went alongside its attendant mudslinging calumnous lavish campaigns, and what seemed an April’s fool’s joke turned to be a National reality as the major Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Muhammadu Buhari was declared winner of the March 28th presidential elections in the early hours of 1st April 2015. This was a rude shock to the governing People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who had until this time never lost at the presidential polls since its founding in 1998. It had once declared that it will continue to govern the centre for 60years.

In the face of this new trend, all was calm and the acceptance of defeat by the incumbent PDP candidate Goodluck Jonathan in a congratulatory call to the major opposition candidate assuaged all threats of instability by muscling political gladiators.

A comic relief to the change of the baton of governance

By attendant fate, the victory of Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential polls has charted a new course in Nigeria’s journey to Nationalistic Eldorado. Whilst the opposition bask in the euphoria of its thumping victory over the governing PDP, current issues bedevilling the Nation will spank thoughts for immediate action once the government settles into power come 29th May. Over the last week of the Jonathan regime these issues have been brought to bear such as:

1.     A seeming resurgent Boko Haram: though the army in series of territorial control reverses claimed to have nipped the insurgents, not even the clearance of their Sambisa forest camps have evacuated their threat. The insurgents have recently begun another round of murderous rampage and seizing towns and villages around the Lake Chad. With the whereabouts of its leader Abubakar Shekau still unclear, the incoming government will have to seal the fate of the insurgency as soon as possible, once and for all.

2.     Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of the North East: the suave of the Boko Haram insurgency has taken a toll on normal life in Bornu, Yobe and Adamawa States. Over a million people have been rendered homeless and hundreds of thousands are still camped in internal displaced camps. Schools remained shut, government infrastructure in those areas are destroyed. The onus lies on the incoming government to rehabilitate the peoples and infrastructure of this zone in order to avert a humanitarian generational disaster.

3.     Curbing the menace of Fulani herdsmen: The rife murderous menace of nomadic Fulani herdsmen especially across the middle belt States of Nassarrawa, Taraba, Benue and Plateau is giving a cause for alarm. Perhaps, it was because of this sinister trepidation peoples of this area overwhelmingly voted for the PDP candidate Goodluck Jonathan against Muhammadu Buhari who himself a Fulani was seen as a protagonist for their murderous nomadic Fulani visitors. The incoming president should wield his ethnic influence in settling this matter once and for all. In this day and age of technological advancement, ranching should be the in thing and not nomadic herding.

4.     Energy Crises: this is another harsh reality the incoming government should be awakened to. Just in the last week of the Jonathan government, power generation dropped to its lowest ebb of just over 1000MW! This was made more sinister by the scarcity of petrol and diesel. Though past regimes have tried and failed woefully in this respect, the new regime will have to buoy and brace itself for tangible action in this regard. Harnessing gas reserves, making local refineries functional are germane issues in this regard.

5.     Corruption: So much has been said as to what defines corruption during the Jonathan regime. Stealing is not corruption has been the hallucinating remonstrance. In any case, both stealing and corruption are vices to be curbed in governance, but how it will be fought is an issue for the new regime to decide. Nevertheless, a pragmatic approach devoid of vendetta which will clog the wheels of governance should be avoided.

6.     Electoral Campaign reforms: The last elections went down as the costliest ever Africa wide. Whilst campaigns don’t come cheap, it is heart rendering to note the millions of Naira that go into purchase of nomination forms and buying over of delegates. This has in no doubt carved a niche for political business as elected officials will seek to embezzle to recoup for their campaign expenditure. Whilst the Jonathan regime must be applauded for electoral reforms, the Buhari regime should seek to be applauded for electoral campaign reforms. Cutting down on the cost of governance and making salaries and allowances of government officials unattractive is also an issue to be tackled in this regard.

In all, the Nigerian problem is a hydra headed plethoric monster that requires wisdom to take on. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. May the new regime find such to advance the cause of the Nigerian project.

Wishing the incoming Buhari regime Goodluck!
 Long live the Federal republic of Nigeria!