By Eddie Onuzuruike
Casting of ballot has become the most acclaimed electoral expression by citizens of all democratic nations worldwide. Since emancipation from colonial and other overzealous authorities, there have been so much efforts made on voter education in order that people are at liberty to elect their leaders.
This has not been very easy as people in some countries have been structurally disenfranchised due to discriminating suffrages based on race, age, religion and sex. It was just a few years ago due to many years of struggles by Nelson Mandela and others that blacks who are ironically the owners of the land were freely allowed to vote in South Africa. Before now in some Arab countries like Kuwait, women do not have that liberty. It was only in 2006 that women were allowed to take part in municipal elections in Kuwait. Two outstanding women, Genan Bousheri, aged 32 years, a chemical engineer and Khalida Khader, an American trained medical doctor contested in the election. Khader, impressed and overjoyed with the development had this to say, “I have broken the ice and hope this will benefit the cause of women.”
You may well recall the stages of suffrages in Nigeria from colonial to present day. It is on good authority that Nigeria adopted the universal suffrage which allows men and women from the age of 18 in 1979 to vote in elections. It may sound odd that sometime in Nigeria, that the right to vote was based on property and income where it was the privy of taxpaying adults who could earn fifty to hundred pounds per annum.
Thinkers have come out with hard words expressing the sanctity of the right to vote. According to Boyer,‘it produces the most direct verdict by citizens on performance of those who govern them.’
Let your votes count is a popular slogan with the Americans and the world has realized that until your votes count, you may be operating any other form of government but not democracy.
Many elections since independence and before have been marred with claims and counter claims of electoral fraud. This mentality has led to riotous and bitter court cases where contestants refuse to acknowledge victorious opponents. June 12 1993, presented a deviation from the ugly past when the Abiola/Kingigbe, SDP ticket for the presidency gave a landmark ovation. This election rated worldwide as the freest and fairest in Nigeria did not come to reality due to the presiding officer of the day, the military who annulled the elections. Most of our leaders like Late Sam Mbakwe sang it like a song till he died asking that June 12 should be actualized.
March 28, 2015, has presented a consolation to our yearnings. There were new introductions like the card reader, an electronic piece which matches the facial image in the PVC with the finger print and thereafter accredits. The presence of this alone frightened most people who saw the card reader as an oracle that rejects sinners. With slight glitches experienced in some places, the card reader has come to be.
March 28 started with the usual election frenzy. Recall that the adjustment of date from February to March raised all forms of anxiety and made doubting Thomases the smartest people around.
The prediction of the Americans that Nigeria may break up in 2015 added to the fears but we are living to celebrate March 28th 2015 as another June 12. In truth, it has further cemented the unity and stability of Nigeria as a country. The cheering news is that March 28 hasn’t been annulled like June 12. We need to apologise to Prof. Nwosu, who could not see his efforts germinate but history has vindicated him.
Another good news of March 28 is the trans-tribal victories of 3 non Yorubas in Lagos State. These new trends are Igbos and Deltans, candidates of PDP and AP, who won in Amuwo Odofin and Ajeromi Ifelodun areas in Lagos State. They won because their votes counted. They were able to contest because they satisfied the constitutional provision that they lived in that area for a stipulated time which qualifies residents. The stunning case is that of a woman, Mrs Rita Orji, who clinched the Federal House of Rep seat. Let us be free minded and make anywhere we live our home.
As we live to see our votes count, we congratulate President Jonathan who has accepted this verdict of the people. In this realism, a court of high jurisdiction in a foreign land long avowed that ‘no right is more precious in a free country than that of having a choice in the election of those who make the law under which, as good citizens, they must live. Other rights, even the most basic are illusory if the right to vote is undermined.’
March 28th has yielded multiple winners. Buhari, the elected, GEJ who alluded to the sanctity of votes, Nigerians whose votes counted and the electronic and print media who gulped the multi-billion Naira in adverts and commercials of many kinds. Never in the History of Nigeria have so much been spent on the media in elections. My prayer is that all the billions of Naira earned by the media houses of Punch, The Sun, Vanguard, Thisday, Guardian and others shouldn’t end in the capitalist pockets of the proprietors and their families. The Managers, editors, correspondents and columnists should be part of these electoral windfalls.