Democracy and nation building many argue, is work in progress, especially in Africa, where issues of leadership and the kind of leaders it produces continue to dominate discourse daily. While we agree, the experience of what transpired in the political space, arising from the just concluded elections may have put a big question mark on our democratic journey in the last 24 years. Many have completely given up hope based on the recent development, unfortunately in the political space. Popular opinion has it that Nigeria is not a leader with shining example as the biggest and most populous African nation, democratically. For a nation to grow, tribalism must die, but in our case, it appears we are at the crossroads whereby the supposedly political gladiators of our time are the ones fanning the embers of disunity and hatred that is fast eroding our commonality as a people. Everyone without exception appears to be at a loss where the country is at the moment, except men and women of good conscience rise to the occasion to salvage what is left, and urgently stabilise the country. Nigerians cannot wait to see the urgency the national maladies plaguing the country would be dealt with. Today, individuals in authority, surprisingly, feel more important than the state that gave them the platform on which they stand. Laws too, have become discretional and uncertain, which have completely eroded the confidence people have in the judicial system.
Politicians on the one hand have forgotten that it is a privilege to find themselves where they are today, and that the country belongs to us all no matter where anyone comes from. The bottom line therefore is that the new government really has a lot of work to do if Nigeria must pull through and come out of the current challenges besetting her. We should not shy away from the problems of ethnic and tribal sentiment that is undermining her development as a united country. This draw back must be confronted with every sense of urgency and vigour by the new government, if we are desirous to make any meaningful progress. The resilience, hope and faith of the citizenry should not be further overstretched. The simple truth is that, the political, economic and social life of the people are at its lowest ebb. Things should be made a lot easier, rather than adding to the hardship the majority of Nigerians are going through. This option should not be weighed at all given the tension already visible around us. The incoming administration should have a clear mission on the way to go on the implementation of programmes and policies upon assumption of office, and not how to mismanage the economy. Distrust among ethnic nationalities should also be addressed.
The political jobbers who are bent on causing disaffection among the people should not be allowed to come near the corridors of power this time, if we must build a system free of any form of bias. Messages of hope and unity are what Nigerians need at this trying times. We must come out unscathed from the looming danger and political logjam the country has found herself, unfortunately though. The citizens too, should realise that the country is in a delicate situation, where tempers are high, and distrust everywhere, owing to elections which many perceived were marred by serious irregularities. Therefore, they should desist from acts that are capable of threatening the relative peace in the country. We must not lose hope in the Nigerian project, but instead, be hopeful because hope never fails.
