By Yemisi Adegoke, in Lagos.
A FEW days before the Nigerian elections took place, a photo of Murtala Muhammed International Airport started to make the rounds on social media.
The image was striking: hundreds of Nigerians crammed inside its packed departure hall, apparently fleeing the post-election chaos that was bound to ensue.
The veracity of the image was never confirmed, but it was widely accepted and brought home a damning truth about the state of Nigeria.
People had completely lost faith in the government’s ability to protect them and, rather than feeling emboldened by the chance to vote them out, they were afraid.
The fear was understandable.
It was widely predicted that the most hotly contested – and the most expensive – election in the country’s history would lead to bloodshed.
The only question was where the violence would take place.
The obvious answer was the ravaged north where terror attacks have become an everyday occurrence, but there was also speculation that the staunchly pro-Goodluck Jonathan ‘South South’ of the country would erupt if he wasn’t re-elected.
PROCESS
These concerns were unfounded. Although there were clashes, the voting process was relatively peaceful.
The tense and tedious collation of results soon revealed that former military dictator General Muhammadu Buhari, who ran under the electoral slogan ‘vote for change’ would likely become president.
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At a time, his victory seemed almost impossible.
Initially, there was scepticism over his candidacy. Buhari had unsuccessfully run for president three times before.
During his first tenure as president in the 1980s (after seizing power in a military coup), he ruled Nigeria with an iron fist and his position as a ‘converted democrat’ was too much for some citizens to swallow.
There were fears he planned to ‘Islamize’ Nigeria; that he would divide the country with tribal politics; that, at 72, he was simply too old for the job. This election was supposed to be Jonathan’s to lose.
But after months of rampant insurgency, the falling rate of the Naira and jaw-dropping corruption scandals, Nigerians decided ‘suffering and smiling’ no longer worked for them and made history by voting out an incumbent president.
It’s a huge step forward, showing the willingness of Nigerians to take democracy seriously.
Now there is relief and jubilation. Nigerians are optimistic about the future and, pro-Buhari or not, the feeling in the air is that the system worked.
The majority made their voices heard through the ballot box and those voices counted. Democracy prevailed, but now the real work begins.
MAMMOTH TASK
Buhari, who in some quarters has been elevated to near God-like status, has a mammoth task ahead of him.
Though Boko Haram attacks have reduced over the last few weeks because of a six-week intensive military strike, they still remain an imminent threat.
Just as worrying is the case of the militants in the Niger Delta, their amnesty deal with the government has run out and they vowed to wreak havoc across Nigeria if Jonathan was not re-elected.
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Jonathan’s quick concession and call for peace, which may later be considered his greatest achievement in office, may have saved lives but it can only paper over the cracks for so long.
Buhari has made Nigerians big promises and now he must deliver. If he doesn’t, he must be held to account and in 2019 Nigerians must vote him out, because that’s what this win is about.
It is a victory that is bigger than Buhari. It was the day democracy won.
In his acceptance speech, the President-Elect said “change has now come” and it has, but that change is more significant than who occupies the Aso Villa [the official residence of the Nigerian President].
It’s about the millions of Nigerians who made the decision not to be taken for granted by their government anymore, who stood under the blistering sun and the tropical rains for hours and queued up, peacefully, to vote.
Yemisi Adegoke is a journalist and documentary-maker based in Nigeria. Follow her on Twitter @Britcoyemo
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