The euphoria that followed the
results of the recently-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections
goes a long way to show that the quintessential Nigerian spirit of collective visceral
expression of delight at the demise of oppressive, debilitating and corrupt
regimes is alive and well. As a people that have been dealt a severely terrible
hand by insensitive and downright evil politicians over the past six years,
Nigerians almost everywhere were very expressive in their show of satisfaction
and well-deserved relief. The margin of defeat suffered by Jonathan and the PDP
was a lot greater than I expected and it was a comprehensive rejection of the
status quo and a yearning for that erstwhile elusive change. The jubilation
that greeted cities, towns and villages was reminiscent of that which followed
the news of Abacha’s demise. That says a lot. This was one orison Nigerians had been waiting patiently for an answer to.
Mission accomplished,
Nigerians have earned the right to expect a better, brighter and more secure
future. Nigerians have secured for themselves the right to take elected
politicians to task and demand of them the social and economic policies that
will improve their lot, individually and collectively. Nigerians have, electorally, voiced their displeasure with arrogant, loose-mouthed and corrupt
individuals who parade themselves as politicians. We have had it up to our
necks with thugs in office and murderers in power. We have decisively hauled
ourselves out of the mire of ignominy as a country and taken an unmistakably
decisive step in the direction of change.
As an obdurate opponent of
Jonathan and his infernally corrupt PDP, I felt particularly vindicated that
Nigerians moved comprehensively with the wind of change. The 31st of
March 2015 went down as one of the happiest days of my life, and indeed, most
Nigerians’. It was a fateful Tuesday that hope returned and purpose made a
prince-like, not a piecemeal, entrance into the political space. If 1st
October 1960 was Nigeria’s independence from foreign imperialism, 31st
March 2015 was Nigeria’s liberation from the far more oppressive and
soul-destroying local imperialism.
Now that we have elected
Buhari/Osinbajo and an APC-dominated National Assembly, the job of salvaging
our future would be incomplete without voting for APC governors and
APC-dominated State Assemblies. Uniformity of purpose and a unilateral drive
for change are essential for a complete change of direction and a determined
march towards that bright future we all pine for. The governments at both
levels (Federal and State) have to pull in the same direction so that change is
uniformly brought to all areas of Nigeria. No part or section of our country
must be left behind. It is a Nigeria for all Nigerians and of all Nigerians.
The voices of division, tribalism and religionism must be drowned out and
silenced for good. Never again must we allow divisive elements cause enmity and
discord among us. No Nigerian is better or more important than another. Our
sense of unity must be strengthened and the power of our diversity be positively
harvested and utilized.
As we jettison sycophants from
the ship of State, we must be rather mindful of hard-core thieves and political
nomads who have no place in the emergent political discourse, and the law must
bear down heavily on them without delay. The Nigerian political ambience has to
be disinfected and sanitized. Honour and diligence, not avariciousness and
thuggish disposition, should be at the forefront of politics and public service.
We have had enough of the Fani-Kayodes, Dokubos, Fayoses, Obanikoros, Edwin
Clarkes, Diezanis, and suchlike; our new ship of State should have no place for
such deadwoods, cringeworthy and detestable nonpersons. Such people have no
right of place in our new consciousness, nor do they deserve any accordance of recognition
in this new dispensation of peace, progress and prosperity.
We have reached a turning
point, and there’s no turning back.
Welcome to TurningPoint.
