By Mahmoud Shuaibu Ringim
The 2023 Presidential election in Nigeria has revealed some hidden facts about the nations march to a nationhood status of one nation one destiny. The far-reaching development was embedded in religiosity, ethnic bigotry and regional dichotomy.
The election is supposed to show case the country’s ability to strengthen and deepen its democratic credentials on the Global stage.
The journey to 25th February 2021 was long, tedious and challenging especially three months to the date of the election.
The redesigning of the Naira and its twin brother, the cashless policy almost torpedoes the success of the election. The fuel shortage did not help matters, it triggered price increase of the commodity to higher pedestal. This made the road leading to the election bumpy with potholes, sharp bends and narrow bridges.
The introduction of BVAS in voter accreditation and voting process raised the bar for politicians to intimidate, harass and jeopardize the election because, the new technology will check mate the possibility of over voting which had become a culture in every election cycle in the past.
However, the most significant development in the Presidential election this time around is the emergence of three critical factors that impacted on the electoral process significantly.
These are the one faith ticket (Muslim /Muslim) ticket embraced by the APC and serious division in the PDP which led to the emergence of LP, NNPP and the G5 governors of the PDP.
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The one faith ticket polarized the political atmosphere along religious line on one hand and the G5 agitation brings to the fore the regional dimension and its political significance in Nigeria.
The tripartite factors of religion, region and ethnicity became the key drivers’ of 2023 elections.
The crisis in the PDP is a carryover of what happened in its 2014 national convention where some aggrieved powerful members of the party staged a walkout from its convention venue at Eagle Square
Atiku Abubakar spearheaded the walkout followed by some of its Governors.
The merger of CPC, ANPP and ACN had taken place earlier which resulted in the formation of APC. The newly formed APC was struggling to stand on its feet when the PDP crises unfolded at its convention.
This development opened a window of opportunity for APC to explore. Consequently, APC succeeded and brought into its fold Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwanso, Bukola Saraki and their compatriots into APC.
When APC came to power with the support of the breakaway faction of the PDP was hanged high and dry with a handful of governors in the South and few from the North
The fortunes of the party nose-dived financially, and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State stepped forward to rescue the party from annihilation and collapse.
In 2019 Governor Wike has gained strong hold on the party structure because of his ability to maintain its relevance as the main opposition party. He made an attempt to help Governor Waziri Tambuwal to clinch the party’s Presidential ticket but failed.
The PDP had undergone series of crisis and changes in its leadership and its members who went into APC suffered a stroke because they were sidelined by the APC Presidency and were not compensated for their support and in some instances, they were chased out of the APC and ended up back home to the PDP such as Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwanso and Bukola Saraki.
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In 2022 a national convention which saw to the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as its Presidential candidate, the River State Governor Nyesom Wike was sidelined as the man to choose for Vice Presidential candidate of the party.
Earlier on Peter Obi was frustrated out of the party and went to become a card-carrying member of Labour Party. Meanwhile Rabiu Kwankwanso was also smoked out of the party because of the deliberate attempt by the leadership of the party that denied the emergence of his candidate as Northwest Zonal chairman of the party, he therefore went and joined NNPP and became its Presidential candidate as the case Peter Obi in LP.
The Igbos who have been crying of marginalization have now come full circle of having their own vying to be President. They, therefore, became fully mobilized and participated in the election irrespective of IPOB seat at home order. They voted top to bottom in most cases. It is our turn syndrome which reverberated in Southeast and not CANs appeal.
The ugly development in the PDP in having both Presidential candidate and Chairmanship of the party from the North led to North/South divide in the 2023 Presidential election.
On the other hand, the crises in the APC between its Governors and the Presidency overheated the polity because of the likely consequences of The Governors believed that the policy has thrown a spanner in wheels of the party to reach the finishing line successfully.
The governors accused some power brokers in the Presidency of wanting to push the party under bus. For example, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje insinuated that the President was inadvertently disbanding the party he helped to create by comparing the President with a famous popular Hausa singer’s song of “Habu na Habu” while Governor Nasiru El- Rufa’i suggested that the power brokers wanted to manipulate the system to their advantage using the redesigning of the Naira and the cashless policy as a pretext. They both believed that the policy poses a threat to their Party’s winning the election.
The crises started to unfold during the primary election when the APC Governors from the North smelt a rat in the stew and rushed to the President to insist on zoning of the Presidential ticket to the South.
The twists and turns in the party rattled an aspirant Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring out the sword in Abeokuta and ranted the infamous words of “Emi lo kan” on the podium.
The redesigning of the Naira within a short period of time to the election widen the gap between the Presidency and the Governors. The Governors rushed to Supreme Court for its intervention. The Supreme Court gave an interim injunction suspending the implementation of the policy until it determines the substantive suit, but the President proceeded with implementing the policy despite the subsisting Supreme Court order.
However, CBN went ahead to implement the policy with the approval of the President who gave extension of the validity of 200 Naira notes by two months while the 500- and 1000-Naira notes remained illegal tenders.
The President’s position on the issue has been loud and clear from day one. He has repeatedly mentioned that he wants to leave a legacy of a free, fair and credible election devoid of monetization of the process, which the Naira redesign policy was meant to achieve.
When the election was conducted, collated and result announced the APC’s same faith ticket clinched victory. The LP carted away the votes of overwhelming majority of the Igbo’s and substantial number of Christian voters, the PDP which was turned apart by internal squabbles was made to go home with a handful of votes which is marginally more than that of LP and NNPP came distant fourth on the tally but with overwhelming votes from Kano. The party’s vote was almost a million but with national spread as envisaged by its supporters. At least the NNPP flag bearer has made a point and rose to national prominence.
It is important to note that the election has demystified the influence of Nigeria’s fault lines always exploited by its elites for their own selfishness because of the insistence of CAN propagate and canvass for Christians to vote for LP because of the Muslim/ Muslim ticket offered by the APC and Governor canvasses for a Southern Presidency and canvases for APC’s candidate a Southerner irrespective of its same faith ticket.
It has proven that religious consideration has fallen flat on its face because what people need is a leader who has the capacity, tenacity and competence to deliver them to the promised land. Similarly, the regional divide has been overstretched to its limit. It doesn’t give its proponents the national spread needed to be President of the Republic no matter its ethnic coloration.
The international observers especially the former South African President Thabo Mbeki who represented the Commonwealth was fair, modest and credible in his assessment of the election. The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the American President Joe Biden amongst other world leaders have congratulated the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory.
Indeed, INEC and security agencies have risen to the occasion creditably. They gave Nigerians the opportunity to rise to the challenges of the time and circumstances in the face of economic dawn turn compounded by the Naira redesign policy and infrastructural deficit. The electoral umpire and the security agencies did very well. Congratulations.
The arrest of the Majority Leader of House of Representatives Alhassan Ado Doguwa on allegation of culpable homicide during the election has clearly demonstrated the seriousness of the Nigeria Police in handling election offences swiftly without fear or favor.
The 2023 election has opened a new page in Nigeria’s electoral process. President Buhari has succeeded in bequeathing a legacy of handing over to a President who is elected fairly and squarely devoid of monetary inducement but at a cost to the economy, voters and the rule of law.
The outcome of the 2023 election has opened a new page for Nigeria’s match to full a blown democratic nation.
There may be merger of some thought between PDP and LP in order to consolidate their conservative heritage of right-wing ideology.
On the other hand, APC merger with NNPP will equally consolidate and strengthen the centrist ideology of progressive leaning and heritage.
If the merger is realized the country will be practicing an ideology driven politics from its perpetual tendencies of religion, region and ethnicity.
Nigerians should learn from the 2023 election experience in order to enrich their wisdom in democracy and move the nation forward where no one is oppressed on account of their faith, religion or the region.
Nigerians should henceforth choose their leaders to make Nigeria great, respected and prosperous in the comity of nations and giant in sun of African continent.
Ringim of HALIM Consulting Ltd can be reached at mahmudshuaibu44@gmai.com
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