Honestly, what went wrong with our democratic process was the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential elections; adjudged as the freest and fairest election in the history of Nigeria. That annulment was the most cruel act of injustice to the electoral victory of majority of Nigerian electorate who voted Chief MKO Abiola (a Muslim) as Nigeria’s President and Alhaji Babagana Kingibe (also a Muslim) as Vice President.
Knowing that it was a Muslim–Muslim ticket, both Muslim and Christian voters so joyfully voted for them based on merit; so devoid of religious sentiments.
Unfortunately, a clique of Nigerians and as a clear manner of showing ingratitude to Almighty God unjustly annulled majority of the voters’ choice.
And today, are people surprised as to why Nigeria has become so overgrown with general insecurity and crisis? And as to why most of our leaders at the top are so morally bankrupt and very shameless to the extent of even not knowing when to quit leadership positions.
The second reason as to why so much has gone wrong with the democratic practice in our Nigeria is that when President Goodluck Jonathan threw the spirit of justice and morality to the wind and rejected the PDP’s constitutional provision on zoning/rotation; by claiming that he (Jonathan) had the constitutional right to re-contest in the 2011 Presidential election.
Is it not clear to us how Jonathan’s constitutional right to re-contest has led us to untold sufferings; occasioned by insecurity? And in spite of all these odds against the oppressed President Jonathan is seriously warming up to re-contest in 2015?
How do we correct these anomalies for a better political future?
How I wish that President Jonathan would so whole-heartedly accept the fact that his leadership so far is nothing more than a total failure. And as a result, he should accept, in the spirit of saving our beloved country from collapse.
There is the need for Jonathan to decline from re-contesting in the 2015 elections.
However, if like the famous King Pharaoh of Egypt, Mr. Jonathan becomes so stubborn and goes on to re-contest; I pray that he should overwhelmingly be defeated at the polls.
On the part of the All Progressive Congress (APC) I want to say that majority of Nigerians are so dearly yearning for change from the grasp of PDP to the bridge of grace – which is so rightly described as APC.
We hope that our APC national and state leaders and in working consultation with all other leaders of thought; should meticulously find an amicable method of presenting a “nationally acceptable presidential candidate and the running mate”.
If agreed by APC leaders that the presidential candidate should emerge from the northern part of Nigeria, I strongly advise the APC leaders from the North-West geo-political zone to allow such a candidate to be chosen by consensus from either the North-Central geo-political zone or the North East geo-political zone.
Muhammad O. Nyianshima,
Kaduna
