A new wind of change

THE long awaited 2015 presidential election has come and gone. We thank God that amidst all the fears of possible eruption of violence and disturbance of public peace, the process has sailed smoothly.

All the prophets of doom have now been put to shame. Perhaps, for the first time in the history of modern Nigeria, we are witnessing the triumph, not of any political party or candidate, but of the Nigerian voter, who not only cast his vote for the candidate of his choice, but braved the odds and waited for the ballot papers to be counted, amidst rain and heat, and followed the electoral process with keen attention till the results were announced.

Nothing else could have made this possible other than the fact that the voting masses had faith in the process. They knew for the first time that their votes would count.

The new wind of change blowing in the air is that the Nigerian voter matters. Gone are the days when politicians disregarded the common will and sat in hotel rooms and government houses to write election results.

A new regime of democratic ethos is emerging and the good news is that politicians now realize that sovereignty lies with the ordinary people and not with the people in power.

To paraphrase the profound lines of the American Declaration of Independence, all legitimate governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed; and whenever any government destroys the basis of that consent, “it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government.”

For the All Progressives Congress (APC), this lesson should not be lost. If it fails the Nigerian people who have voted it into power, it will be kicked out too and a new government instituted.

My friend and social critic, Paul Irikefe, puts it better: “The true promise of democracy is not really the outcome, but the process. It is about our ability and power to change any leader or any system.

It is this fear that the people can do this that provides the incentive that pushes the leader to perform. The lack of it is the source of all impunity and the abuse of power.

Real change in this country is precisely this: that we can exercise this power, dismiss any party, elect its rival, dismiss again that rival if it fails, until at last a people get the leader they deserve and the country that works for everybody.”

While the attention now shifts to General Muhammadu Buhari, who has demonstrated that with patience and determination one man’s courage can be the most powerful weapon of change, the single most revolutionary act that has set this chain of change in motion took place a few days ago, and it was not Buhari who did it.

It was President Goodluck Jonathan. Not only did he open up the political space for Nigerians to participate in the electoral process, thus establishing “a legacy of democratic freedom, transparency…and free and fair elections” as he said in his concession speech after the election result was declared, he also has taught us an unforgettable lesson in patriotic statesmanship when he conceded defeat and extended a hand of friendship to the winner.

I doubt if he will ever know the magnitude of what he has done by that singular act! For this reason alone, I strongly believe that whenever the history of modern Nigeria is written, what President Goodluck Jonathan has done will be told in memory of him. On the other hand, General Muhammadu Buhari has a lot to teach us about the timeless value of endurance, determination and commitment in pursuing one’s aspirations and convictions.

Here is a man who has contested for the Office of President for four consecutive electoral seasons beginning from 2003.

When he threw his hat in the ring for the fourth time, millions of Nigerians thought his desperation had reached paranoid level. But we now see that his perseverance has finally paid off.

Today, those same Nigerians who poured venomous aspersions and bile vituperations on him for being desperate to re-rule us are now congratulating him for being the Abraham Lincoln of our time.

I hope that millions of young Nigerians who are always aiming for a cosy life of luxury without suffering can learn from Buhari the lesson of hard work, commitment and determination in pursuing their dreams.

In his official acceptance speech, General Muhammadu Buhari promised that his government would roll on the wheel of service. “There shall no longer be a ruling party again: APC will be your governing party. We shall faithfully serve you.

We shall never rule over the people as if they were subservient to government.” I am glad that General Buhari himself has drawn out the implications of the pledge he has made to Nigerians.

He has promised to push the democratic frontiers forward by instituting a government that believes in and lives by the rule of law, “in which none shall be so above the law that they are not subject to its dictates, and none shall be so below it that they are not availed of its protection.”

He has promised to run a government that is all-inclusive, “one that will listen to and embrace all.” He has promised to put merit on the national agenda. “There shall be no bias against or favouritism for any Nigerian based on ethnicity, religion, region, gender or social status.”

He has promised a government that will respect and uphold freedom of expression. “You shall be able to voice your opinion without fear of reprisal or victimisation.”

He has also promised to tackle insecurity, corruption and economic decline headlong. Of these three critical national challenges, I am more attracted by Buhari’s clinical analysis of corruption.

“Corruption attacks and seeks to destroy our national institutions and character. By misdirecting into selfish hands funds intended for the public purpose, corruption distorts the economy and worsens income inequality.

It creates a class of unjustly enriched people. Such an illegal, yet powerful force, soon comes to undermine democracy because its conspirators have amassed so much money that they believe they can buy government. We shall end this threat to our economic development and democratic survival.

I repeat that corruption will not be tolerated by this administration; and it shall no longer be allowed to stand as if it is a respected monument in this nation.” These are very bold promises, and like all promises, they are merely blank cheques. Until we draw the cheques from the vault of this nation, we will hold General Buhari by his own words.

In the coming days, Nigerians will be looking forward to seeing concrete signs of the broom-sweeping change that APC promises. For this reason, I dare say it is not yet Uhuru! •Ojeifo is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Abuja.