Lessons from America 

SIR: The American election concluded few days ago with the declaration of Donald John Trump winner as America’s 47th president has once again shown the third world countries most especially Nigeria the way and proper manner elections should be conducted.

Elections are not supposed to be a do or die affairs revolving around imposition or manipulation. The only guarantee for such seamless process is the building of strong institutions to take care of state affairs in a most effective manner.

In my letter in The Guardian on April 6, 2023 titled: “Nigeria and the need to build strong institutions,” a total overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral process was canvassed in order to pave way for a pragmatic arrangements that would restore the people’s confidence most convincingly. Until that is done, the ruling party will always continue to determine and dictate the pace and the citizens will continue to be shortchanged and subjugated.

Now that the U.S. election is concluded, there won’t be any contestant crying foul nor the winner shouting: “Go to court!” in a nation where it is an open secret that both the electoral body and the courts are hidden agents of the incumbent government.

In the long run, Shakespeare wrote that: “To be thus is nothing but to be safely thus”. Riding on electoral manipulations to seize power will never guarantee good governance. Africa will only move forward when the machineries to conduct free and fair elections are put in place in a most visible manner and the government in power is sincere enough to follow them through.

Everyone must all understand that it’s only when people decide and determine to do things right that they would go in the right direction. If not, groping in the dark will continue to be the order of the day. 
• Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International Nigeria.