By Akunna Ejim

Without the shadow of a doubt, the general consensus regarding the just-concluded 2015 elections in Nigeria is that this has been the most interesting set of elections to beat those that have come before. In all my years as a daughter of this great nation, I have never seen the granular level of participation exhibited by the majority of the citizenry, including the very old and the very young. Drama everywhere, but the prize for the most dramatic election and participants has to go to the governorship election in Rivers State, followed very closely by the ongoing saga in Ekiti State.

The razzmatazz which characterised the flamboyant campaigns, including the catchy radio jingles, and the unending drama on social media are still fresh in the memories of those who witnessed this historic event. The young members of our society certainly have a story to tell their children regarding all that happened during the 2015 elections. Only during the 2015 elections did I witness teenagers so caught up in the collation of results during the presidential election that they used Excel spreadsheet to make their own calculations, based on the numbers trickling in from the various polling centers.

It is quite safe to say that one of the positive outcomes of the 2015 elections is that the average Nigerian is now more politically aware than they were before the advent of the elections. Everyone had an opinion, and a lot of people tactically agreed to disagree on a lot of points, especially when tempers started to flare.

The media certainly played an important role, since a lot of people depended on the news from various outlets to stay informed on latest activities in the political arena. We also saw the rise in the power of social media, which had never really been so influential in past elections. In 2015, social media gave everybody a platform and a voice.

Let us not forget the palpable tension across the land, to the extent that so many people thought it was wise to relocate for the duration of the elections, all in a bid to avoid any violent outcomes following the announcement of the winner of the presidential election. The last few weeks and days before the presidential elections ushered in a flurry of activities as hordes of travelers flooded the airports seeking to make a run for it before things got out of hand. Most of the travelers planned to stay put at their destinations until long after the elections, but had to cut their self-imposed exiles short when they saw how peaceful the presidential election was.

Most importantly, and in my opinion, the most significant aspect of this election is the fact that those who expected the country to become engulfed in a raging conflagration of violence following the outcome of the elections were put to shame. Nigeria is still intact, and life must go on. Many, many thanks to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, who exhibited a sense of sportsmanship quite rare among members of the political crowd who view everything related to winning as a do-or-die affair. We do not need to look too far as we have several rulers of African extraction who have turned the rulership of their country into a monarchy compounded by oligarchy, perpetually drawing from the same recycled pool.

The image below by TY Bello captures the very essence of the transition of government as experienced in the Nigerian 2015 general elections. They say an image is more expressive than a thousand words, and I’m certain, during the very tense moments of the presidential elections, hardly anyone envisaged such a peaceful image emanating from Aso Rock.

I will say it again; shame to the prophets of doom who insist on tarnishing the image of this great country, and on propagating nothing but the utmost falsehood and negativity regarding my beloved country. The Western media did nothing but publish lies, half-truths and exaggerated accounts of all the negative stories they could find. From their perspective, there really was nothing good to expect from Nigeria, which many of them had already written off as a divided and consumed entity. We do have our differences, in language, culture, outlook, home training and so on, but the one thing which binds us together remains the greater boundaries of this country called Nigeria. In my sojourns, I have discovered that there is no end to that which seeks to keep humanity divided, ranging from religion and skin color to so-called status, and on it goes. The truth is that none of these perceived differences really matter when you consider the fact that all will one day leave this earth for good, no matter what.

My appeal to my fellow Nigerians would be to look beyond the superficial differences, and try to work together as a cohesive group. Remember, one broom strand can easily be broken, but a bunch will resist every attempt to break even one single strand within the group. Give peace a chance and allow the newly installed government get down to the serious business of governing the country.

It is early days, yet, but to whom much is given, mush is surely expected, and the whole country is watching the new administration to see how they will deliver on their campaign promises. Is it asking for too much to expect a reformation in the power, health and infrastructure sectors? How about giving us working refineries, or building new ones, whatever it takes to guarantee an overhaul of the petroleum sector. I am really glad our new president is a keen farmer, with farms of his own. This is a really good time to reform the agriculture culture in the country, and encourage young people to see the benefits in food production, as a viable source of self-sufficiency, while providing necessary commodities to the rest of the country.

—Akunna Ejim, akunnaya 25 @yahoo.com