By Promise Adiele
The subliminal expression, “let Nigeria collapse, let us all go our separate ways,” is a dominant mindset for many people across the country. It resonates with tenacious assurance in the mental process of those who subscribe to such an idea. Surely, no one would blame them for believing that Nigeria has expired. Its twin expression is “the Nigerian project is not working. To your tents, O Israel.” Those who accommodate the second submission borrow a leaf from the Biblical book of 1 Kings 12:16, where the general discontent of the ten northern tribes of Israel towards King Rehoboam is captured. But the shrewd and circumspect have argued that the disintegration of the country may not be the best option. Those who hold the latter view base their convictions on two important premises that explain how the disintegration of countries with disparate cultural, religious, and existential worldviews takes place. First is through a civil war where a part or parts of the country decide to secede by force. Second is through a referendum or other constitutional means, which will ensure a peaceful, seamless disintegration of the country.
The first option, a forceful secession through a violent civil war, will not work. Nigeria has travelled that route before and lost over three million people in the most tragic human carnage ever witnessed in Africa. The second option will also not work because the country is currently under the vicious grip of greedy, desperate, self-serving and egocentric demagogues who are massively benefiting from the plump abundance of the motherland. Therefore, they would do everything to keep it as one. It follows that Nigerians are left with no option but to continually ensure the workability of the so-called political contraption. China, India, Malaysia and other countries are heavily populated, yet they have remained one country because human beings are in charge of their leadership protocols. The same cannot be said of Nigeria, obviously.
While at it, some Nigerians of good conscience are determined to ensure that the country does not become a private fiefdom of a selected few who benefit from the largesse while millions of ordinary people stew in the crucible of misery and anguish. The latter category of Nigerians above argues that if Nigeria should collapse, let it happen judiciously, where everyone would be satisfied. These Nigerians are strongly opposed to a situation where a few potentates will collapse the country through mindless and criminal appropriation of the country’s economic and social wealth.
Presently, there is an unpronounced war between two categories of Nigerians. The first category is the ruling class and their cronies, who want to liquidate the country and annex its lush resources. The second category is genuinely concerned Nigerians who constitute an opposition against the iniquitous bankruptcy of the country by those in power. The big question is – why would anyone think for a second that the ruling class want Nigeria to collapse? It is simple. The attitude of the APC-led government leaves much to be desired by people of equitable conscience. It appears that the APC-led government is doing everything humanly possible to liquidate Nigeria or have it go into flames. Or how would one explain the untold recklessness of the government in almost every area of the country’s existence? It is indeed shocking to a well-meaning mind that the real-time electronic transmission of results in the 2027 elections should be a topic to be debated.
Why is the APC-led government opposing the electronic transmission of election results, just why? The tragedy is that there are some ordinary Nigerians, victims of the current economic furnace in the country, who cannot pay their children’s school fees, house rent or afford a decent living, but are supporting the current macabre of administration to continue beyond 2027. Nothing can describe the tragedy of a country any better. It is understandable if those benefiting from this government one way or another support the government to continue in power. But it defies logic when ordinary, poor victims of the government’s brutal, insensitive economic policies parrot support for the same government that has impoverished them.
It questions the collective intelligence of Nigerians to continuously have a few unfit, dreadful people whose putrid identities can pollute any human space they preside over. Perhaps, if elections are free and fair, the best of us will ascend the throne and legitimately earn the support of everyone. When elections are rigged, the worst of us ascend the throne to the delight of the devil. To put it directly, any opposition to real-time electronic transmission of results in the 2027 election is a shameless support for devious manipulation and rigging of the election.
The APC-led government want an MC Oluomo, the notorious clannish king of the road, to transport election materials under a free and fair atmosphere. Nothing can be more ridiculous. Perhaps the government has rated Nigerians so low. Perhaps the government has discovered that our docility and primitive acceptance of roguish policies will always go unchallenged. Sadly, paid internet hustlers are all over social and mainstream media, arguing why e-transmission of election results is not good for Nigeria. Senate president, Mr Godswill Akpabio, shamelessly holds the opinion that a few places in Nigeria do not have internet connection; therefore, e-transmission of election results should be cancelled across the country. Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia State, is reported to have said that there is no internet connectivity in his village therefore, he would vote against the e-transmission of election results. Every APC politician holds the same ludicrous opinion and justifies it with infantile, laughable reasons.
Indeed, it is so easy to identify the enemies of this country, those who want the country to continue to suffocate under the crushing weight of criminality, election rigging, and vicious economic policies. The failure of the 2023 presidential election results to be transmitted electronically is the reason the country is bleeding from all pores today. That failure gave room for manipulation and the eventual enthronement of unfit persons in the corridors of power. The spiralling, percolating effect is the imposition of suffering and economic hardship across the length and breadth of the country. The current shades of tyranny towards the 2027 elections orchestrated by the APC-led government must not stand. Nigerians have been pushed to the wall, and they will inevitably respond in a way that would shock power profiteers across the country. Although the APC-led government is relying on lubricating all forms of propaganda machinery to justify its misdirection, the economic and social realities in the country continue to testify against the government.
One of the questions that agitates the mind of an equitable conscience (not everyone has an equitable conscience) is – why is the APC-led government afraid of real-time e-transmission of election results? Is the government afraid that Nigerians will reject the APC at the polls? Therefore, the government must resort to other manipulable methods to conduct the election, as was obvious in 2023. Almost all the governors in the country have defected to the APC. Almost all the lawmakers in the country have defected to the APC. The APC is in charge of all the local governments, police, army and other state instruments of coercion. So why is the government afraid of a free and fair election? There is a part which Nigeria must not travel – the part that would lead to the collapse of the country. That part is laced with thorns, snares and scorpions. The Nigerian government must be careful not to lead the country into that part. If the government assumes that it can lead Nigeria into the part of collapse while its officials are immune from the catastrophic fallout, then the government has underrated the energy of the masses and what it can generate.
History is a common teacher and the government of the day must return to history to learn a few lessons. The level of discontent in the country towards the present government is palpable. Bola Tinubu should not be deceived by the psychotic praise singers around him. Nigerians are angry and they are collectively waiting for 2027 to make a statement. Ozoemene is an Igbo word that means – may it not happen again. This is a prevailing sentiment across the country. Many people are praying that 2023 should not repeat itself. Nigeria should not collapse due to the ambition of a few people. If the country should collapse, let it be done on the hills of negotiation and amicable political decisions. If Nigeria should collapse, let it be done on the table of agreement and not through violent eruptions, where, as always, the blood of ordinary people will wash the streets while the rich would be ensconced in the protective shield of their obscene wealth.
Dr. Promise Adiele is of the Mountain Top University, he can be reached at promee01@yahoo.com; X: @drpee4
