Sspecial to USAfricaonline.com, first African-owned, U.S-based newspaper published on the Internet
The 2023 general elections in Nigeria is no doubt another milestone in the journey of democratic rule in the country. Over the years since independence, Nigeria has had a long unbroken history of twenty-four years of democratic administration since 1999 when the second republic come into existence.
From Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru Yar’Adua to Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, it has been a long journey making Nigeria a top-notch nation in democratic experience in Africa and across the globe.
Two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the amalgamation of parties that metamorphosed into the All Progressive Party (APC) have been on the saddle of leading the country in these twenty-four years.
The ground norm is that Nigerians and the country have made progress in several fields including the economy, social and political spheres. The best take away is that the knowledge of democratic development has continued to expand and people are slowly getting into the rhythm of resolving challenges in a democratic manner.
The recourse to constitutional rule of solving issues is taking root in the country and Nigeria is becoming a reference point in the region over time.
The 2023 general elections for another round of electing leaders from the grassroots to the states and national level have presented itself again. Democracy is supposed to be the rule of the people by the people and for the people.
The electorate again have the chance to further consolidate on the gains of twenty years of democratic rule in the country by choosing the right leader to lead them for the next four years.
President Buhari has demonstrated in various for the readiness of his administration to make the votes of the people count in the elections. The electoral act 2022 took cognizance of the many challenges that come with elections in the country and aptly address them.
Various groups, locally, regionally and internationally have also contributed their quota in consolidating the various gains of the democratic years in the country.
During the February and March general elections, Nigeria are expected to show their readiness to move the country forward through the ballot box by voting the leaders that would address the myriad challenges confronting them daily in their personal and national lives.
Smooth transition is a norm that must be imbibed by all Nigerians to ensure a better future for the young and aged alike. No doubt, each leader a different levels would have contributed to what has become Nigeria of today.
This is with the sound reasoning that no leader comes to use his administration to see the downfall of a country, although misconceptions and interest may have come to play in taking such decisions.
From 1999 up to this period, Nigeria has achieved progress that is unprecedented in the life of a country. We only need to patriotically scrutinise such decisions in our in personal and national lives as patriotic citizens. Development in a country comes with its various challenges.
In transiting from one national development to the other, an administration may have the luck of starting and completing a policy or programme. In democracy, what is most required is for the citizens to be cautions of the short- and long-term benefit of policies and programmes.
This will allow for the needed decision to vote accordingly the leaders required to either change them or continue with them.
The ballot box is definitely the better option of attain development in a democracy. The fact that an electoral umpire has been put in place and given the necessary rules and regulations of conduct is a way to go and it serves as a way for holding leaders accountable to the people and the nation.
Nigeria has gone through a lot in arriving at where it is today, the elections would continue to be used by all patriotic citizens to answer the call of history that a decision had been taken. History, they said, would forgive you for taking a decision but it would never forgive you for not taking a decision at all.
The 2023 general elections is a litmus test of saying yes to our dreams of a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. A dream for us now, and our present as well as our future.
This article is with support from Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), a pro-peace and good governance initiative dedicated to preserving and promoting democratic principles as a prerequisite for peace and prosperity in Africa.
Ref: NAN
