WHEN ELEPHANTS FIGHT; A TALE OF THE 2019 NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The 2019 Nigerian Presidential election is over but it's very hard to tell if Nigerians actually decided or if the 'powers that be' decided for us.

People left their houses on Saturday, 23rd February ready to make their voices heard with their votes. Excited about exercising their right to vote as stipulated in the Nigerian constitution. Few cars were on the road as everyone was expected to be within a walking distance of their respective pooling units. A certain feeling of tense tranquility overtook the often busy streets of Lekki, Lagos. The few buses that were on the road conveyed youth corp members who were to serve their nation by working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to their pooling centers. All seemed to be going well 'on the island' as Lagosians would often call the part of Lagos most people consider 'more sophisticated'. Where you are less likely to magically loose the gold chain on your neck or the phone pressed against your ear at night. Where you are less likely to be insulted by a bus conductor for giving him a one thousand Naira note for a ride that cost only one hundred Naira. On the other hand, the people on the 'mainland' are seen as the ones living at the core of Lagos. At the heart and beauty of the Yoruba culture, less sophisticated and more exposed to the traditional 'Lagos experience'.

Social media made it possible for people to know what was going on at various parts of Lagos and in other parts of Nigeria. Live feeds were on, hashtags were live and most people were ready to vote. However, following the threat from the incumbent President days before the election about the fate of anyone looking to derail the course of the 'peaceful election' we were to have, people barely agitated for their candidates at the pooling centers because of the fear of being killed.
Sense fell on all and sundry.
While some people peacefully voted and headed home, others were sent on a wild goose chase by INEC as they searched for their voting centers because of irregularities in the information they had. While most people voted for either of the two major political parties (APC and PDP), others decided they were tired of the two parties and went with smaller but stronger parties.

It wasn't long until the 'expected' news started creeping into social media. It wasn't long until various unbelievable videos that seemed like clips from poorly produced, low budget Nollywood movies surfaced on the internet. People posted pictures and videos of destroyed ballot boxes at Aguda and Okota areas of Lagos (Western Nigeria). Voters were seen running for their lives as ballot papers went up in flames. Videos from Okirika, Abonema areas of Rivers State (Southern Nigeria) showed scenes of  Gunshots and outcries from voters complaining of election violence and voter suppression. Ballot boxes were snatched at gun point and voting was delayed in certain areas. Jungle justice almost befell unlucky thugs looking to steal ballot boxes from prepared voters. Clear videos of actual rigging processes that would make you jump on your feet and scream 'Jesus is Lord' passed through different social networks. The whole electoral process was merely 'turnioniown' (In disarray) in some parts of the south and the west. Lives were said to have been lost in some areas. Meanwhile, as this went on, the TV news media reported 'Free and Fair' elections all over Nigeria. It wasn't until evening that some of them were able to catch on.

As usual, out of disappointment, Social media Nigerians briefly telepathically left Nigeria for Canada, ethnic and political wars began to rise. Tension among Yorubas and Igbos online increased and hate words were said along tribal lines. In the midst of it all,very little was heard from the Northern and Eastern parts of Nigeria. Very little was heard until the collation and announcement of results by INEC.

The announcement process was set like a typical Nigerian 'High table' event that could bore a sleeping cat to death. The INEC Chairman and his team sat on the high table while others were in the audience. Series of old men came up to the high table to 'SLOWLY' read out the scores of the 72 political parties that contested for the presidential election one state after the other for all the 36 states of the country!!! There was no rush, the ones that couldn't see properly adjusted their glasses or went back to reconcile their scores. I said to myself, 'That meins we will sleep here'. We did sleep on it because the announcement started on Monday, 25th February and ended on Wednesday, 27th February. Thankfully, they were able to finish sometime this year. Can a real conversation about the 2018 electoral amendment bill now begin? Can we remember that we are in a technological age and maybe choose to grow like other developed countries? Can we have an amended electoral act that incorporates technology and reduces chances of rigging?

As results of the 'not so free and definitely not fair' election were being announced and the incumbent president was seen to be leading the opposition candidate with a large margin, the voices of the Easterners and the Northerners became louder. As usual, the ethnic divide upon which these hungry politicians feed to promote their selfish interests grew wider. Hateful and tribalistic comments flew over each other on social media. Politicians accused one another other of electoral fraud. On Wednesday morning, the INEC Chairman declared Muhammadu Buhari the winner of the 2019 Presidential election completely ignoring the glaring evidence of voter suppression and election violence.

And that was the end of the movie, one where the directors, producers and writers of the script determine the outcome of the movie as Nigerians play their roles as 'voters' while pretending as though their votes actually count for something.

The question however lingers, will the opposition party accept defeat? If not, how will it affect Nigerians? Will Nigerians ever take off their tribal blindfolds to see the actual enemies of their democracy? (Politicians)  Will our economy survive the impact of this outcome?

However it plays out in the coming week, Nigerians should always be reminded of this proverb and find their place in it--

'When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers'.