The commentary below is one of hundreds of contributions to "Nigeria, What Next?", allAfrica.com's debate on the best way forward for Africa's most populous nation after April '03's contested election.
As a Nigerian living outside the country I have closely followed news reports of the events surrounding the elections that held recently and my observations are based on what I believe is a rational analysis of the events rather than an emotional reaction.
Firstly it is clear to everyone that the elections were not remotely at bad and as violent as was predicted and the turnout was very high but not ridiculously so. This to my mind is an achievement worth celebrating. If we take the worst case scenario (the combination of the worst reports from observers especially that of the Europeans and Americans, who take joy in rubbishing everything African).
Observers were totally free to access all the polling stations and observe any and all irregularities; this again, to my mind, is worth celebrating. According to the worst reports, irregularities occurred in 12 out of 36 states - i.e. in 24 states the elections were well above board - a definite passmark for a nation just starting out in civilian to civilian transition!
In 6 out of the 12 states the irregularities were adjudged by the hard observers to be serious, but not enough to compromise the outcome, in other words lessons ought to be learnt for the future.
In the most contentious 6 states including Edo, Rivers etc the elections were said to be a total sham, and indeed in some like Edo, INEC has admitted this, but pleaded that it is only a court of law that has the power to annul the elections in these areas.
Evidently the ball is now in the court of the aggrieved persons to seek redress through the proper channels rather than engage in thuggish behaviour of hijacking press conferences and threatening fire and brimstone!
To my mind the greatest dividend of democracy in the past 4 years has been the coming of age of the judiciary. Over the past 4 years that it has been free of military dictatorship it has performed creditably - the most recent being over the matter of political party registration. There is therefore no reason for anyone, especially those who formerly shackled the judiciary to now claim that they have no confidence in the electoral tribunals.
It is worthy of note that the Obasanjo government and party has always obeyed the courts even in rulings against them; this to me is the greatest legacy of the man, because by that he is instituting the rule of law on which any democracy must be based. All aggrieved persons must therefore be encouraged to go to the courts, as this will not only right the wrongs but also strengthen our nascent democracy as well as provide employment for our young lawyers!
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Having said that it is probably of little use going to the courts in the presidential elections, because every non-partisan observer, whether local or foreign and including those that hate Obasanjo, agree that in an election organized and policed by angels, he will win. If you subtract the total votes he got from the 6 states in question and add them to those of Buhari the man still wins! However in the other elections it is vital that things run that course, so that those who undermined our electoral process will be exposed and punished. Long live the federal republic of Nigeria!
Uche, London UK
24 Apr 2003
