By Dr. Ugoji Egbujo

The elections are here. There is no margin for error. So, we must work and pray. We must work for peace and pray for unity. If we could choose credible leaders without frittering away borrowed funds in this exorbitant and perennially ineffectual ritual, our situation wouldn’t have been as dire. Nigeria’s economy is in a parlous state. The last thing it needs is political uncertainty. A leader with the capacity and character to steer the ship of state out of turbulent waters has chronically eluded us. The system is rigged against simplicity and honesty. Yet a post-election crisis will be the worst-case scenario. 

Our floundering nation-ship must not be agitated. Because our revenue stream is so weak that all it can do is service our debts, we have no buffers. Let’s remember that we borrow to pay our indolent leaders and borrow to fund our gallant military to contend with the insurgents bent on torpedoing the state. We must remain awake to the depth of our problems. So, let it be known that our creditors by whose grace we live prodigally would not like to witness a stalemate or a crisis during and after this election. Our easiest path to a precipitate bankruptcy will be to give our creditors sleepless nights. Anything short of a smooth transition will make borrowing difficult, costly, and imperil any hopes of recovery.

The elections can’t but be free and fair. It’s a national economic and security imperative that they are deemed credible. We have allowed a governor in Rivers to threaten political opponents and prevent a major party from holding its presidential rally in the state. We love to be entertained by clowns. But we shouldn’t let the standards fall lower. We can’t take further chances. The process is as important as the final outcome. If governors are allowed to round up political opponents, brand them cultists and hand them over to friendly magistrates to quarantine them in prison till the elections are over, then an atmosphere that fosters pre and post-election crises has been created. Before we blame the gods, we must restore discarded taboos. A moment of sober reflection would have propelled the nation to condemn a governor who appointed 200,000 political advisers on the eve of the elections. The world is watching. Our long suffering international creditors shouldn’t be given cause to wonder if we understand our predicament and appreciate their anxiety. 

So much would depend on the INEC and security agencies. Ballot papers and the necessary equipment must arrive at the polling units on time. The atmosphere has been charged by political vuvuzelas on all sides. The newly adopted Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS and electronic transmission of result sheets will enhance the credibility of the elections. But the equipment must not stutter, and must not suffer hiccups. Any large-scale malfunction of the BVAS would be treacherous. But even such disappointments must be borne with great patience knowing that our friends and creditors are watching we can’t afford to make them miss heartbeats. 

Fortunately, the president has shown an evident lack of bias. It’s unprecedented. Nothing strengthens credibility better than a process cheered by the opposition. President Buhari’s attempt to use a currency redesign program to contain vote buying may have been poorly prosecuted but his desire to stamp out that evil and enhance the personal autonomy of voters must have been noted by our creditors. The process matters and President Buhari’s determined disposition has already earned the country credits. However, security agencies must see it through. If industrial-level vote buying occurs, we would attract the epithet Banana Republic. Not in its racist usage. But imagine a democracy amongst monkeys and the influence a bag of bananas would have. We shouldn’t let our friends continue to caricature us as a people practising peaceful cash and carry democracy that inevitably produces a roguish leadership.  

If the elections are free and fair, and the collation of results is transparent and honest, the losers would be more willing to accept the result. A result that reflects the true wishes of the people will boost the confidence of lenders and the international community in our national commitments. The president must support the EFCC to disrupt the vote-buying schemes of the governors the agency has identified by all means. True wishes are not wishes extracted by monetary inducements. When results are contentious, losers will flood the courts with petitions. And while the courts are busy sifting the cases, our leaders will lack the legitimacy that comes from secure tenure. Because our international partners understand that our politicians can conjure victories and our courts can perform magic, they won’t engage fully with an unstable government sitting on one buttock. If the results are widely disputed, losers could resort to unpredictable actions. The electorate could become defiant. The scenarios can’t be numbered. 

The consequences of post-election confusion can be nightmarish. But regardless of the outcome, lives must not be lost in this cycle. Elections are not do-or-die affairs. Public property belongs more to the poor than the politicians and the rich. The rich and mighty can access facilities all over the world. Most of those who took part in the burning of public buses in Lagos during the EndSars riots were people who travelled by those buses. If results must be rejected, they must be rejected peacefully using the courts and employing civil disobedience if necessary. The world is watching us. We can’t, in a fit of anger, destroy assets they lent us money to buy to relieve our suffering. 

We must resist election malpractices and injustice, but we must also resist any incitement by politicians and their hirelings to incinerate our peace, harmony and commonwealth. 

Let’s work, watch and pray.