this side of Nigeria
Twenty-four hours ago, I had just finished writing this letter (well, not this one. The one I initially intended to share with you but had to put aside) when I came across a post from BBC Africa’s Twitter profile.
The post confirmed that there was a new president-elect for Nigeria.
And so, it began.
What followed were conversations shrouded in displeasure.
With every ensuing conversation, there was a sense that the recent Nigerian elections were nothing more than one man’s desperate attempts to assume a position he believes he’s destined to hold.
But we’ve heard this story before.
From Brazil, Montenegro, Belarus, and Russia to Chad, we’ve heard of presidential elections in the past couple of years that either reeked of fraud or were an attempt to attain or retain power—or both.
People flooded the streets to protest and make their voices heard after the elections in those countries. Several people died, hundreds were injured, and some were detained during the protests.
Before the Nigerian elections, I wondered what might happen if the current president-elect won. I was even more concerned about what might happen if the candidate, who had a forward-thinking mandate, actually won.
How would the supporters of the losing party react?
Would the losing party be willing to concede publicly?
Would we see protests that’ll lead to injuries and unnecessary deaths?
I was concerned that no outcome would lead to a somewhat peaceful ending.
But in the last 24 hours, I’ve seen a side of Nigeria and Nigerians that I had thought we had lost.
There’s a chance that the next 4-8 years for Nigerians could be as bleak as ever. But there’s also a slim chance that may not be the case.
And I’m seeing and hearing more Nigerians hold on to that slim chance of things not getting any bleaker.
Instead, despite the current election results, Nigerians are organizing—having diplomatic discussions, considering the legalities of potential next steps, and uplifting each other.
No blood is being shed. And that gives me hope.
Whatever the eventual outcome of this election may be, I have hope that the strides Nigerian youths have made in recent years will not be for naught.
I have hope that despite the challenges that plague the country, Nigerians can put forward and collectively get behind a mandate that promises a brighter future.
I have hope that we are much closer to better days than we’ve ever been.
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