Congratulations, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency Kashim Shettima Mustapha. Your road is going to be “rough”… Handshakes for peace must start from the top. The de-escalation of toxic narratives must also start from the top. You both cannot follow the footsteps of your predecessor and you need to work extra hard at genuinely addressing issues of our ethnic faultlines in Nigeria. This is how to drive and a huge inclusive governance.
All of us have lessons to learn from the past few days. Lessons in tolerance. Lessons in appreciating the deeper meaning of diversity. Lessons in inclusiveness and the jettisoning of tribal prejudice.
In a nation where we’ve all inter-married and and are socially interwoven, we should now work for the greatness of this nation and gradually walk away from the narratives of “Jagabandits” or “Obidiots”. Anyone rooting for a candidate will fight hard because we all have a stake in the national project. This is why caustic narratives have flown across from all directions. It’s not limited to any camp. No one should keep accusing another. This has been our most incandescent campaign and voting exercise. I am disgusted that some people were disenfranchised. It is very unfair. But I am in high hopes that our legal system will straighten things out ultimately.
The outing of electorates in this last election was not demographically linear. Some husbands voted for Bola Ahmed Tinubu, some wives believed Obi was “POssible” and voted accordingly.
Picture a husband and wife queuing to vote; walking into the booths and making different decisions. At night they still shared the same bed and the wife didn’t turn her back to the husband. I’ve heard some wives cracked jokes with their hubbies mornings after saying, “my candidate lost but your candidate that won must perform”.
I’ve heard some husbands say, “if he doesn’t, “I’ll be the first to start calling him out”.
Some bosses voted Peter Obi, their staff voted for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Work has continued today and the banters are alive. This is democracy.
Our politics is taking shape and pundits are being challenged. Those who said Obi had no structure were given a run for their money. Obi raised expectations, he challenged our established hegemonies. He fought hard, won states and treaded where angels fear to fly. Obi is phenomenal and globally acclaimed. He’s the MAN OF THE MATCH…I doff my hat for him!
Our politics is taking shape and pundits are being challenged. Those who said Obi had no structure were given a run for their money. Obi raised expectations, he challenged our established hegemonies. He fought hard, won states and treaded where angels fear to fly. Obi is phenomenal and globally acclaimed. He’s the MAN OF THE MATCH…I doff my hat for him!
Those who dismissed Asiwaju as an inconsequential frail man saw him traverse the whole states of the federation, throwing banters, dancing, dramatising but speaking in measured tones. It was clear he has a policy template he’s holding to his chest. That was my reading of his campaign.
Now that this is done, all toxic narratives must now be eschewed. Everyone is important, irrespective of tribe, creed or party affiliation. There must be genuine handshakes across the divide. Focus must be on fixing this nation and urgently too. Security, power and inclusive governance, whereby no one is left behind must be on the front burner of issues. Losers must not be repulsive and winners must be magnanimous in victory. Name calling or excessive hard-hitting jokes are not features of maturity. They portray us as infantile.
May Nigeria work in our own time. This should be our spirit.
Congratulations, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and His Excellency Kashim Shettima Mustapha. Your road is going to be “rough”… Handshakes for peace must start from the top. The de-escalation of toxic narratives must also start from the top. You both cannot follow the footsteps of your predecessor and you need to work extra hard at genuinely addressing issues of our ethnic faultlines in Nigeria. This is how to drive and a huge inclusive governance.
May you “journey” with only one thing in your focus both…REPAIRING NIGERIA!
Akin Fadeyi is the founder of Akin Fadeyi Foundation.
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