Election Cycles And Politics Continue To Challenge Our Common Humanity....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Since the reinstatement of democratic governance in our country in 1999, we have had the opportunity every four years to either renew the mandates of our elected leaders or replace them as needed. I was too young to participate in the elections held during the first republic.

Historical accounts vividly depict the election campaigns of that era as marred by violence, hatred, and intolerance. It was the failure of politicians of that time to adhere to established rules of political engagement that ultimately led to the downfall of the republic when opportunistic soldiers seized power in 1966.

The politics of the second republic was similarly bitter. Election campaigns were rife with abuse, disinformation, lies, thuggery, and sporadic violence across the nation. The five political parties that contested the 1979 and 1983 elections differed somewhat in ideology and programs. However, figures like the late Ibrahim Waziri, the Presidential candidate of the Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), brought a touch of moderation, caution, and finesse to the political landscape by advocating for politics without bitterness. This message resonated with politicians of that era, leading to generally decent, enlightening, and festive election campaigns, despite occasional lapses in decorum.

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The third Republic marked an improvement over the second in terms of popular participation in election campaigns. They became grand spectacles of color, passion, and elegance across the country once political campaigns were allowed again. Sadly, in 2015, during the fourth republic, we reached an unprecedented low in our treatment of one another, with relentless attacks on His Excellency, Muhammed Buhari, former Head of State and the flagbearer of the APC during the election campaigns. We momentarily forgot that our humanity is the core of our existence, completeness, and essence. As Archbishop Tutu eloquently stated in his best-seller “Made for Goodness” (2010), we failed to recognize that being hateful and mean goes against the deepest yearnings that God has placed in our hearts, as every act of kindness enhances the quality of life while cruelty diminishes it.

In my view, while we all have the right to vote for our preferred candidate in an election, we should not sacrifice our essential humanity and goodness on the altar of hate campaigns and acrimonious politics. Archbishop Tutu reminds us that “the practices of goodness are practices of vigilance and conscious choice” and that they require self-knowledge. In other words, late Archbishop Tutu urges us to realize that failing to celebrate our shared humanity based on love, compassion, temperance, and mutual consideration for all can lead us to become sub-human, undisciplined, and a danger not only to ourselves but to all of humanity.

The inhumanity displayed during the 2015 and 2019 elections pales in comparison to the 2023 campaigns when it reached absurd levels. One candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is now Nigeria’s President, faced relentless attacks and defamation during the campaigns. He was portrayed as uneducated, incoherent, a worthless old man, and even a common criminal who was too ill to hold the nation’s highest office. Detractors composed a mocking song about him to ridicule him. However, given his background as a pro-democracy activist, party leader, accomplished administrator, talent scout, financial expert, and bridge builder, he was undeniably qualified to run for the presidency.

His detractors disagreed, but to their surprise, he won the election fairly and squarely due to his audacity, unwavering focus, temerity, patience, and ability to bridge religious and ethnic divides. His ability to withstand the barrage of hate, misinformation, and cruelty directed at him, particularly on social media platforms used as tools to denigrate him, is legendary and unprecedented in our history.

As a nation, we should agree that henceforth, we will respect our shared humanity and not view elections as brutal wars. Politicians must understand that in an election, only one candidate can emerge victorious. Democracy is strengthened and best served when politicians learn to respect the electoral process and its outcomes.

His Excellency, Ebele Jonathan, is now a global icon because he displayed wisdom by conceding to General Buhari in 2015. He has gained stature as a statesman and a democrat, earning respect worldwide for his commitment to peace and his acknowledgment that his ambition wasn’t worth the blood of any Nigerian. We should learn from his example and patriotism to maintain national unity. We should also heed the words of the late Nelson Mandela, who emphasized that enduring societies are built on friendship and tolerance.

We have more in common due to our shared humanity than we have differences based on our religions, as Mark Heard wisely advises. Therefore, the weaponization of religion during the last election was toxic and unnecessary. The Dalai Lama stresses that love and compassion are essential for humanity’s survival.

It is time for all Nigerians to unite under President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and build a nation where tribal, linguistic, religious, and social differences do not matter. Let us keep our religious beliefs in our hearts and refrain from using them as divisive tools. Let us celebrate our rich diversity and harness our shared humanity to build the great nation we all desire.

Nigeria must rise as a beacon of hope for Africa and the world under President Bola Tinubu’s inspirational leadership. Our responsibility is to offer our hands and hearts to work together in fetching refreshing water from seemingly barren wells, thus quenching our thirst and reaching the zenith of our boundless potential, glory, and greatness.

Victor Mayomi is a Public Analyst and a retired Director of the Federal Civil Service.