Nigerians Reaction To The 2023 Election
Indeed, one cannot turn blind to the tendered interest of Nigerians regarding the 2023 election. The massive turnout of Nigerians more especially the youths is recording breaking. Since the country transitioned from military rule in 1999 to democracy, there has never been an election that galvanized the interest of Nigerians.
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That’s because the people were already acclimated to the ‘business as usual protocol’ where politicians buy votes or maneuver themselves to power. In other cases, the INEC manipulates the result to favor their preferred candidates.
This business-as-usual protocol brought the unapologetic apathy of Nigerians especially the youths over the years, until the massacre of youths during the endears protests in 2020.
The massacre was a no-brainer that opened the eyes of people to understand that democracy being the ‘government of the people by the people and for the people’ according to Abraham Lincoln was far-fetched in Nigeria.
Though Nigerians had felt this burn of maladministration of the ruling parties, APC and PDP which had been alternating power since 1999, the 2020 protest made people fight for their rights, bring an end to corruption, bad government, injustice, insecurity, and most of all crumpled economy.
Following that event, Nigerians began enlightening themselves on the importance of having a PVC which is the only way to salvage the country from tyranny.
Various Nigerian celebrities shouldered the responsibility of airing their opinions on who would hatch this vision for a new Nigeria.
People like Paul Okoye or rather P-square had before the election of February 2023 tweeted about ‘cabals’ wanting the Labor party candidate, Peter Obi to step down because they knew he would be a huge threat to them.
He wrote. “The cabals and beneficiaries of the corrupt state of Nigeria do not want to see it change. It does not matter whether they’re Igbo, Yoruba, or Hausa, when it comes to ensuring power remains with them, they unite against Nigerians! Now that the youths are united, they are afraid.
“Why are they not advising Kwankwaso, Sowore, or any other politician to withdraw from the race? Why @PeterObi? They know he is a threat. Dear frustrated Nigerians, take your anger to the BALLOT BOX come February 2023.”
That said, Nigerian youths knew they had backups of top celebrities unlike before when these personnel stayed mute in matters of concern.
The people’s hope, trust, and vigor were ignited following the 2022 electoral act that promised transparency and accountability of the election results by employing more technical means of counting votes and accreditation of voters at the polling unit. This was outlined to douse the fears of result manipulation. In that bid, youths recorded the highest number of people who registered for their PVC in 2022.
The vigor and hope, of course, still didn’t wither as youths availed themselves to rally for the very person, they rested their faith upon to birth this new Nigeria they all yearn for.
By 2022 October, the rally was held in various places across the country, and down to the day of the election, Nigerian youths shocked many by turning up in numbers at their various polling units. They went as far as staying under the sun to ensure that their votes were counted.
However, the wary trust Nigerians had in the whole election process was broken by the INEC who failed to maintain the specifications of the 2022 electoral process. The INEC chairman, Yakubu Mahmood, paid no heed to the clamors of Nigerians who found out that their polling unit results were manipulated and the Bvas system was not adhered to as stipulated.
The anger of Nigerians was more heightened when the INEC chairman announced the ruling party candidate, Bola Tinubu the president-elect even when most polling units are yet to submit their results.
This spurred widespread reactions from Nigerians as they began uploading the results of their various polling units. Even videos of APC spokesmen threatening people not to vote for the opposition party sputtered the media. Violence and death were registered during the election process, thus the very outright rejection of Bola Tinubu as the president-elect by the Nigerians.
According to Sahara reporters, the Nigerian rappers Folarin Falana (Falz) and Olanrewaju Ogunmefun (Vector) expressed their huge displeasure in the 2023 election which was skirted on violence and fraud. They released a new song titled “Mr. Yakubu” where they detailed the irregularities of the election and the alleged manipulation of the election result by the INEC.
Following that song, Nigerians reacted on social media by dropping various comments.
“In the “YAKUBU” video, Falz replaced the broom in the APC logo with a GUN and he’s 100% CORRECT.
The innocent blood APC as a party has shed since they came into power is UNPRECEDENTED!!!
And instead of APC, he used “OLE”, mandate stealers, that’s what they are, THIEVES!!!” Sportsdokita.
Another user, @Novieverest also dropped a comment, saying. “Falz didn’t just make Yakubu Mahmood’s evil known all over, he just put the judiciary on the spot. That guy is the African Giant. My respect for Vector. All eyes are on the judiciary. Thanks, Falz,”
Some other important personnel in the Nigerian entertainment industry equally vocalized the irregularities that marred the 2023 elections.
The Nigerian Veteran Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo reacted to the viral video of an unarmed voter who was threatened by APC thugs not to vote. He thereby wrote on his Twitter page, saying. “It shall never be well with all enemies of Nigeria no matter how highly placed they are. Whoever made any promise to Nigerians in deceit will never see any good thing forever. In God we trust.”
In a short video clip, another popular Nollywood veteran actor, Kanayo. O. Kanayo said, “INEC chairman and Commissioners have compromised. They sold shame to me in the marketplace. You deceived us.”
“We must hold accountable the INEC Chair, Mahmood Yakubu, for promising to transmit results from the polling booth, so we need to ask him at what point he changed his mind and compromised.”
When some international personnel began to Congratulate Bola Tinubu, the said president-elect of the 2023 elections by INEC, many Nigerians were displeased. Chimamanda Adichie, the Nigeria international writer, wrote an open letter to the U.S. president, Joe Biden, detailing the irregularities of the 2023 election and the INEC’s failure to adhere to stipulated laws.
“American intelligence surely cannot be so inept. A little homework and they would know what is manifestly obvious to me and so many others: The process was imperiled not by technical shortcomings but by deliberate manipulation.” She wrote.
“A global community for democracy cannot thrive in the face of apathy from its most powerful member. Why would the United States, which prioritizes the rule of law, endorse a president-elect who has emerged from an unlawful process?”
“Congratulating (the election’s) outcome, President Biden tarnishes America’s self-proclaimed commitment to democracy. Please do not give the sheen of legitimacy to an illegitimate process. The United States should be what it says it is.”
Adichie’s letter about ‘Nigeria’s hollow democracy’ divulged the fallout of the election and the death of democracy to the international communities.
Other celebrities such as Kate Henshaw, Chioma Akpotha, Uche Jumbo, Marconi, Simi, etc. equally reacted to the manipulated results of the election.
Conclusion on Nigerians Reaction To The 2023 Election
What happened in the 2023 election has been repeated since Nigeria’s first republic and over time it has led to an elections crisis. Most Nigerian youths would have stepped out to protest INEC and their inability to maintain law and order as outlined in the 2022 electoral act.
However, the youths tend to remain calm as per Peter Obi’s pleadings and leave the rest for the Judiciary to prove their worth since the electoral body has failed the people.
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