The violence of recent days demands an immediate response, but it is a symptom of a deeper crisis. Public confidence in the institutions that shd help us settle our differences peacefully is eroding. Ethnic suspicion is increasingly being put to political use. What is at stake is the survival of our democracy & our ability to live together as one country.
@FederalHigh in Abuja has set aside the @dabmark48-led leadership of @ADCNig & voided the presidential nomination of @atiku. The #ADC has announced its intention to appeal. That appeal deserves a fair, independent & timely hearing.
The ruling also raises a question that concerns every #Nigerian, whatever our party preference. Can we trust that the rules of political competition will be applied fairly, even when the outcome is inconvenient to those in power?
In Ado-Ekiti, @sowore reported that he & his team were attacked.
In Calabar, assailants smashed the windscreens of vehicles in @PeterObi’s convoy.
In Kebbi, #ADC campaign says its convoy was attacked & cameras & other equipment belonging to its media crew destroyed, cutting short live coverage.
When those covering a campaign are attacked, the public’s right to see & judge for itself is also at risk.
The ruling party has also faced intimidation. In Lafia, Nasarawa State, @OfficialAPCNg campaign visit was disrupted & @officialSKSM’s convoy was reportedly obstructed during his visit to the Emir of Lafia.
In Yankara, Katsina State, @PoliceNG confirmed that vehicles were set ablaze & political posters burnt.
These incidents deserve investigation wherever they occur & whoever is affected. A citizen has every right to call for a president to be voted out. Every party has an equal right to campaign peacefully.
A democracy depends on our willingness to defend both rights at once.
We have seen how quickly a crisis of confidence can become a crisis of the republic.
The disputed Western Region election of 1965 was followed by arson & killings. By Jan 1966, the 1st Republic had fallen. This will snowball into a 3-yr-long civil war & the loss of more than 1m lives.
The disputed elections of 1983 brought bloodshed again & by Dec the 2nd Republic was gone.
Each crisis had its own causes, but both showed how vulnerable civilian govt becomes when citizens lose faith in the means of correcting its abuses.
June 12 1993, offers another lesson. #Nigerians across regional & ethnic lines gave MKO Abiola broad support. The annulment squandered a moment in which citizens had shown at the ballot box how much they could agree on across those divides.
A credible election can strengthen the bonds of nationhood. When citizens believe their votes can be discarded, the damage reaches far beyond the candidate whose mandate is at stake.
There must still be a country for whoever wins in 2027 to govern. Every candidate seeking the presidency should tell Nigerians what they intend to do to restore confidence in our institutions & hold our country together. They can begin now by rejecting ethnic incitement, defending the right of their opponents to campaign & committing themselves to respect a credible result. @officialABAT bears a special responsibility to ensure that the institutions of state serve all Nigerians impartially throughout this election.
