The triumph of Tinubu/Shettima and the question of nationhood, by Inuwa Bwala
Even in more controversial circumstances, there has never been a time a presidential election was upturned after the winner has been innaugrated. And our present situation is not an exception.
Agreed, that, there is always a first time, but it is equally true that history is not made out of a vacuum. It is a chronology of events that culminates into history. And there is nothing unusual to warrant the making of history with this.
And so, whether accidental or by design, the verdict of the Presidential Election Petitions Court on Wednessday, which coincided with the 100th days anniversary of their rule, remains the best gift to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The theatrics that followed the Declaration of the results were enough to cast doubts in some gullible minds.But even as a layman; bereft of any legal requirement, I was never bothered that the eventual Verdict by the Presidential Election Petitions Court, will upturn the Presidential elections of 25th February, 2023, in which Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kashim Shettima were declared victors.
By some form of distant magnetic allure, I could not resist watching what was happening in Abuja from Maiduguri.
I remained glued to my television set; watching in awe how the Vice President Kashim Shettima calmly watched and listened to proceeings in the court, as if nothing was at stake.
Many Nigerians thought the president was not bothered after all, which was why he could afford to travel to India during the pensive moment, leading to the court verdict.
I know, as a matter of fact, that the presence of the Vice President suffices, except for those trying to over dramatize the whole issue.
Those who follow debates, pre-dating the judgement by legal luminaries, could have seen through the futility of the appeal abinitio.
Though not necessary, Kashim Shettima’s presence in the court throughout the pronouncements was a soothing indicator that there was actually no cause for alarm.
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The comic angle to the day long sitting of the court was how all lawyers, especially from the appelants side dozed off while the fates of their clients were being decided, while all the judges and the Vice President remained rapaciously alert.
Even with the battle seemingly over, some of appeallants have vowed to take further steps beyond this, others have wisely succumbed to the wise notion, that, “God gives power to whom he wills, and no amount of mortal discontent could ever change anything”.
Whatever option anybody takes, Nigeria seems to have gotten to a point where there is the need to reawaken our sense of nationhood and get on the same patriotic pages, if ever we hope to develop.
Events playing out following the 2023 elections have tended to portray Nigerians more polarised than ever before; along political, ethnic, religious, and regional lines.
It is a tragic fact, that, in the face of our rich human and natural endowments, we often engage in needless ethnic, religious, regional or class squabbles, instead of harnessing our potentials and convert same into collective national pursuits.
It is a sad narrative that, rather than see ourselves as Nigerians, irrespective of political, religious, ethnic or regional clivages, we tend to ride on the backs of sentiments and emotions, with attendant threats of war on each other.
I wish we could cue into Vice President Kashim Shettima’s vission in his reaction to yesterday’s version.
“We cannot continue to gloss over the sensibilities of our people. We are conscious of our our problems as a nation, and as leaders, we owe our people the duty to treat every Nigerian equally and without prejudice. We have a covenant with Nigerians to be fair and just to all, and we have given indications of our good intentions to that. Let our dear citizens give us the chance to reposition Nigeria as we have pledged to do. ”
Shettima has also reached to the agrirv3d parties, including Atiku Abubakar, sand Peter Obi, seeking for their cooperation in the task of moving Nigeria forward
Humility and Magnanimity in victory covets submission and cooperation in loss. This is why I was so touched by the Vice President’s efforts in reaching g out to fellow Nigerians, to bury the past and unify for the future.
The judgement by the Presidential Election Petitions Court is phase but out feature beacons.
Bwala, a veteran journalist and public relations manager, was a commissioner in the government of Kashim in Borno State.
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