A Cross-section of Nigerians
Photo; Radio Nigeria Archive
In his popular speech “I have a dream” the American Civil Rights Activist, Martin Luther King Jr, called for an end to racism in the United States.
Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, the speech was a defining moment of the American Civil Right Movement.
As Martin Luther King Jr, many Nigerians on daily basis dream of better days even as they believe that the current challenges are realities that cannot be ignored, if a truly and strong nation must evolve.
The just concluded presidential election is another step that Nigerians have taken to elect leaders that will take the country to another level. The politicians must know that in every contest, there has to be winner and loser.
In a football match for instance, what sense will it make if all the team competing in an edition of the World Cup win the trophy? The impossibility of such result aside, the tournament will most certainly lose its essence.
It is clearly not possible that all the competitors in a particular race would win the gold.
This situation makes a salient point that competition stipulates the inevitability of winning or losing.
A national tragedy that the nation has been faced with is that, some politicians contest elections with a ‘winner complex’ foreclosing the possibility of losing.
Such politicians usually urged their loyalists to refuse to concede defeat. Naturally, there will always be two sides to a story and good enough, the constitution recognises that fact.
If you think you have sufficient evidential baggage, heavy enough to sink an ocean liner, and the courts think otherwise, the option is to concede defeat, congratulate the winner and see your failure as an impetus to re-strategise and contest another day.
Nigeria will occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations, even as its citizens become more patriotic, responsible and be ready to make necessary sacrifices for its greatness.
Nigerians have dreams that, corruption will one day become history; individual profile and rating will improve greatly and all corrupt manifestations will be sufficiently punished.
The actions of men are the best interpreters of their intentions. If anyone aspires to be a leader, they are under obligation to shun destructive tendencies that will arrest development and subject the very people you aspire to lead to gateless poverty.
Whoever bravely dares must sometimes risk a fall, contestants in elections must understand that. The greatest test of courage is to bear defeat without acrimony.
As the result of the presidential elections has been announced, all eyes of the world are on Nigeria as the giant of Africa.
Nigerians should avoid every form of protest and embrace peace in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Politicians contesting for positions are advised to always have at the back of their minds the possibility of winning or losing and shun loyalists who often benefit from political expediency.
Invariably, the winner should be mindful of the fact that the loser is part of the whole. The greatest conqueror is he who overcomes the enemy without a blow.
Winners should be magnanimous in victory, and extend hands of fellowship to the vanquished.
They should know that Nigerians want leaders that will provide them with constant electricity, good education, revamped economy, security of lives and property, infrastructure development among other dividends and not necessarily the political nomenclature.
Nigeria is a great nation. It has the potential to be great. But it takes the political will of the government and the collective responsibility of citizens to live the dream.
Writing by Nehemiah Anini; Editing by Oluwaseyi Ajibade and Julian Osamoto