Election 2023 Is Finally Over, By Segun Showunmi

After an election, there are two ways to follow in the immediate, the way of the cheap self-serving hustler or the way of the patriotic citizen.

Whereas the patriot looks at what is the overall best interest of the country and of democracy as an ideal, calmly considering the actual evidence, following the laid down rules available for redress or congratulating the victor as the case may be, the self-serving hustler obstinately insists they won, inciting their followers, refusing to concede and simply being entitled.

The truth is that ambition must be carefully weighed ab initio to examine what is the driving objective, what is the ultimate desire and why.

I am a deeply interested party in the Nigeria project and I have worn my partisanship with great passion, dedication and grit.

I was well aware in the build-up to the 2023 Presidential election, way before the primaries, that it was not business as usual. Our opponent for primaries, especially Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, was a very formidable, young deep-pocketed, take-no-prisoner opponent. Once that hurdle was crossed, we had to contend with the candidates of the other parties.

Our Achilles heels were many. From the splitting of our 2019 coalition by Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso of NNPP to t
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s emergence in APC, I knew our work was cut out for us. I have known Asiwaju longer than I have known others. I know how he thinks, I know how he plans and I know his focus and dedication.

Perhaps the biggest challenge I saw from my side was our enthusiasm without scientific backing! I screamed, fought, pleaded and sometimes went it alone, but alas I learnt one huge lesson in all of this: people are wired the way they are wired and actions have consequences.

Now that the country is split in three with Atiku having 12 states, Tinubu having 12 states and Obi having 11 states, plus Abuja, it is time to advise all to congratulate the pronounced winner, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

I wish to congratulate him for indeed the journey has not been easy for him too. We must put the country first! We must step down clownish play to the gallery, we must discourage undue anger. We must never do anything to undermine the stability of our country. We must know who we are within the comity of nations.

All others must think carefully about how history would capture them! Would you go the way of the cheap, self-serving hustler or the way of the patriotic citizen? The choice is yours and history is a patient Judge.