Is Happy New Year in order still? Em...it's February y'all. But like I'm wont to not even care I haven't blogged since...em last November. I'm sorry, my peeps. It's been one koko year already. Running up and down trying to fetch a job...yawns...dem still dey employ graduates? Lol. Anyway, I have decided to drop a few lines about the forthcoming general elections knowing how much the international community is keen on its outcome. Keen? Outcome(s)? Na sooooo...my peeps...we don enter satellite be that. Even CNN don enter carry chair siddon. And ah! I attended the BBC News Igbo governorship debate in Umuahia in January. Yes ooo and South Africa wan begin sell gold to Nigeria. Is that news? Ooops...let's be serious for this one.
Nigeria is interestingly a country that has enjoyed a lot of publicity from the outside world. She has many illustrious citizens judging from the number of candidates vying for the presidency. Imagine, so many that I even want to run sef...in 2023 or when I get a job. And it appears that's why I can't find one - nobody wants me to become the best President Nigeria could ever have. But who are the candidates? I have INEC's permission to inform you that we are populous and ambitious. I think there are over seventy candidates together with their running mates. Isalright. Some of us with First School Certificates are included. And if you are a professor go and pick up a Councillor's spot. Izu si na Chi (wisdom comes from God). You don't have to be a degree holder to become the president of any country in the world - it appears so to me - and Nigeria is not an exception. But I think that this trend/practice should change. Beyond the internal wranglings of these elections, I think the international attention it's garnering is worthy of note.
Nigeria was a British colony. However, you can tell that there's a strong international hold from other developed countries especially the United States of America on Nigeria. For one, many Nigerians schooled abroad, in the USA to be precise (yours truly is a happy participant of this ambivalent group). Many Nigerians have relatives abroad...and international businesses too. There are many Americans with vast business and social investments in Nigeria, and they should care. They need to be assured that their interests are not being sabotaged by the ignorant natives. I hope that our sovereignty is not being challenged. The big boys of the election, Buhari and Atiku are well travelled men with tentacles spread all over the world. But I have just used their names to determine their individual leanings. I may wrong and I hope so.
You recall that President Buhari had made frequent personal visits to the United Kingdom, London precisely in the last four years. Much of it was for medical treatment. I wondered why he chose the UK over the USA. He owes me no answers. He has family in the UK so it's OK that he might have gone to do 'omugwo' over there. Whatever. He's President, after all. If he went to discuss how to build the second Niger bridge and needed the Queen's permission, then we are in trouble. Hopefully, he didn't need any foreigners' permission to build our bridge or we will be walking from Aba to Sokoto soon. Kosi owo. Is President Buhari the British representative for president in the election tomorrow?
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on the other hand recently got a clearance to travel to the USA. Is he the owner of the American University of Nigeria in Yola? I got Wikipedia to tell me that he founded the institution in 2004. OK. It's interesting that he got blacklisted by the USA but now he might travel if he wished. That's progress. I can't determine if he's the American representative for president in the presidential election tomorrow.
I'm more interested in the women who are running for president. How many of them? I saw an Angela Johnson of the AUN (Alliance for United Nigeria) and I'm not sure Madam Obiageli Ezekwesili (Madam Due Process) is still running for president. She was a formidable candidate fit for the big men. Possibly, I'd meet these great women if I'm lucky someday.
It's so easy to think that it's all about oil. No, it's not oil, better cocoa than oil these days...trust me. It's all about EGO. No, the English one not the Igbo ego, which means money. Control of human beings is what this election is for most of the candidates and the international community. Everybody wants to control Nigerians. You want to tell us what names to bear, how to twist our mouth when speaking oyinbo or how to shake hands in public. We are possibly heading towards relinquishing our sovereignty if we do not understand the need for autonomy and its place in these elections. Already the battleground is our private school education. The curricula are so diverse you wonder if we are in space being prepared to enter the various countries of the world. There are British, American, Turkish, Finnish, Australian, German, Swedish, Ghanaian, National. Czech, heeee....for which people? Are we birthing children to ship them abroad and must first teach them how to survive in other countries? Hmm.... And the grammar? What do you say, fall or autumn? I say Fall because I said Fall in the USA. But I dread going to London so I won't be judged for not saying Autumn. Haba! Maybe I have the complex, not these countries.
So, are we ready for our first female president? Nigerians VOTE FEMALE for change to take us to the NEXT LEVEL. Yes! If you like Nigeria the way we have been all these decades, vote male ooo. Otherwise, vote for any aunty wey go make Naija better. I can't vote tomorrow or in March. My permanent voter's card was stolen possibly in my Uncle's house at Aba, Nigeria. Hehe...you see what I mean? The politics reach house. Vote wisely. Vote for me. Will you? Thank you.
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