By Emmanuel Korie

LONDON

The postponement of the general elections in Nigeria has lessons for the Nigerian political class as well as the wider citizens of Nigeria. It also has implications for the friends of Nigeria as well as investors. Nigeria’s hard won democracy is threatened by real and imagined threats. The real question that all Nigerians must be asking today is: how did the country get into this security imbroglio that is threatening not just Nigeria, but the West African region? Make no mistake, no Nigerian should be disenfranchised in the forthcoming election, but more importantly no Nigerian must feel threatened either within or outside the country at all times. Furthermore, Nigeria due to its geopolitical significance cannot be allowed to fail. The western world has paid lip service to the intractable security problems posed by the Islamist Boko haram in Nigeria. Nigeria has had to force the U.S. Security advisers to leave the country after what Nigerian security operatives identified as meddling in Nigeria’s sovereignty. Apart from the security issues, it was glaringly obvious that INEC was ill prepared to conduct a free and fair elections this month in all of Nigeria. The nihilistic protesters who claim that Buhari is about to win a landslide, even before a vote was cast are pedantic and insulting to the intelligence of the silent majority of Nigerians who are still waiting for Buhari’s manifesto. One must applaud the restraint of the Jonathan campaign team for the provocation of the opposition.

I will go further to express my solidarity with the government in Nigeria which is making good progress towards achieving Nigeria’s millennium development goals (MDGs) during this election period, despite the internecine violence promoted by anti-government forces. Having travelled in the northern part of the country recently, the level of intolerance and belligerent threats by the supporters of Buhari, the main opposition candidate must be condemned by all progressives in Nigeria. The posters of the incumbent president is forbidden by the opposition in the entire northern Nigeria. Is this the politics we need? Is this the ‘change’ we need? These violent minority has now been encouraged by the APC party’s apparatchiks to torture the PDP supporters or their perceived enemies. This is intolerable. This is surely electoral malpractice if ever, there is such a thing. What is INEC doing about this invidious and odious breach of the extant electoral laws?

The alluded insurgency has moved from the back pages of the news media to the front pages quite rightly. It is no longer a minor insurrection, but a well-coordinated assault on the Nigerian state, by the secessionist Boko haram. Even the US spokesperson recently confirmed that the recent upsurge in the insurgency is down to the general election.

I have argued elsewhere that the Chibok and Baga tragedies must not drive the strategy on the insurgency in the restive North Eastern Nigeria. It must reinforce the resolve of the Jonathan administration and not be allowed to distract the government from providing a detailed and focussed leadership on the way ahead. Government and governance must continue until May 29th.

The campaign against Boko haram is going better than the politically motivated media leads the unwary to believe. The involvement of regional security services and the support of the French forces, has forced Boko haram to the fringes of the Sambisa forest. Most of the North East is being recovered and stabilised. So the objective of this administration has been vindicated.

This insurgency was always going to take some time to resolve. Mainly because this conflict was and is concerned with the North eastern Nigeria, which has been the target for the establishment of a misguided caliphate. The insurgents has ridiculously advanced an odious philosophy of Islam, which even his Eminence, the sultan of Sokoto has furiously repudiated. The Jonathan administration was never going to win this war in a matter of days. The prolongation of this conflict has been helped by this administration’s enemies and weaker elements within the Nigeria security services.

A number of factors seem to be working against the Boko haram establishment. Firstly, Boko haram has now alienated the neighbouring countries where they have recruited most of their mercenaries. These countries has now stopped Boko haram from radicalising their young and recruiting them. By reclaiming some of the hitherto occupied areas of North Eastern Nigeria, the Nigeria security services has now degraded the ability of Boko haram to recruit within those areas.

Furthermore, internal divisions has become apparent within the upper echelon of Boko haram. This is being exploited by the security services. The welcome development has to be embraced by all well-meaning people of Nigeria.

Lastly, the funding of this Boko haram has been cut off, degrading their ability to recruit new operatives within their ranks.

This administration’s critics has been Janus faced: keen to damn this administration, but all too happy to praise the ‘victories’ of Boko haram. This vicious insurgency demanded that all Nigerians and the friends of Nigeria rally around the Jonathan administration to quell this insurgency and re-integrate these tragic people back to the civic polity, rather than criticise for the sake of criticism. The standoff on the insurgency between the administration and the organised opposition has been deleterious for the country.

The salient question that arises at this point: Are we seeing the endgame for Boko haram at the present time? I strongly believe so. The strong leadership that the JONATHAN government has taken to accept the help of his neighbours has yielded immediate success. The destabilising effect of the proposed elections on Valentine’s Day could have set these wins back. Boko haram had planned a spectacular and explosive election day. However, the Nigeria security services gleaned through intelligence has saved the country an incalculable number of lives. The cries of people who have been affected by the activities of Boko haram: “save our lives from Boko haram” is now being pursued with a greater resolve by the assembled security forces.

However, the government has real challenges once Boko haram are defeated and mopped up. Creating stability in this region and allowing unfettered access to independent electoral commission to conduct free and fair elections in the coming weeks. The rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in these areas must be treated as a matter of urgency.

I urge Nigerians and the wider world community to line up behind the Jonathan administration to contain this blight on the Nigerian landscape. We must profoundly thank Chad, Cameroon and Niger for providing their security forces to take the fight to Boko haram. We must additionally express our inestimable gratitude to France for providing helicopters and jet fighters to tackle this insurgency.

INEC has now been gratuitously handed an opportunity to conduct a free and fair elections next month. I hope this additional weeks will help INEC to fine tune their strategies, with respect to the permanent voter’s card distribution, as well as training of both INEC permanent staff and ad hoc staff on the efficacy of the equipment procured at great expense to the tax payer.

EMMANUEL Korie

Chairman of Nigeria 4 Goodluck

London