Judgement Day and 100th Day: Tinubu’s Date with History
By Zekeri Idakwo
Tomorrow is going to be a historic day for Nigeria as a country as Nigerians assess President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first 100 days in office and also await the outcome of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT).
The jury is already out on the President’s performance so far… How he is tackling corruption, the economy and security issues.
The opposition candidates have cases in court and are alleging that the President was wrongfully declared winner of the February 25 2023 election.
The election petition tribunal’s decision will be crucial in deciding the country’s future as some Nigerians believe the only relief they can get is for the President to be sacked. Other Nigerians are however of the opinion that the President won a nationwide mandate and his mandate should be affirmed by the court so he will have the full legitimacy to face the huge task of governance.
The President who is away in India attending the G20 Summit will heave a sigh of relief if he gets a favourable ruling tomorrow and he would no longer have any excuses for poor performance.
I have no idea where the pendulum would swing but my advice to the parties involved is to exercise their right of appeal if the judgement doesn’t favour them. They should avoid heating up the polity and inciting their followers to violence.
I am aware that supporters of a particular candidate who are very strong on social media are highly optimistic that the outcome would favour their hero. I urge them to tamper their extreme optimism with caution.
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I advise all supporters to accept the outcome of tomorrow’s ruling, even if it’s not what they hope for. Democracy can be messy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not working. If it doesn’t work for you today, it will work in your favour tomorrow. Don’t destroy the country before it works for you.
Exercise your right to protest peacefully if you have to. You can even join the protest called by Organised Labour as far as it is peaceful.
Don’t lose hope on Nigeria. Stay engaged in the political process. One election doesn’t define a country, and there will be more opportunities to make your voice heard in the future.
And more importantly, remember that unity is important, even when people disagree. Nigeria belongs to all of us, let’s not set it on fire for some selfish reasons.
For President Tinubu, his first hundred days have been full of ups and downs, maybe more of the latter than the former. He came into office with so much promise and pedigree. But what Nigerians are seeing now are pain and penury.
The security situation has gotten worse under him. Even Abuja is not safe. We don’t need to mention Zamfara, Niger and other parts of the country. The people’s purchasing power is gone. The naira is still dancing yoyo up and down. Unemployment is on the increase. Corruption in high places is still there. The unity of the country is still doubtful and it is obvious that Nigerians are yet to see the Nigeria of their dreams. Yes, it is early days but we have to keep the President on his toes.
if he survives tomorrow and he awaits the verdict of the apex court, the President must roll up his sleeves and get to work. He has a job to do and he must not fail. His failure is Nigeria’s woes. His success is our progress.
May Nigeria succeed.
