EducationUSA
A Millenial Perspective
on the general elections
By Moses Okoye
T
o call it just an election would
be an understatement. On the
23rd of February 2019 Nigerians
not only went out to vote but they also
went out to be felt, to air their voices,
and to entrust those they deemed
capable of moving the country forward.
It was a cauldron in which Nigerians
irrespective of their differences were
summoned and given a common
mandate to be decision makers. In short
it was a day for the Nigerian citizen.
I became a member of the Opportunity
Funds Program under EducationUSA
at the United States Embassy in Abuja,
Nigeria in 2017 and my experience so
far has been as educative as it has been
eye-opening. I’ve not only been made to
see solutions and opportunities in areas
where I previously saw only problems
but also to see the relevance of a solid
education towards proffering workable
solutions to pending problems. Thus
during the February 23 elections, it
was only natural for me to tilt in the
direction of a candidate determined to
champion the cause of education across
the country and to place the spotlight
on the people—the student, the petty
trader, and the collar job holder.
18
CROSSROADS | April/May 2019
Significant measures were taken by
the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian
government in preparation for the
National elections. Over 154,000
polling units were created across the
country with the aim of easing the
voting process. The Nigerian Youth
Service Corps (NYSC) also contributed
its quota through its members who
painstakingly helped facilitate the
process not only in urban areas but also
in highly inaccessible locations in rural
areas. Security operatives were not left
out of the exercise either. Over 500,000
uniform men comprising of officials
from the Police, the Military, the Air
Force, and the Navy were deployed to
locations across the country. One might
wonder why these many measures
were taken for a day’s exercise. Was it
to ensure a hitch free process void of
malpractice and voter manipulation;
a process where the Nigerian will
truly have his say in the leadership
of his country? If so how successful
were these measures in fulfilling their
purpose?
The electoral process, I’ve learned,
is a dish best served hot- pristine in
its entirety with heavenly aromas
emanating, carried on the cleanest
plates, and dished by the best cook.
Just as he that eats the food has no say
so in the cook’s recipe, the leadership
of a country has no say so in voter’s
choices on Election Day through
whatever means. Election Day, to me,
is that day when the ordinary man is
illuminated and any attempt to hinder
his illumination ultimately results
in anarchy. As we move forward as
a nation let’s take a moment, a day,
or even four years to look deeply in
retrospect at those rumpled edges of
past electoral processes and together
let’s straighten them in future elections.
It is our mandate as a people.
The EducationUSA Advising Centers
in Abuja and Lagos provide quality,
timely, accurate, and unbiased
information about all accredited U.S.
higher education institutions for
persons wishing to study in the United
States. For more information about
EducationUSA and study opportunities
in the United States, please visit
http://www.educationusa.state.gov