8th November, 2012
As the re-election of Barack Hussein Obama, America’s first black president, continues to generate interest around the world, Nigeria can learn many lessons from the transparent electoral system that produced the president.
Obama was given a second mandate on 6 November after winning a wide majority of electoral college votes and the popular vote in an election that was based on ideas.
Obama and Mitt Romney, the Republican challenger, sold to the American people different visions of how to move their country forward. The electorate bought Obama’s vision and sent him back to the White House.
After initial hiccups in a few states on election day, the process was generally peaceful, smooth and transparent. More than 100 million Americans in a country with a population of about 300 million turned out to vote.
In some states, voters stood in line for more than six hours to cast their ballots, a demonstration that American people feel they are part and parcel of governance in their country.
There was no rigging or ballot stuffing. There was no hiring of thugs to intimidate voters and there was no shooting, no killing and no volatile language of do or die election.
There was also no attempt to manipulate the process and no use of police officers to aid the incumbent to win. Obama, as an incumbent, had to campaign harder than the challenger to cruise to victory. Hours to election day, he was still campaigning in the crucial battleground states of Ohio and Iowa.
Obama and Romney met three times to debate. They addressed issues regarding the economy, foreign policy and other domestic issues. They focused more on substance than personalities. At least 160 million Americans watched the debates and made up their minds as the candidates outlined their visions. They knew the election was important as it was going to shape their future.
The money for the campaign was raised from individuals and not stolen from the government coffers. All the campaign donations were well documented and can be traced to the donors. Money was important but voters were free to choose between both candidates based on their convictions and not because of money given to them.
Media houses were free to operate. Many media houses even endorsed candidates without their licence being suspended or their managers being arrested by the State Security Service, SSS, is the case in our own country, Nigeria.
When the results were known, Romney conceded defeat and congratulated Obama and prayed that he succeeds.
In Nigeria, we can learn from the US experience and have a better democracy here at home.
First, those who want to lead us must be people of vision and integrity. They must sincerely love our country and be ready to make sacrifice. Second, incumbency should not be a licence to intimidate voters or to use public funds to prosecute elections. Third, security forces must know that they are not accountable to those in power but to the Nigerian people and must not turn their rifles on taxpayers during elections or at any other time.
Fourth, we must do away with rigging, ballot snatching or stuffing and violence that often mark elections in Nigeria. The electorate must also recognise that it is part and parcel of governance and must vote.
We cannot afford to sit on the fence and criticise when mediocre politicians fail to deliver. It is only when we begin to do these things in Nigeria that the international community will take us seriously and our people’s lives will be affected positively.