The elections in Senegal have come but they are not gone. They will remain in the minds of those who have learned to see the world beyond human created boundaries. The lessons and memories of the elections in Senegal will reverberate through the thoughts of those who believe that the brotherhood of men transcends the sovereignty of nations. Something worked in Senegal. That thing is as a matter of fact more than one thing because everyone across the world would at least have one thing to pick from the crumbs of the elections. Many stories will be written about how the people of Senegal especially the young people went all out to say President Wade should go home and let another man take the reins having spent 12 years out of his 85 years on earth as president. Wade defied the people, manipulated the courts and forced his name on the ballot paper by crooked means. Having survived the protests and the onslaught of condemnations across the world for manipulating the constitution, Wade still had enough in his arsenal to wage his war at the polls. He survived the first round of voting but the signs were glaring and more than a hand writing on the wall, the wall was cracking. He won the highest number of votes but did not do enough to win the constitutional majority enough to avoid a runoff. He was then faced with his former Prime Minister Macky Sall who had the second highest number of votes.
Then came the second and final round. Macky Sall had smelled blood and went all out to take Wade out. He campaigned all over again and got the once divided opposition on his side. More critically, young people in Senegal knew they had an opportunity to express their anger without the sweat of protests but simply by engaging their thumb to either vote for Macky Sall or vote out Abdoluaye Wade, two options that’d end with one result. Wade is out! There is a lesson there for Nigeria’s young people.
As our agitations for a better country get more of us to speak out and stand up, we must not forget that it is a battle that will not be won by protests, tweets or articles even though all of these and more will serve as elements. It is a battle that will be won by votes! The ruling party has failed us big time and their rape of due process and democracy last Saturday during their Convention at the Eagle Square is a sign of what is to come. They will not play by the rules, they will not pretend about their quests for power, they will try to get what they want – retain power – in the Obasanjo-esque ‘Do or Die’ way. That is their way and it has served them well for 13 years and of course ensured we are the world’s largest producers of poor people per capita with over 112 million people of our population being poor.
Something has to give but everything will stay the same if we do things the same way. Do not be fooled to think we can do it all by ourselves. This is not the time to make enemies with ourselves or even folks you believe were part of the old, dirty past. This is the time to seek alignments. Some of us will bow at the altar of evil like some are already doing calling the pig the cleanest being of creation and the cow an uncle all because they perceived the national cake from serving kitchen roles, but we must work hard at making sure there are only two sides when the time comes – those who want change and those who don’t!
Change is to have the current ruling class swept off and young Nigerians must not be found wanting. Those who pretended to be observers the last time around were lighting up their bank accounts having collected money from the ruling Clan of Vampires.
No more middle grounds. We must either decide for change or to retain the Poverty Development Phenomenon. Those who stay in the middle will suffer the middle finger effect. They will get f#$^& all over again.
This is @omojuwa
