Naija Political Blog

Iranians went to the polls on June 12, 2009 to vote during that country’s presidential election. They were however outraged when the results of the election gave incumbent president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a landslide victory over their preferred candidate Mir Hossain Moussavi in what they perceived as an election fraud. Unlike Nigerians, they took their outrage to the streets of Teheran and other cities in that country. Putting their bodies and lives on the line, tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets in daily protest to challenge what they saw as a blatant theft of their votes. We have also witnessed on our television screens, Iranians living in the United States and Europe engaged in similar social actions. In contrast to Nigeria, where we saw outright robberies of the people’s votes in both the 2003 and 2007elections by the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), all we got were complaints, empty rhetoric and apathy from Nigerians except for some challenges by leaders of the losing opposition parties. We complain and talk endlessly about the depressing state of affairs in Nigeria and yet will not lift a finger to do something about it. I have heard people make comments that Nigerians back home deserve the type of government they get as if those us who live abroad are not affected by what is going on in Nigeria. We are all affected by the situation in Nigeria, except for those who belong to the elite and ruling classes or are benefiting from them or those who no longer have families there. What is truly amazing is the nonchalant attitude of those of us living in a bastion of democracy like the United States where the freedom of speech and the freedom to protest are guaranteed. This is a comfort zone of sorts for us and yet we remain politically lethargic and apathetic. We have no cause to fear being arrested by agents of the Nigerian security apparatus. We have no cause to fear political reprisals for engaging in political activism and yet we remain disengaged. Where was the outrage when the last two elections in Nigeria were stolen? The ruling PDP and the much discredited Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) colluded and carried out what can only be described as election charades in 2003 and 2007.
I get at least fifty emails everyday from various internet forums and chat groups lamenting the depressing state of affairs in Nigeria by way of articles and commentaries. These are all exercises in intellectual stimulation in my estimation and amounts to all talk. At the end of the day, these are feel good exercises. It is embarrassing to watch the overwhelming expression of outrage by Iranians who showed tremendous courage by defying their grand ayatollah and other clerics when they came out in large numbers to protest the June 12 election irregularities, very much unlike us Nigerians. What did we do in 2003 and 2007? Absolutely nothing! This brings to minds two political events that will highlight our tendency to be apathetic and politically uninvolved. Both events were organized in New York to deliberate and bring attention to the political misrule that has been occurring in Nigeria. The first event took place on April 29th 2006 at the Empire State Building, organized by Africans in America, an NGO and the Nigerian Social Workers Association both based in New York City. The attendance at this conference was disgraceful. Needless to say that the small conference room in which it was held was not full. The most recent event took place on May 29th of this year at the JFK Double Tree Hotel, organized by the Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum. Once again, the attendance was disgraceful leaving one of the speakers to comment that if it were Sunny Ade that was performing, it would have been standing room only. What does that say about our priorities?
In the words of the famous black American abolitionist Frederick Douglas, “without struggle, there can be no progress.” Talk is cheap. Why can’t we emulate the Iranians? We can do it. Nigeria will not turn around without the engagement and activism of those of us who live abroad, especially those living in vibrant western democracies.