Opinion
2015 Election: In The Eyes Of The People
Mr Hope Solomon – Civil Servant.
Compared to previous
elections, I think this year’s election is better. Though there were some areas where violence was reported but at Port Harcourt Township where I voted, everything went smoothly, calmly, there was no problem.
I think so far, this is the best election. For the first time a sitting president conceded defeat and congratulated the winner of the election immediately. We were not expecting it. We were even thinking that the election would have been very violent but everything went peacefully. Compare to previous elections, this one was more violent free.
Though we recorded success in the past election, I believe there is still need for improvement. In subsequent elections we have to improve more. We should improve on the card reader. We also need to do something about the age limit of voters because we saw some areas where underage children were voting during the past election. We also have to carry out more sensitisation. We should minimize rigging. Rigging is not good. We heard about rigging in some areas and it is not the best. When we rig we can’t have the best candidates. Let the electorates say who they want and not the hijacking of electoral materials that was reported in some areas.
And for the people that were elected, a lot is expected. They should improve on what the current administration has done so that Nigeria will be a better country for all of us.
Deacon Levin Mgbudu – Financial analyst.
In my view I think the system we are in is generally corrupt. So you can’t say this person is right. None of the political parties that took part in the elections did the right thing. I look at what happened during the election as the survival of the fittest, you play the game I know you can play, I play the game you know I can play. So if I over-smart you, I become the winner. That was exactly what happened not only in Rivers State.
We know that Rivers State has been a volatile state, the relative peace we have here is very very fragile. Most people were afraid of participating in the elections. A lot of people stayed at home. The few that went out observed a lot of irregularities. So my overall assessment is that all of them played the game together and one came out successful. But that is not what election is supposed to be.
Ideally, everybody is supposed to go to the polling station for accreditation, after that you queue up to cast your vote without any molestation, without any fear, without somebody behind you or somebody to drag the ballot box papers or box. So, the best thing is to be on the queue, cast your vote, you wait or you go home as INEC instructed. But it was the other way round. By this I mean PDP went to play their game to succeed, APC equally went to play their game to succeed, the same with Labour Party. So, no one is a saint here as far as Rivers State election is concerned.
So for future elections we need to educate our people and also bring back the old system of electoral process, that is ensuring that the electorates conduct themselves properly. If possible the police or the army should guide the people to be on queue, they should cast their votes peacefully and those that are responsible to count the votes should be there to make sure that our votes count.
There were a lot of irregularities in the past election in many states of the federation. We know in the north that underaged children voted. So INEC should come up with proper re-orientation of our people. Let them know the right thing to be done. If the card reader will be a kind of problem in future, then we should go back to former manual accreditation system. Maximum security should also be provided. I also insist that our people should be enlightened on the electoral process. A lot of people do not know what they are supposed to do. All some people know is that election is all about struggle. To struggle, to carry weapons to overpower your opponents. Once you overpower him, you become the winner. They should tell our people that this is not the right thing. We should have that re-orientation towards the electoral processes.
Mr Iheanyi Ezinwo-Newspaper Publisher.
You know before the election there was so much tension. People were scarred. Those living up north, especially the southerners were travelling home. There was a general atmosphere of uncertainty. But looking back, I can say that the election was peaceful. Yes there had been some skirmishes in one or two places, you know conflict is a natural thing, you can’t rule it out. But one thing that was noticeable was that the election was largely peaceful. I think that is one element that stands out at the end of the elections. Both at the national and state levels, it was largely peaceful compared to the tension that was building up before the elections. Definitely you don’t expect a human being to get everything perfectly. Definitely there were problems and that was why some people had argued that the card reader shouldn’t have been brought at this large scale of elections in Nigeria, that it would have been better if they had brought it during Anambra, Ekiti or Osun elections, so that they would have been able to identify the issues and rectify them before coming to national level.
In every human activity conflicts are bound to arise but it depends on how they are managed. I believe that in Rivers State we had our own fair share of the challenges and I want to believe also that INEC had taken some steps to address the problems where they identified them.
Having said that, I also believe that there are areas we need to improve upon in our future elections. One key area is on security. It’s unfortunate that some characters came up with spurious arguments and even went to court and got some judgement that armed security operatives should not be seen around the polling units. That was why some of these things happened. It’s like some of those people have some ulterior motives. Subsequently, armed policemen or even military should be engaged. Even if they are not inside the polling station, they should be around that area. That will check all the thugs from coming around to freely cart away electoral materials and disrupt the electoral process.
So we are happy that the elections have come and gone peacefully but I will advice those elected to subordinate their interests to the interest of the public. Look at what Jonathan did, he subordinated his own interest to national overall interest. So I want to advise them, yes they have aspirations, personal interest but please that should be within the limits of national interest.
Again, they should work together because it is in working together that they will be able to achieve more and move the country forward.
Mr Lundi Frank Waribo – Politician
Almost before every election people talk about how heads will roll during the election. But take a clean look at it, they say that without Egypt there will be no Nile and without Nile there will be no Egypt. There is no way you can remove at least a bit of rigging in politics.
It’s always everywhere more especially in a country like Nigeria. We are not a developed country. We are just one of the developing countries. So if you remove rigging completely, you can’t make it right. In my own ward in Andoni where I voted the election was free and fair. We heard there were killings in certain area but I don’t believe that. We were not there. They were just framing it to make the whole world believe in them. In the north we saw children that were not of voting age taking part in the election but in order to allow peace reign in the country, President Jonathan accepted defeat without grudges. Incidentally, in Rivers State here, some of our former leaders are causing problems for us. They don’t want us to go forward. Elections have come and gone but they will remain in the guilty memories of the past while the rest forges ahead.
The introduction of the card readers was too new to every Nigerian but it did work though not perfectly but let’s go on with that, it will improve.
In future elections, INEC should also check the way people go about enticing people with money in polling units on election days. If we can stop people from coming to the polling centres with bags of money on election days it will help us grow. Our mothers in the village do not know where to vote or who to vote for, but if they are able to go to them and tell them what is happening in the country they will be able to take a decision and tell you where they want to vote. So INEC should carry out more sensitisation.
Mrs Lilian Okonkwo – Journalist.
For me, the 2015 general election was free and fair. Be that as it may you cannot rule that the fact that there were some incidents that were quite condemnable. But on the average, when you take a look at those incidents and the percentage of those that came out and the percentage of those who voted, we have every reason to say that the election was free and fair. Of course the world is not a perfect place and we cannot expect it to be perfect. We all know that there was problem with the card readers, there was problem of late arrival of electoral materials. But in all, I think INEC did a good job.
In future elections I will like us to improve upon the card reader because you find out that in most areas they ended up voting without making use of the PVC or the card reader. So it means that we weren’t really ready for the card reader. We all had stories of how it rejected President Jonathan and his wife, not leaving out the masses. There were a lot of complains. I know some people who had to clean their hands with kerosene, people who had to pull off one water proof from the card reader to enable it work and things like that.
So I’m hoping that in 2019 these issues would have been solved and then we get it much, much better. On the issue of violence, well we have always had it like that but I am thinking that by 2019 Nigerians should drop that attitude of killing, shooting and all that. We should all be reasonable. We should act reasonably and put aside that idea of shooting and killing so that our election will be more credible. Our politicians should also learn how to accept defeat and move on and also support those who win to make a better society. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s reactions as regards his defeat is a very big lesson for us all. It is not easy for an incumbent to lose a election. So if somebody at that level who could have used the military, the police and the Nigerian oil money to ensure that he remains in power could concede defeat and even call to congratulate his opponent, I think it is a big lesson for us all.
Other contestants should learn a lesson from that. If the man who is at the apex of leadership could conceded defeat, why not every other persons?
For emphasis, I observed the elections, I went round Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor LGAs and what I saw was good. Fortunately for me I didn’t see any terrible incident, and so it gives me the reason to say that the election was free and fair.
The line that separates betrayal and corruption is very thin. Betrayal and corruption are two sides of the same coin. Like the snail and its shell they are almost inseparable. They go hand-in-globe. Betrayal and corruption are instinctive in humans and they are birthed by people with inordinate ambition – people without principles, without regard for ethical standards and values. Looking back to the days of Jesus Christ, one of his high profile disciples-the treasurer, was a betrayer. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ for just 30 pieces of silver. One of the characteristics of betrayers is greed.
So, when on resumption from his imposed suspension, the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminilayi Fubara threatened to bring permanent secretaries who were found complicit in “defrauding” the State during the days of Locust and Caterpillar regime, he did not only decry a loot of the Treasury but the emotional trauma of betrayal perpetrated by those who swore to uphold the ethics of the civil service. Governor Siminilayi Fubara had least expected that those who feigned loyalty to his administration would soon become co-travellers with an alien administration whose activities were repugnant to the “Rivers First” mantra of his administration. The saying that if you want to prove the genuineness of a person’s love and loyalty feign death, finds consummate expression in the Governor Fubara and some of the key members of the State engine room
Some of those who professed love for Governor Siminilayi Fubara and Rivers State could not resist the lure and enticement of office in the dark days of Rivers State, like Judas Iscariot. Rather, they chose to identify with the locusts and the caterpillars for their selfish interest. Julius Caesar did not die from the stab of Brutus but by his emotional attachment to him, hence he exclaimed in utter disappointment, “Even you Brutus”. The wound of betrayal never heals and the scar is indelible. Unfortunately, today, because of gross moral turpitude and declension in ethical standards and values, betrayal and corruption are celebrated and rewarded. Corruption, a bane of civil/public service is sublime in betrayal. The quest to get more at the expense of the people is the root of betrayal and sabotage.
This explains why Nigeria at 65 is the World’s capital of poverty.
Nigeria is not a poor country, yet, millions are living in hunger, abject poverty and avoidable misery. What an irony. Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies and most populous nation is naturally endowed with 44 mineral resources, found in 500 geographical locations in commercial quantity across the country. According to Nigeria’s former Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Olamiekan Adegbite, the mineral resources include: baryte, kaolin, gymsium, feldspar, limestone, coal, bitumen, lignite, uranium, gold, cassiterite, columbite, iron ore, lead, zinc, copper, granite, laterite, sapphire, tourmaline, emerald, topaz, amethyst, gamer, etc. Nigeria has a vast uncultivated arable land even as its geographical area is approximately 923, 769 sq km (356,669 sq ml).
“This clearly demonstrates the wide mineral spectrum we are endowed with, which offers limitless opportunities along the value-chain, for job creation, revenue growth. Nigeria provides one of the highest rates of return because its minerals are closer to the suffer”, Adegbite said. Therefore, poverty in Nigeria is not the consequences of lack of resources and manpower but inequality, misappropriation, outright embezzlement, barefaced corruption that is systemic and normative in leaders and public institutions. According to the World Poverty Clock 2023, Nigeria has the awful distinction of being the world capital of poverty with about 84 million people living in extreme poverty today.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data also revealed that a total of 133 million people in Nigeria are classed as multi-dimensionally poor. Unemployment is a major challenge in the country. About 33 percent of the labour force are unable to find a job at the prevailing wage rate. About 63 percent of the population are poor because of lack of access to health, education, employment, and security. Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) speculated that unemployment rate will increase to 37 percent in 2023. The implications, therefore, is increase in unemployment will translate to increase in the poverty rate. The World Bank, a Washington-based and a multi-lateral development institution, in its macro-poverty outlook for Nigeria for April 2023 projected that 13 million Nigerians will fall below the National Poverty line by 2025.
It further stated that the removal of subsidy on petroleum products without palliatives will result to 101 million people being poor in Nigeria. Statistics also show that “in 2023 nearly 12 percent of the world population of extreme poverty lived in Nigeria, considering poverty threshold at 1.90 US dollars a day”.Taking a cursory look at the Nigerian Development Update (NDU), the World Bank said “four million Nigerians were pushed into poverty between January and June 2023 and 7.1 million more will join if the removal of subsidy is not adequately managed.” These startling revelations paint a grim and bleak future for the social-economic life of the people.The alarming poverty in the country is a conspiracy of several factors, including corruption. In January, 2023 the global anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, in its annual corruption prospect index which ranks the perceived level of public sector corruption across 180 countries in the world says Nigeria ranked 150 among 180 in the index. Conversely, Nigeria is the 30th most corrupt nation in the ranking. It is also the capital of unemployment in the world.
Truth be told: a Government that is corruption-ridden lacks the capacity to build a vibrant economy that will provide employment for the teeming unemployed population. So crime and criminality become inevitable. No wonder, the incessant cases of violent crimes and delinquency among young people. Corruption seems to be the second nature of Nigeria as a nation . At the root of Nigerians’ poverty is the corruption cankerworm.How the nation got to this sordid economic and social precipice is the accumulation of years of corrupt practices with impunity by successive administrations. But the hardship Nigerians are experiencing gathered momentum between 2015 and 2023 and reached the climax few days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who assumed power as president of Nigeria, removed the controversial petroleum subsidy. Since then, there is astronomical increase in transport fares, and prices of commodities. Living standard of most Nigerians is abysmally low, essential commodities are out of reach of the poor masses who barely eat once a day.
The Dollar to Naira exchange rate ratio at one dollar to N1,000, is the most economy-unfriendly in the annals of the history of Nigeria. The prohibitive prices of petroleum products with the attendant multi-dimensional challenges following the removal of the subsidy, has posed a nightmare better to be imagined than experienced. Inflation, has been on the increase, negatively affecting the purchasing power of low income Nigerians. Contributing to the poverty scourge is the low private investment due to.unfriendly business environment and lack of power supply, as well as low social development outcomes resulting in low productivity. The developed economies of the world are private sector-driven. So the inadequate involvement of the private sector in Nigeria’s economy, is a leading cause of unemployment which inevitably translates to poverty.
Igbiki Benibo
In today’s fast-paced, hyper-competitive world, the pursuit of success and growth has become an all-consuming force. Individuals, organisations, and nations alike, are locked in a perpetual struggle to achieve more, earn more, and surpass their rivals. Yet, beneath this relentless drive for progress lies a silent danger—the risk of self-destruction. This perilous pattern, which I call the self-destruct trajectory, describes the path taken when ambition and growth are pursued without restraint, awareness, or moral balance. The self-destruct trajectory is fueled by an insatiable hunger for more—a mindset that glorifies endless expansion while disregarding the boundaries of ethics, sustainability, and human well-being. At first glance, it may appear to promise prosperity and achievement. After all, ambition has long been celebrated as a virtue. But when growth becomes the only goal, it mutates into obsession.
Individuals burn out, organisations lose their soul, and societies begin to fracture under the weight of their own excesses. The consequences are everywhere. People pushed beyond their limits face anxiety, exhaustion, and disconnection. Companies sacrifice employee welfare and social responsibility on the altar of profit. The entire ecosystems suffer as forests are cleared, oceans polluted, and air poisoned in the name of economic progress. The collapse of financial systems, widening income inequality, and global environmental crises are all symptoms of this same relentless, self-consuming pursuit. To understand this dynamic, one can turn to literature—and to Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. In one of the novel’s most haunting scenes, young Oliver, starving in the workhouse, dares to utter the words: “Please, sir, I want some more.” This simple plea encapsulates the essence of human desire—the urge for more. But it also mirrors the perilous craving that drives the self-destruct trajectory. Like Oliver, society keeps asking for “more”—more wealth, more power, more success—without considering the consequences of endless wanting.
The workhouse itself symbolises the system of constraints and boundaries that ambition often seeks to defy. Oliver’s courage to ask for more represents the daring spirit of human aspiration—but it also exposes the risk of defying limits without reflection. Mr. Bumble, the cruel overseer, obsessed with authority and control, embodies the darker forces that sustain this destructive cycle: greed, pride, and the illusion of dominance. Through this lens, Dickens’ tale becomes a timeless metaphor for the modern condition—a warning about what happens when ambition blinds compassion and growth eclipses humanity. Avoiding the self-destruct trajectory requires a radical rethinking about success. True progress should not be measured solely by accumulation, but by balance—by how growth serves people, planet, and purpose.
This calls for a more holistic approach to achievement, one that values sustainability, empathy, and integrity alongside innovation and expansion
Individuals must learn to pace their pursuit of goals, embracing rest, reflection, and meaningful relationships as part of a full life. The discipline of “enough”—knowing when to stop striving and start appreciating—can restore both mental well-being and moral clarity. Organisations, on their part, must reimagine what it means to succeed: prioritising employee welfare, practising environmental stewardship, and embedding social responsibility in the core of their mission. Governments and policymakers also play a vital role. They can champion sustainable development through laws and incentives that reward ethical practices and environmental responsibility. By investing in education, renewable energy, and equitable economic systems, they help ensure that ambition is channeled toward collective benefit rather than collective ruin.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) provides a tangible pathway for this transformation. When businesses take ownership of their social and environmental impact—reducing carbon footprints, supporting local communities, and promoting fair labour—they not only strengthen society but also secure their own long-term stability. Sustainable profit is, after all, the only kind that endures. Ultimately, avoiding the self-destruct trajectory is not about rejecting ambition—it is about redefining it. Ambition must evolve from a self-centred hunger for more into a shared pursuit of the better. We must shift from growth at all costs to growth with conscience. The future will belong not to those who expand endlessly, but to those who expand wisely. By embracing restraint, compassion, and sustainability, we can break free from the cycle of self-destruction and create a new narrative—one where success uplifts rather than consumes, and where progress builds rather than burns.
In the end, the question is not whether we can grow, but whether we can grow without losing ourselves. The choice is ours: to continue along the self-destruct trajectory, or to chart a more balanced, humane, and enduring path toward greatness.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
