Favouring Highest Voters

In what appeared as a
deviation from his promise during his inaugural speech to run an all inclusive government, President Muhammadu Buhari during his just concluded visit to the United States of America was quoted as  saying he would not treat those that voted for him and those who did not vote for him equally.
Answering a question on amnesty, bunkering and inclusive development for the Niger Delta, he said “I hope you have a copy of the election results. Literally, constituencies, for example that gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated, on some issues the same way as some constituencies that gave me five per cent. I think these are political realities. While certainly there will be justice for everybody, everybody will enjoy their constitutional rights. But where the party in constituencies that by either sheer hard work made sure they got their people to vote and ensure their votes count, they must feel that the government has appreciated the effort they put in putting the government in place. I think this is really fair.”
Apparently, realising what could be the effect of this time bomb, the President added, “But by the Constitution, no state can be excluded from government, so there is no way even if I were to show gratitude to those constituencies that voted heavily for me against those that didn’t even vote for me, they have the protection of the government. And I have made an undertaking that I belong to everybody, I belong to nobody. If I come clearly and marginalise a certain group because they didn’t vote for me then I have already contradicted myself and I am sure people will be too quick to pick that against me.”
President Buhari over the years has gained the reputation as an honest man, a man that likes speaking his mind at all times. These and other sterling qualities endeared him to many Nigerians and non-Nigerians such that despite all negative campaigns that portrayed him as a tribalist and religious extremist, many Nigerians were unbended in their support for him.
However, one would have expected that a man in President Buhari’s position should be diplomatic in his speeches. In the first place, I don’t think the first part of that speech was important and no matter how true, should have proceeded from the mouth of a President who had assured that he would be the President of the entire nation not a group or a section of the country. Such comment definitely does not help in changing the perception that already exists in some geopolitical zones, nor will it quell the feeling of marginalisation already generated by the appointment so far made by the present administration.
The truth is that in an election, you cannot expect all the people to vote for you. People have the right to vote for whoever they want and that shouldn’t be a reason to discriminate against them or deny them their privileges. There is hardly any part of this country that is not endowed with one natural resources or the other upon which the smooth running of the Federal, States, and Local Governments depends  and there is no justifiable reason why these geese that lay the golden eggs should be denied what is due them.
Having said that, one must also admit that President Buhari’s idea of favouring the constituencies that put him in power more than those that gave him less votes is a true picture of what happens in the country.
Ours is a country where the elected leaders believe they are in power just for those that supported and voted for them. This is seen in the lopsided nature of developmental projects being carried out. I live in a community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area which was said not to have supported the emergence of a past governor of the state.  Based on this, the community was totally forgotten and abandoned throughout the eight years of that administration. All the roads leading to the community were in deplorable condition, there was no power supply for many months, no hospital, infact no government presence. All the efforts made by both indigenes and non-indigenes resident in the community to attract government’s attention yielded no result. Promises were made, but all to no avail simply because they were perceived not to have supported the government in power.
A similar thing obtains in several other communities in the country. Once “your man,” loses one election, you will be sure to benefit nothing, be it appointment or whatever, no matter how qualified you are.
Ours is a clime where members of the ruling party at all levels of government see the person who emerges winner after an election as their exclusive “property, a country where the winner literally takes it all.
So, the President’s speech and the intense tension it generated should serve as a wake-up call to our leaders to begin to do the right thing. The nation belongs to all of us and nobody, no part of this country should be left out in the scheme of things irrespective of their tribe, tongue or political affiliations. Denying people or groups their rights will only continue to fan the ember of disunity and hatred among various groups in the country. One strongly suggests that our leaders’ actions and speeches should be geared towards promoting things that unite us instead of things that will further divide us.

Calista Ezeaku