Nigeria decides

My man of the year Prof. Atahiru Jega for prisiding over the most credible election my generation has witnessed so far. I salute the strenght of character he has displayed through the entire process of the presidential election. 

He defered all detractors/distractions, stood his ground to see that the Nigerian people have their say at such critical and highly volatile period of our national lives. Proud of this Nigerian elder-states man. Take your place amongs the elites my prof.

My nominee for Nobel peace prize: President Goodluck Jonathan- He rose from a very humble begining and gradually climbed up the ladder of leadership steered by fate to a destiny devine. Or how else would one explain the steps of Jonathan leading to presiding over a nation? I guess his name "Goodluck" best explains the circumstance serounding his rise to the peanacle of any political office. 

His has been a journey from no shoes to presidential suite. But most importantly, the man under whose watch the best presidential election I have witnessed so far has been conducted with the debute of electronic devices to the process. I was on the streets covering locations that I could and the turnout I witness was just impressive. 

To crown it all, for the first time in Nigeria an incumbent president loses an election and emediately conceds victory for the greater good of the people of Nigeria. The timing for me was perfect considering the state of the nation at the time. 

Good bless Goodluck Jonathan and lead him in life after presidency.

Humanitarian award of the year goes to the Nigerian people: A people so passionate about whatever they believe in. A people so creative, industrious, loud, and resiliant. Many are the trials of this people, but they have stood and survived those many trials and regratably with high prizes to pay. It was this resiliance and patience that they demostrated from the North, South,  East  and West as they turned out enmass to decide who leads them through the avenue of voting. 

From the early hours of the morning, Nigerians began troopping in their numbers to the various polling units across the states to cast their votes. They waited patiently for hours while taking the opportunity to make aquaintance with one another as I witnessed. Those who got to their various polling boots early started organizing themselves by writing down their names according to the time they arived. 

Interestingly I met some of the voters who because of the restriction of movement on the day of election had to wake really early because of the distance of where they now reside from where they were registered. One voter particularly told me how havent woken up early to leave a distant location to get his polling unit in good time, walked unbelievable distance to ensure he cast his vote. 

Women turned out in numbers some backing their babies, some heavily pregnant but were all determine to wait as long as morning to evening and in the case of many till night to see that their votes counted. I must just commend the mature way Nigerians also handled themselves following the declaration of Buhari as president elect which is far from what obtains before. 

I witnessed some Nigerians from opposing parties shaking hands on the streets congratulating one another. What a show of sportsmanship! 

This is the manifestation of the character of the Nigeria of my dreams. This is the Nigeria I wish to continue to see for as long as God permits me to live. 

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigeria, here we stand through diversity. And in the words of the late Prof. Dora Akunyeli, Nigeria, good people, great nation. 

WE ARE ONE NATION UNDER GOD.