Looking back on a year ago
But the most noticeable aspect of October 1, 1983 was that, despite disappointments, disagreements and some suffering, there was HOPE and the belief that there was a lot to celebrate.There was much breast beating all around Nigeria, it had chalked up another African first. The third largest democracy in the world, had conducted elections with a sitting civilian government and was inaugurating a second government. Nigerians were feeling justifiably proud and the recurrent theme was that 'democracy had taken roots' and the general impression was that of a child who had surprised himself by climbing a tree he had not at all been sure he could climb.
First there were the elections, five in all over five consecutive Saturdays and the whole world agreed that it must have taken a lot of faith and a determination to make the 'democratic experiment' succeed to have brought out so many people on five consecutive Saturdays to vote surely a lesson there for countries like Britain and the United States of America who can barely muster 40 per cent of the electorate once in four years.
There had been violence in some states but it was contained and the courts had started work on those who felt aggrieved by some of the results.
The general feeling was that all the political parties had resorted to electioneering fraud but everybody seemed to agree that even if there had been no rigging, Alhaji Shagari and his National Party of Nigeria would still have won the elections if not with the same margins.
The results in Kwara drew nation- wide comments and analyses - the in- cumbent Governor, Alhaji Adamu Atta (NPN) lost to his UPN challenger. In spite of the fact that many felt this was as a result of the split in the NPN camp, many commentators felt the end result was still good for 'democracy' in Nigeria it was good for people to know that a sitting Governor could be 'overthrown' through the ballot box. Alhaji Atta handed over to the incom- ing governor and as the NTA com- mentator put it the hand over was swift, clean and civilised.
In Cross River State, the handover was within the same party NPN where the former governor Dr Clement Isong had lost to the new one, Donald Etiebet. Again it was a civilised transfer of power. Chief Isong was driven to the Durbar Grounds with outriders and all the paraphernalia of a governor and after the ceremony, he was a private citizen. The kind of spectacle one saw at inaugural ceremonies of American presidents.
So impressed and proud was a Nigerian diplomat who had gone home for the celebrations that he decided that he was going to leave the diplomatic service and contest elections in 1987. 'So civilised, I'm so glad our people have now realised that democracy is the best way of development.'
These were economic austerity times so the celebrations were necessarily low key and everybody said, Alhaji Shagari should hurry up and get on with his work while Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Namdi Azikiwe assessed their victories, licked their wounds of defeat and went back to the drawing board; to draw up new strategy towards making the states under their parties so much better, their chances would be en- hanced in 1987 when elections were next due.
The focus of attention was shifting to the composition of Shagari's cabinet and the entire country felt entitled to make its voice and opinion on the matter heard. The newspapers were full of advice and dire warnings to incoming administrations about what to do and what not to do.
The judgement of the world as represented by the journalists of the major newspapers and radio stations who observed the elections and inauguration was that in spite of some shortcomings, Nigeria had made a decisive step forward.
There was austerity and the boom atmosphere had definitely gone, in some states, some workers had not been paid for months.
The street corners were still choked with all imaginable goods and people were complaining about rising prices. Every little point was heatedly debated and the newspapers seemed to be engaged in a race to find out the most sensational and outrageous. Compared to one year later, it almost seems like a different country. Prices of goods no longer rise, they have run away and most goods have disappeared altogether.
The newspapers have been tamed by Decree 4 and the demonstration by the FMG that offending journalists will indeed be jailed.
But the most noticeable aspect of October 1, 1983 was that, despite dis- appointments, disagreements and some suffering, there was HOPE and the belief that there was a lot to celebrate.