Farida Dahiru reflects on the Nigerian election.
After 16 years, Nigeria’s president Goodluck Jonathan has finally been defeated at the polls, by a former president, and head of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammed Buhari.
But do East London Nigerians agree with the result? Judging by conversations I had with some just before the vote, they do. Of those I spoke to, most wanted a change of government, although not all of them were confident that the APC would be able to defeat Boko Haram.
“They are only there for their self interest,” said Demeji Solomon about Goodluck Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its 16 years in power. Although he wanted the APC to take over he was not confident that they would be able to bring back those of the 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in Chibok by Boko Haram who are still in captivity.
“Change is about changing the governmental system and wiping out Boko Haram,” said Benjamin Antill, who was the most upbeat of those I spoke to about the APC’s chances of freeing the 200 girls. In fact he was so full of confidence about Buhari that the President of the University of East London’s Nigerian Society, Chiddy Emuka, interrupted him to ask if he was being paid by the APC!
Chiddy was one of the few who said he wanted the PDP to stay in power. Although they had not achieved much over the last 16 years, he thought that with more time they would.
Ifeany Otele observed that this election was less violent than previous ones, and supported the APC.
Iman Haowa supported neither of the main parties. “Why are Nigerians so keen about only these two candidates from PDP and APC?” he asked. As for Boko Haram and the 200 girls, he urged Nigerians to remember that the country had other problems as well.
James Shekole thought corruption was one of Nigeria’s main problems, but blamed this on the PDP.
As a 23-year-old Nigerian woman who has lived under the PDP for almost all my life, I support Buhari. Like most of the people I spoke to, I think we need a change, because, as James Shekole said of his fellow Nigerians: “People are really crying and the country is not moving forwards.”