Nigeria Elections 2023: They Stole Our Hopes
Giving up our hopes means Nigeria ceases breathing.
In his Divine Comedy, Dante wrote,
Abandon hope all ye who enter here.
~ Dante Alighieri (1265–1321)
Dante wrote “Abandon hope all ye who enter here” as the welcome sign for sinners inexorably reporting at the gates of hell.
Well, may he have written, “Abandon hope all ye who are trapped in APC and Buhari’s Nigeria.”
But I (we) refuse to take “No Hope” as a given.
Now,
- Remember the massive turn-out of voters and have hope.
- We defied police and the intimidation of thugs. We joined our hands and hearts in hope.
- In Port Harcourt, we formed human rings to protect our not Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and our votes. We endured because the dawn of our long expected hope has arrived.
- We also defied strange diabolical rainstorms and fiery thunderbolts. Have hope.
- We disregarded deliberate delays by INEC so we can vote. Our hope was on our way.
- INEC started very late but wanted to close early. They relented when we dared them to try it. Hold on to hope.
- We shined our phone flashlights to ensure votes were counted and correctly recorded. We won’t forfeit our hope.
- We voted with hungry stomachs and returned to dark homes (no power). Have hope.
- When they saw their candidates losing the count, they tried to scatter the polling centers. Their goal was to shatter our resolve so they can make away with “not yet counted votes” and cook up the numbers. We never give in to the provocations of politician’s thugs. Have hope.
- INEC officers left the polling booths for NYSC “corpers”. We didn’t rig our way into victory. Have hope.
- Who ever rigs a game when he / she is already on the cusp of winning? Even our adversaries’ goons saw it all. We saw our winning results and rejoiced while they gloomily saw the game turning against them. Now they’re glorying in a stolen mandate. Don’t resort to despair. Together, let’s hope on.
- Foreign observers witnessed the election. They watched helplessly as INEC and their enablers brutalized our hopes.
- Keep your shoulders high, because you fought gallantly for a New Nigeria. Don’t throw away our hopes.
- Making us believe we’re hopeless is part of their first battle plan. Don’t surrender your hope.
- Look, now, even their manipulations are falling apart. Have hope.
- Youths from all over Nigeria rose up to the challenge. We will rise again. Hold on to this Hope.
- To our brethren in diaspora and friends of goodwill, know that we didn’t chicken out this time around. Join hands with us because we believe, hope delayed is not hope denied.
- Though stolen, we 🇳🇬😭😭😭🇳🇬 won’t relent. We will press on until we retake our hoped for destiny, standing tall among the nations.
- … …
- … … … …
For the sake of ours and our children’s tomorrow, we hold on to this hope.
No, we can’t and must not give up on this hope.
Giving up on our hope means Nigeria ceases breathing.
Hope because you never know what tomorrow may bring.
Holding on until we take it back. Yes, our hope, as Nigerians.
I write here as an observer and participant in what the “powers that be” turned into a brazen betrayal of Nigeria’s hope.
Thank you for reading.
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