LESSONS LEARNT IN THE JUST CONCLUDED INEC ELECTIONS


Nigeria witnessed a kind of transformation that has never existed in her Political history after the APC ousted the PDP to become the number one Political party for the first time in sixteen (16) years.

There are a couple of events that led to this outcome. These events have proven to be some sort of lessons to be learnt. A couple of them are:


1. EARLY AND PROPER PREPARATION: It is often said that "anyone who fails to plan, is already planning to fail". A carefully drawn plan facilitates decision making processes thus, leading to the achievement of goals.

A well thought out plan must make room for contingencies. This leads to modifications and therefore re-strategising in order to achieve set goals.


2. LITTLE THINGS COUNT: It may interest you to know that the little things we take for granted will definitely affect the outcome of our actions directly or indirectly.

This is why i so much love this man, JOSE MOURINHO. He never takes things for granted. If you look at the teams he has managed in the past (FC Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid), you would notice that these teams never took things for granted. It is as a result of this that his teams would go on to win the League titles with very high points.


3. CHANGE: This is the only constant thing in nature. Buhari's camp adopted this slogan and made sure they acted on it. This goes to show that every contestant has an equal chance of winning a competiton. Hence, the pendulum of victory can swing to either side.

There will always be "favourites" and "underdogs" in any contest, but everything just ends there. Being a favourite doesn't mean an underdog has no chance to win it. In so many cases, underdogs have been seen to cause upsets.


4. MAKE SURE YOUR HOUSE IS IN ORDER: Every successful side makes sure that she keeps all her members united. If you are unable to unite your members then there will be various cracks in the system, thereby leaving you vulnerable to attack from the opponents and in the long run the whole house will collapse.

Have you ever wondered how JOSE MOURINHO and ALEX FERGUSON kept their teams (Chelsea and Manchester United respectively) ticking? These two teams were blessed with world class players, yet these two Coaches united them. They both assembled very formidable sides that were very strong domestically and in Europe. The unity in the team led them to various victories.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria had some problems immediately after they won the African Cup of Nations which could not be resolved. The resultant effect of this was their inability to qualify for the 2015 African Cup of Nations as well as poor results.


5. TAKE RISKS AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES: I'm a firm believer in risk taking. And the just concluded INEC general elections further validates my belief. Hence, the statement. . .

"Take Risks! If you lose, you will be wiser. If you win, you will be happier."

If there is one man i admire so much in this world, then that's Arsenal's Coach, ARSENE WENGER. He takes risks by always giving youngsters a chance to prove their mettle. He loses some and wins some. These victories have seen the emergence of world class players like JACK WILSHERE, ASHLEY COLE, FRANCESC FABREGAS, etc

In as much as i love taking risks, i also believe that one must take and make good use of his chances. You may never be lucky a second time. The likes of RUUD VAN NISTLEROOY, DIDIER DROGBA, JAVIER HENANDEZ, etc readily come to mind.


6. CALMNESS: Anyone who shows some level of calmness while dealing with various situations tends to make wise decisions. These calming influence has a way of positively affecting a unit.

One of the men who stood out during the election was the INEC Chairman, Prof. ATTAHIRU JEGA. He was publicly (in front of the cameras) accused by a PDP member, GODSDAY ORUBEBE for being bias and tribalistic during the result collation process. But the INEC Chairman shocked the whole world with his reply. The way and manner he replied him was out of this world. His calmness was breathtaking and his words sent shivers down my spine.

And trust Nigerians to always capitalise on situations as he is now called "JEGAlity" to mean - a calming influence. Some quarters have even seen him as "JEGAcetamol" - a drug used to restore calmness.

One really needs to be calm when dealing with very difficult people.


7. HARDWORK AND SMARTNESS: It is often believed that there is no shortcut to success. The price for success is simply hardwork.

However, it must be noted that hardwork alone does not bring success. You need to incorporate smartness.

The APC camp really took advantage of the social media. They had that online presence to win more votes to themselves. They made use of Twitter, Facebook, etc.

It was a great rebranding process online where campaigns from Smartphones can build momentum at low cost.

"The digital strategy has been a lifeline of the campaign for young people. We needed to create an image that enabled people to connect with him," Adebola Williams, the 29-year-old whose Lagos-based communications company, StateCraft, orchestrated Buhari's digital drive, told Reuters.

Africa’s most populous nation - with 170 million inhabitants - has some of the world's highest levels of mobile phone ownership. There are 127 million mobile phone subscriptions in Nigeria, the International Telecommunications Union says.


8. DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE: Anyone who needs success has to be very determined. Such a person needs to persevere even when the results do not go in his favour as there is never a smooth path to success.

Abraham Lincoln (born 12th February, 1809) who was the 16th President of the USA, had passed through lots of difficulties and setbacks in life. How do you explain a situation whereby a person loses his job, his business, his Sweetheart, had nervous breakdown, defeated for Speaker, defeated for nomination for Congress, lost renomination for Congress, defeated for U.S Senate twice, defeated for Vice President, and finally becomes a President in 1860? This man simply persevered even when the odds were against him.

It must be noted that Gen. (Rtd) Muhammadu Buhari had lost the Presidential election three times (2003 - to OLUSEGUN OBASANJO), (2007 - to UMARU MUSA YAR'ADUA), (2011 - GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN) before winning it the fourth time (2015).


9. PATIENCE: Patience they say, is a virtue. Having patience means that you will learn to accept setbacks and everyday problems without getting angry and making yourself and others miserable.

I can remember the Barcelona side managed by PEP GUARDIOLA (2008 - 2012) were very patient with the ball. They could monopolise possession, try to create scoring chances then tear their opponents to shreds.

Buhari has been very patient all these years despite all the setbacks, and that patience paid off as he emerged as the country's President.

10. BE GRACIOUS IN DEFEAT: The outgoing President, GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN had conceded defeat in a competitive election to MUHAMMADU BUHARI and became the first sitting Nigerian President to do so.

I must say this man has won my heart for his actions. In his words. . .

"I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word. I have also expanded the space for Nigerians to participate in the democratic process. That is one legacy I will like to see endure.
"Although some people have expressed mixed feelings about the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), I urge those who may feel aggrieved to follow due process based on our constitution and our electoral laws, in seeking redress.
"As I have always affirmed, nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian. The unity, stability and progress of our dear country is more important than anything else."

You've shown us that any election process should never be a do-or-die affair.

With these words, i must say i'm very proud of you, Sir. May God bless you wherever you go.