Hope is the engine for tomorrow.
Hope allows us to create visions for our future.
On Feb 25th 2023, my home country Nigeria , the giant of Africa, held elections to determine its’ future.
This was the most anticipated election of our time, as millions had their hopes for a better future hanging in the balance.
The youth poured into the streets , to those voting polls to cast their hopes for their future into ballots.
The older generation also went to have their voices count , in the form of votes.
There were MANY deterrents that day, such as long lines that took some literally all day to vote, rain that interrupted these lines, dust storms that choose to dance and scatter INEC polling stations, sun and heat that made voters question their resolve to continue to wait in the hot sun.
Through it all, Nigerians waited patiently to cast their votes. Many were voting for the first time in their lives. Some who had started in the lines early that morning with the sunrise , could not cast their votes until the sun was down from the sky.
Finally the votes were cast. The ballots were collected , and we waited.
Nigerians at home and those in the diaspora, waited on pins and needles for the election results.
Then the silence was deafening. Days after such a hugely anticipated election, and no results ??
I was in Mexico with my American in laws and they would ask me “ any news from Nigeria?”, and I had nothing . Crickets.
This was unusual and very much unlike American elections where projections are typically displayed on TV, literally at all hours following elections.
But this was different..
I too waited , then I called family at home in Nigeria .. they too had nothing .
We were ALL waiting.
Then on March 1st, while people were asleep , the INEC * reported a winner, shocking the whole world.
This was NOT what the youth of Nigeria expected. To have their hopes dashed by reports of corruption and inappropriate handling of election ballots. To hear of many cases of election interference in the forms of violence at election polls, voter intimidation , mismanagement of the ballot counting with faulty machines that could not “ upload” election results and outright election fraud.
This was NOT what we had hoped for as we anticipated and dreamed of a new Nigeria, all those months ago.
Those ballots promised us of a new Nigeria, one with less corruption.
Now those ballots threatened to take away HOPE from us and for our future generations.
We will not let it. We must hang on , even if with the tips of our fingernails to hope for Justice.
Hope now for Justice to challenge the recent electoral process.
Now more than ever , we need HOPE for our beloved country Nigeria!
I will continue to HOPE
As always, thank you for reading my blog and of course I welcome your comments and any shared experiences .
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***Independent National Election commission.
MindMuse 
This is the worst election I have witnessed in my entire life.Voting in my booth went fine not minding the late arrival of INEC staff/materials.Probl started when they could not upload the results.We never knew that that’s their tricks– to mutilate the result sheets favouring their own (ApC)).I believe God to return our stolen mandate.Amen.
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In the words of my wise father, “Nigeria can never be free from corruption in our lifetime”. This is almost 20yrs or more he said that to me and I vehemently disagreed with him. With each passing day and election year, I think he may be right cos its obvious that the forces or cabal holding Nigeria at ransom is very very strong😭
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My wife cried tirelessly after hearing the results even more than she did when we lost loved ones and she wasn’t the only one. It’s probably because death is a natural occurrence but the occurrences during the 2023 election were masterminded by human beings like us.
It’s true that it’s difficult to hope when the country seems to be in the palms of people who are determined to use all means possible to keep the nation deep in corruption, fraud, debt and the list goes on . But my hope is drawn from the Israelites who hoped until they could hope no more but while they were hoping there was a Moses born who at the moment some of them lost hope was merely a toddler….the Egyptians came with horses and chariots and even though the Israelites ran on foot, when it was time…. IT WAS TIME…
My hope remains that NIGERIA’S TIME WILL COME.As for whether it has come, only the heavens can tell.
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The people are the structure and the mandate will be returned in due time. INEC president-elect is only marking time. When the time comes, they will understand that true power belongs to the people.
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“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”Jeremiah 29:11 . God has promised us He will give us a future and a hope. We have hope that this His word will not come back without accomplishing everything it was set out to do in our lives and in Nigeria.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5. Our hope will not disappoint us. We will keep the faith up.
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It is good that God is using this election to expose their evil machinations against the country. The citizens are now awake and will never allow this charade of an election to stand.
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Despite there plans and devices only the Lord’s plan for Nigeria will stand!!!
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Keep hope alive! God is in control and I will continue to pray!❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
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Praying for our dear country, Nigeria.
We will not loose HOPE.
Thanks for the beautiful write up. Could not agree more!
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The election get as ebi my sister. There is nothing we can do than to trust God to expose them.
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