“Big protest in D.C. on January 6” Donald Trump tweeted when he was President a week before Christmas. “Be there, will be wild!”
This tweet opened the flood gates in early 2021as the world watched dismayed as an insurrectionist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in desecration of what is arguably the model of democracy in the world. The mob was overwhelmingly made up of longtime Trump supporters, including far-right militants, white supremacists and off-duty policemen. Records show that some were heavily armed thatincluded convicted criminals, such as a Florida man recently released from prison for attempted murder.
The American authorities after reviewing some of their social media posts, voter registrations, court files and other public records for more than 120 people either facing criminal charges related to the Jan. 6 unrest or who, going maskless during the pandemic, were later identified through photographs and videos taken during the melee. They came from across America, summoned by Trump who was then President to march on Washington in support of his false claim that the November election was stolen and to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden as the victor.
This is one part of America’s democratic history that can’t be erased or wished away. It has become a stain, eroding the country’s posture as an archetype of democracy.
As the mob smashed through doors and windows to invade the Capitol, a loud chant went up calling for the hanging of Vice President Mike Pence, the target of a Trump Twitter tirade for not subverting the Constitution and overturning the legitimate vote tally. Outside, a wooden scaffold had been erected on the National Mall, a rope noose dangling at the ready.
Apparently, the Trump supporters have beenlikened to some of the current supporters of one of the presidential candidates of the recently concluded Nigerian Presidentail election who have gone on a rampage since losing the Presidential elections, threatening anyone that didn’t support their candidate.
In the buildup to the Feb 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections, many of us hadwritten about the dangers of the several online polls projecting a particular presidentail candidate as the winner. There was a foregoing opinion that the supposed victory in these polls could be the ignition or ammunition for what is to come if the election does not go in the waythe polls have projected. From the ongoing,several threats issued by his supporters to those who openly refuse to support their candidate, those fears are justified.
Popular Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham is one of many that have been facing the brunt of these rabid supporters. She recently shared how some supporters of the movement tried to destroy her career and take away her means of livelihood.
During a Twitter session, she shared how someof them petitioned Netflix to remove her movies from their platform. The actress also shared screenshots of some of the messages some of these supporters sent to Checkers Custard, threatening to boycott the brand unless they removed her as one of the brand ambassadors. She also shared the daily curses hurled at her and her son because she supported Tinubu for the presidency.
Following the actors Jide Kosoko and Eniola Badmus endorsement of Asiwaju in a viral video shared on Twitter prior to the elections, many members of this movement on Twitter have been lambasting the popular Yoruba actors.Similarly and perhaps one of the saddest incidents of cyberbullying was on Joke Silva, another popular Nollywood actress. Her crime was apparently supporting the presidential ambition of Asiwaju.
The last time one checked, we are in a democracy and anyone has the right to support any candidate of his/her choice. One almost wept reading through the amount of bile and hate directed towards her. Some persons were even threatening to kill her and her husband OluJacobs.
Many people have been a victim of these online mobs on several occasions, just because theyrefuse to subscribe to their candidate. Manyhave been called very obscene names that cannot be mentioned here. People’s ethnicity and religion have also been ferociously attacked by the mob. People’s genders haven’t been left out as they have been called all manner of names and likened to all manner of people they term as “unpatriotic.”
Obviously in their heads, it is either onesupports their candidate otherwise they are traitors for not doing their bidding. Not many Nigerians can take or tolerate the bile oozing out from the keyboards of their phones, laptops and computers.
Without a shred of doubt, the Presidential and National Assembly election was a watershed moment in our country’s history. This election sprang several surprises, upsets and shocks.How many elections have Nigeria witnessed that have seen incumbent governors lose their bid for a seat in the Senate. Not one but seven outgoing governors failed in their attempts to cross over to the Senate after their two-term tenure of eight years each. Compared to the 2019 elections, twenty former governors were elected into the Ninth National Assembly in 2019.
Like previously pointed out in former piecesbefore the election, there were concerns that the country may experience an unprecedented insurrection, more severe than what was witnessed during the #EndSARS violencebecause of the results. The either my way or the high way mentality of many members of themovement may just derail some of the democratic gains we are making so far as a people. If care isn’t taken, many of these supporters may just tow the path of Trump supporters on January 6 2021. Their principal’s deafening silence on the conduct of his supporters also leaves much to be desired.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has already declared the winner of the February 25 Presidential polls. For those who are aggrieved, the lawful path to seekredress is via the courts. One must confess that the Labour Party performed beyond many people’s expectations and the PDP also performed well. The Principals should immediately caution their supporters against unnecessary violence and online bullying. The Parties are already in court and so we all should patiently wait for the outcome. In the not too distant past, the same courts worked in the favorof Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party when he reclaimed his mandate as Governor of Anambra state. As a unifying leader, he and the other presidentail candidates should always preach peace; caution their supporters against hate or the use of violence.
The governorship and state houses of elections is just a few days away. I implore INEC to perfect some of the lapses recorded during the Presidential and National Assembly polls. While the major controversy during the latter was the uploading of results from polling units in real time as well as some logistical challenges, the BVAS was really the game changer. It certainlycheckmated the perennial rigging we use to record in yesteryears. There were very few cases of over voting as the BVAS proved to be instrumental against this. However, it should be known that anywhere in the world, there is never a perfect election. Hitches and challenges is often recorded and our clime isn’t immunefrom this.
As a nation, we must proceed with caution, always putting Nigeria first. And no matter howmove on as a country, there should be no way that comes down to… My way or the highway!
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