BLACK #INSPIRES :::: Kofi Annan's Message to all Nigerians and Political actors.

I stand before you today not as a former Secretary-General of the United Nations, but as the chairman of the Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security. I am here to share with you the work that my Foundation and a number of partner organisations and individuals are undertaking to implement the recommendations of the Commission. 

I will first explain why I took on the Global Commission. Then I will explain what I mean by elections with integrity, and the obstacles that often lie in the way, not just in Nigeria but all over the world. Finally, I will share a few thoughts with you about the significance of your upcoming elections in 2015.

Elections in Nigeria

You may have recognized some of these challenges in Nigeria today. Your vocal press and the speakers today have certainly indicated as much. But it is not for me to say.  I can only share with you some personal reflections, as a neighbour, as a fellow African and as a friend of Nigeria.

Nigeria has come a long way since 1999. I remember vividly the bad old days of dictatorship.  But we know that every election since 1999 has been fraught, and marred by violence. Many people I have spoken to worry that violence might once again disfigure and undermine the electoral process.

So I entreat all Nigerians, and especially the political actors, not to put the amazing progress Nigeria has made in jeopardy. Politics should be about serving the higher interests of the country and not self-serving. As the late President Kennedy said, “…ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Nigeria has the largest population of any country on the continent and has the biggest economy. It plays a major role on the international stage, especially at this time, when it holds a seat at the Security Council. Nigeria is one of the largest contributors of UN peacekeepers.

But as the old proverb says, a large chair does not make a king. To lead, you have to be a role model. The 2015 elections are an opportunity to confirm Nigeria’s progress in the eyes of the world, but most importantly, in the eyes of its own people. As I said earlier, you, as civil society, have an important role to play in making sure that these coming elections and the elections in the future meet the standards that Nigerians, especially young Nigerians, expect and demand.

You can, in particular, resist efforts to use regional, tribal and religious differences for political gain. You must denounce such manoeuvers that threaten the cohesion of Nigeria and incite violence.  It is for this urgent reason that you must stand as one against Boko Haram. We must reject their evil ideology. We are in the same boat.

Boko Haram’s vicious and brutal tactics have no place in the civilized world. No cause- I repeat no cause- can justify such brutality, murder, kidnapping of innocent children, women and men.

Nigerians are proud that theirs is a big country. The size of Nigeria is a major source of your wealth and power. But the price of that size is diversity, which should be accepted, valued and even celebrated.  I also urge politicians and their supporters to be careful with their language, for words can inflame, incite and provoke. But they can also calm, soothe and reconcile.  Nigerians should remember that their destiny is a common one, whether you are Muslim or Christian, Northerner or Southerner, for the PDP or the APC.

I must caution, however, that no election is ever perfect, not even in the most developed and stable democracies.  Even so, you have the right to expect elections that are fair and credible and that the electoral code will be respected by all political actors and their parties. You have a right to demand transparency and accountability, but through the legal system.

Most importantly, I hope that you will urge all Nigerians not to resort to violence because their candidate of choice did not win.  A proverb from Kenya says that when two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets trampled. The people of Kenya know this well because they suffered grievously from election-related violence in 2008. Fortunately, they leant from that tragic experience and their most recent election was violence-free even though it was keenly contested.

I shall conclude by observing that in many ways, Nigeria has the future of the continent in its hands. What happens in Nigeria has an impact far beyond its borders. Nigeria’s success in the forthcoming election will be Africa’s success.  So I wish you well as you approach this great test of national unity, a test in which civil society is poised to play such a crucial role.

The esteemed Dr. Kofi Annan was former Secretary-General of the United Nations,  a Nobel Peace and Indira Gandhi Prize  laureate, and currently President of the Kofi Annan Foundation in Accra, Ghana.