It is the eve of the 2015 general elections and we have begun to notice the fierce on-going contests among the political class. John Locke, the 17th century English philosopher and physician, popularised the tabula rasa theory with regards to human cognitive experience. As postulated by Locke, tabula rasa is the human mind in an empty state prior to receiving impressions from outside; suggesting that people are born without pre-existing mental content and that our knowledge comes from experience and perception.

Without any concrete attempt to join philosophers in their endless debates on the source of human knowledge, a look at the way we seem to carry on, especially in our socio-political interactions, suggest the plausibility of Locke’s thesis. At the foundation of what we have come to know as stereotyping is the fact that our perception is often shaped by individual differences, experiences, beliefs, traditions, nurturing, education and political bent, among other things. This is why even when we seem to agree on the destination, it is not uncommon for us to differ on the ways and means of getting there.

Politicking is one social activity that strongly expresses the situation described above. Here, we see politicians trying as much as possible to promote their views, ideologies and proposed policies over those of opposing blocs. The spiritualists and soothsayers are having their say. The electorate is also not left out from the frenzy of promoting one political ideology against others. These agitations can sometimes get animated, even ferocious.

After over 50 years of independence, it is regrettable that election periods continue to elicit fear and trepidation in our country. Periodic elections are essential ingredients of our adopted representative, majoritarian democracy; and elections should not in any way generate violence and strife. Election periods should present opportunities for articulating well-developed views and programmes as well as alternatives for the people to choose from. In similar vein, the electorate is also expected to approach the elections with the highest sense of decorum, responsibility and patriotism all in the interest of the society. Why then have we allowed periodic, general elections to turn into moments of strife and palpitation in our country?

“A mass of men equals a mass of opinions” so says Daniel Webster, suggesting the legitimacy of differing views on how best to govern our nation. Still, what is most important is that our consensus on the destination should help us come together to plan the journey to the expected end irrespective of creed, tribe and political persuasion. This rational approach is what we need to take to the next general elections. Truly, if we stay focused on the vision of a better Nigeria, then violence and conflict will not mar the 2015 general elections.

As one united people with a common destiny and a shared vision, we cannot allow trivial issues to derail our journey to a greater country. The quest to deepen our democracy and consequently lay the foundations for a prosperous and productive country should begin with a general decision to hold free, fair and credible elections that we will all be proud of. And we can find motivation for this from the last general elections held in 2011. If we recall, anxious moments also preceded the 2011 general elections but at the end of the day we were able to hold what was globally acclaimed as free and credible elections because of the strong commitment of all and sundry to a hitch-free process. The 2015 general elections thus present us with another chance at glory.

Ralph Nader reminds us that: “There can be no daily democracy without daily citizenship”. This is clearly an affirmation of our important role as protectors of Nigeria’s democracy. We have a civic duty to actively participate in the conduct of elections by exercising our voting rights but we even have a more sacred duty of protecting our democracy by exercising our civic duties with all sense of responsibility and patriotism. We must shun all acts of violence and fervently resist any attempt by unscrupulous politicians to mislead us into violent acts.

Nigeria’s potential for greatness is not in doubt and it is even more gratifying that we all as citizens agree that with the right efforts, the country can activate its potential. It starts with observing basic civic duties: not selling your votes, jettisoning electoral malpractices, being tolerant of people of different political persuasion and shunning violence. All these seemingly little things will go a long way in making Nigeria a better place.

If our unanimous desire is for politics that works, an economy that is productive and a nation that is united, strong, secure and safe, then we must begin from the most important place. We must all pledge to foster our collective dream in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability by conducting violence-free general elections.

We, at the Honeywell Group, wish all Nigerians a happy and prosperous 2015.

LET US PRAY

Dear God, we thank You for Your sustenance through the years. We also thank You for the abundance of human and material resources that You have endowed us with. As we go into the next round of elections, we beseech You to grant our country Your enduring peace that we may pursue our nation’s greatness in harmony and with love for one another. Amen.